New research has shown that the number of adults shopping for groceries online has increased by 63% over the last three years.

Despite the increasing popularity of shopping online, this section of shoppers only represents less than one in four of those who buy goods and services online. This means that there is a significant opportunity for grocery retailers to expand their online sales.

Online shopping for groceries in the U.K. is set to double to £8.2 billion by 2014.

So, what factors have led to this 63% increase? Well, shoppers are now leading busier lifestyles therefore they appreciate the convenience of online shopping. The demanding shopper can find things easier thanks to enhanced search functionality and they are given suggestions as to what other products they might like.

Whilst the research concluded that online grocery shopping won’t overtake the dominance of in-store, a 63% growth still signifies people’s preference to buy online.

With more and more potential buyers visiting your website, you must make sure you provide them with ease and convenience that they do not always get from a store. Make sure products are always in stock, make sure it is easy for them to find what they are looking for, if they’ve searched for a specific product then land them directly into that page and suggest other items that they might like depending on what they’ve bought…

So, take lead from leading supermarkets and make your site a convenient place to come to, maybe then you can look forward to your conversion rate doubling as well.