Prioritise log in at checkout
Year.
2023
Role.
Lead Product Designer
Tasks.
Research & analysis
Design
Built and published A/B test
Post test analysis
About the test.
For users who are not logged into an account, they are presented with “step 0” when tapping on continue from the cart page. This screen shows an option to checkout as a guest or to log into an account and continue with the normal checkout flow.
Being logged in during checkout provides an accelerated checkout experience. It gives users the ability to use a saved address, and therefore bypass adding shipping and billing addresses. Saving users time reduces friction at this stage and should decrease bounce rates.
Therefore, according to Jakob Nielsen’s ten usability heuristics, by promoting the log in step, we make the checkout process more flexible and efficient for returning users.
Hypothesis.
Key results.
✅ + 16.3% Users clicked log in to check out
✅ - 8.37% Decrease in bounce rate on the Step 0 screen
✅ + 1.56% Transaction rate after reaching Step 0
Recommendations.
Prioritize displaying the login section at "Step 0" of the checkout flow.
Ensure a distinct separation between the login and guest checkout steps for improved user clarity.
Improve the screen copy based on the variant design.
Consider implementing these enhancements for all markets, as the test conducted in the UK yielded significant results.
Additional comments & learnings.
Although the test reveals a positive behavioral shift and improved service for returning users, a significant increase of +11.81% in forgot password initiations was observed.
Therefore, to further minimize friction, additional enhancements in the login journey are possible. Encouraging early login behavior can also lead to bypassing this step in checkout for more users, thus positively impacting the checkout flow and overall customer experience.