eCommerce Checkout Experience
Role
UI/UX Designer
Goal
To enhance the user experience of the checkout process for an e-commerce platform, aiming to reduce cart abandonment rates and increase user satisfaction.
Research
Users visit eCommerce sites for a variety of reasons, such as browsing, comparison shopping, or making purchases. When a user decides to make a purchase, numerous barriers can hinder the checkout process, contributing to an average cart abandonment rate of around 70% across online stores. These obstacles extend beyond a streamlined and intuitive user experience. However, by focusing on improving the elements that can be enhanced through a better user experience, it is possible to significantly reduce cart abandonment rates and increase user satisfaction.
Competitor Analysis
Other eCommerce websites employ various strategies to alleviate potential customer barriers to purchase, including streamlined checkout processes, transparent additional cost displays, and guest checkout options. However, research indicates that while competitors address some barriers effectively, they miss opportunities to address others. These efforts positively impact customer satisfaction and reduce cart abandonment, but there remains significant potential for further improvement.
Solution
To distinguish this eCommerce platform from others, all potential barriers to customer satisfaction and successful checkout that could be improved through user experience enhancements were targeted. One of the key themes of the design was to avoid appearing disingenuous to potential customers. Many younger consumers are sensitive to companies' tactics aimed at driving purchases, often leaving when they feel these tactics are purely profit-driven. Thus, the primary goal was not to push customers to say yes, but to eliminate their reasons to say no, thereby easing their decision-making process.
This solution created a seamless customer journey on the eCommerce site, complemented by a communication strategy post-purchase that incentivizes repeat business.
Key features include:
Guest Checkout: Eliminating the need for account creation.
Transparency: Providing clear information on available promo codes and additional costs.
Streamlined Checkout: Minimizing information overload and guiding users through a step-by-step process.
Additionally, image sizes of listed products would be reviewed and optimized in order to improve site speed and performance.
By addressing these aspects, the overall user experience would be enhanced, cart abandonment would be reduced, and customer satisfaction and loyalty would increase.
Applying the 3Cs of Design
Consistency
Offer users repeating UI elements and UX paradigms to create a familiar experience, enabling them to easily navigate and progress through the eCommerce site.
Continuity
Ensure users can complete a purchase seamlessly from start to finish, and provide follow-up communications to keep them informed about their purchase status and incentivize future visits.
Clarity
Present users with clear instructions and visuals to guide them smoothly through the checkout process.
