Are online sales on the up in your business? If the answer is yes, you’re on trend. In 2025, Australians’ long-time love affair with ecommerce shows no sign of easing off.
On the contrary. We spent a collective $64.19 billion on online retail in the 12 months to June 2025, according to the latest NAB Online Retail Sales Index. That figure accounts for around 14.5 per cent of the total retail trade estimate, and it’s likely to keep going up, according to NAB chief economist Sally Auld.
The average spend and the volume of transactions grew in key categories, including homeware, appliances, and personal and recreational goods, she noted.
Offering an optimum online experience
That’s good news for local retailers that have their houses in order – those that make it simple and straightforward for customers to engage with them, from first click to final check-out. For businesses whose online customer experience is somewhat less than stellar, not so much.
Because, while Australians are keen to buy more of what they need and want online, they’re increasingly looking to do so from businesses whose purchasing process feels effortless.
Conversely, they’re turning their backs on those that can’t, or won’t, oblige. Over three quarters of consumers say ease of use is important to them when interacting with brands online, while 54 per cent have stopped using an online account or service due to log-in frustrations.
The security of the registration process and that of the data they disclose is also top of mind for today’s online shoppers. Understandably so, given the seemingly endless wave of cyber-attacks and data breaches experienced by local businesses that haven’t been careful, or careful enough, with customers’ personal information.
Adopting strategies to improve your CX
There are numerous ways for a business to improve a sub-par CX. Ensuring its customers can move fluidly across web, mobile and in-app experiences is one of them. Disjointed omni-channel access is a frequent source of frustration for shoppers who expect to be able to commence a transaction on one device and continue it on another. If doing so is unduly difficult, there’s every chance they’ll abandon their cart, mark the offending brand down mentally and source the items they’re seeking from an alternative supplier.
A professional, secure registration process is another ‘CX booster’ many retailers fail to focus on, to their detriment. In today’s times, customers are becoming increasingly selective about where and how they share their personal information.
Present them with a registration flow that appears insecure, lacking in transparency or which doesn’t adapt to user behaviour and you’ll see their trust ebbing away, almost visibly.
Ditto, should they be asked to complete a static form that asks for too much information, too soon. If they’re already wary and ‘once bitten’, perhaps having fallen victim to a recent data breach, it’s likely they’ll not only abandon sign-up but actively avoid future interactions with the offending organisation in the future.
Thirdly, swapping out one-size-fits-all flows for digital experiences that are intuitive, tailored and responsive is a guaranteed way to boost customer engagement, conversion and loyalty. Brands that are unable to personalise interactions and adapt in real time can expect to see their customers disengaging and dropping off – and their online revenue declining apace.
Tools to make the task easier
Addressing online customer experience deficits is easier with the right tools. That’s where modern customer identity and access management technology has a vital role to play.
Choose a platform that delivers cross channel continuity through session management, adaptive authentication and intelligent identity context and you’ll be able to create a consistent omni-channel experience that recognises shoppers across multiple touchpoints.
Ideally it will incorporate built in risk assessment, progressive profiling and AI-powered signals to adapt registration flow in real time. These are features that will help new customers feel both secure and understood as they entrust you with the personal data your business needs to start selling to them. Indeed, the Ping Identity 2025 Consumer Survey found that 82 per cent of Australians are more concerned about personal data security than they were five years ago and 91% overall are concerned about identity theft or fraud. Just 11% of Australians have full trust in the organisations that manage their identity.
Setting your business up for a stronger future
Moving int 2026, staying a step or several ahead of the competition isn’t only about the quality of the products or services you sell. If you hope to turn first time triers into loyal, long-term buyers, providing a frictionless online customer experience is essential.
A modern customer identity and access management platform can help you deliver it, by removing log-in roadblocks, enabling faster launches and adapting in real time as customers engage with you via multiple channels. If driving digital sales and growth is your goal, it’s foundation technology that should sit at the centre of your ecommerce stack.