Recent consumer surveys indicate that 73% of customers abandon online purchases due to complicated checkout processes, while only 12% cite...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Recent consumer surveys indicate that \(73\%\) of customers abandon online purchases due to complicated checkout processes, while only \(12\%\) cite price as the primary deterrent. E-commerce consultant Maria Rodriguez analyzed successful online retailers and found that companies with streamlined, one-click purchasing options maintained significantly higher conversion rates than those requiring multiple verification steps. However, simplified checkout systems also correlated with increased instances of fraudulent transactions and customer complaints about security. This data suggests that the primary challenge facing e-commerce platforms is _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
reducing product prices to compete with traditional retail stores.
expanding payment options to accommodate diverse customer preferences.
balancing user convenience with transaction security measures.
improving website loading speeds to reduce customer abandonment rates.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Recent consumer surveys indicate that 73% of customers abandon online purchases due to complicated checkout processes, while only 12% cite price as the primary deterrent." |
|
| "E-commerce consultant Maria Rodriguez analyzed successful online retailers and found that companies with streamlined, one-click purchasing options maintained significantly higher conversion rates than those requiring multiple verification steps." |
|
| "However, simplified checkout systems also correlated with increased instances of fraudulent transactions and customer complaints about security." |
|
| "This data suggests that the primary challenge facing e-commerce platforms is _____" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: E-commerce platforms face conflicting data about checkout processes—simplification improves conversions but creates security risks.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with data favoring simplified checkouts, then reinforces this with expert analysis, but introduces a complicating factor (security issues) that creates a tension requiring resolution.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer should acknowledge both sides of the checkout dilemma: convenience improves conversions but creates security risks
- Identify this tension as the core challenge rather than focusing on just one aspect
- Recognize that platforms must navigate the competing demands
- The right answer should identify the need to balance or manage the trade-off between user convenience and security measures
reducing product prices to compete with traditional retail stores.
- Focuses solely on pricing competition with traditional retail
- Ignores the entire discussion about checkout processes and security
- The passage explicitly shows price is only a 12% concern for customers
expanding payment options to accommodate diverse customer preferences.
- Suggests expanding payment options as the solution
- Misses the central tension between convenience and security
- Payment variety wasn't mentioned as an issue in the passage
balancing user convenience with transaction security measures.
- Directly addresses the core tension we identified: convenience vs. security
- Matches our prethinking about needing to balance competing demands
- Synthesizes all the evidence: customers want simplicity, but platforms need security
improving website loading speeds to reduce customer abandonment rates.
- Focuses on website loading speeds, which weren't discussed
- Misinterprets "abandon" as being about technical performance rather than checkout complexity