Have you ever abandoned a transaction because the description of the selected item was unclear? How often when shopping online, were you unsure if the selected product color would be suitable? Or perhaps simply due to a lack of time, were you unable to complete all the steps of a complicated checkout process? The above-described situations are examples of incorrect User Experience (UX) which can discourage users from using an online store website and thus negatively impact sales. From the previous article about UX, you learned which elements to pay special attention to when designing customer shopping experiences depending on the nature of your eCommerce. In this article, you will learn about the most common UX errors. Read the article and check if you run your store in accordance with the needs of customers!
Why are customers dissatisfied? The most common UX errors in eCommerce
In a situation where a visual layer of the product is important from a customer's perspective, poor-quality photos or the lack of possibility to enlarge them may prove to be a significant problem. On the other hand, when making a purchase decision requires getting to know the technical specification, an incomplete and poorly developed description will be a major obstacle. According to the report "A Comprehensive Guide to the ROI of UX", as much as 88% of consumers will abandon a re-visit to a website when faced with such negative experiences. Find out what other UX errors are not worth repeating - the most popular ones are presented below.
Prioritizing design over usability (and vice versa)
First impressions are key - in eCommerce, UI is responsible for it and it is one of the elements of User Experience. The UI, or more specifically, the User Interface, consists of all elements that are responsible for communication between the platform and its user, including:
- menu,
- gallery,
- text layout,
- color scheme,
- animations.
Banners overflowing with content, too many pop-ups or the use of unreadable fonts can make the viewer feel overwhelmed or even distrustful. In any of these cases, the visitor will abandon further browsing, which will translate into a lower conversion rate.
An excess of visual effects is not the only mistake in the area of platform design. The opposite situation, i.e. its underdeveloped design, can also discourage users from browsing. An ill-conceived distribution of content, an unreadable structure or a layout that is not in line with trends can negatively affect the visitor's willingness to stay on the site.
Mindlessly following trends
New trends on the Internet emerge in the blink of an eye, and the dynamic changes in the eCommerce industry are a prime example. Augmented reality or voice search are just single examples of solutions that are so-called industry hot topics. Before implementing them in your online store, it is worth answering one question: "What requirements does my customer have?". Based on this, you can analyze shoppers' needs and make decisions about introducing new usability as part of UX improvements.
When designing online stores, it is often incorrectly forgotten to ask the above question. In many cases, you may find that the users of your store value other values above those expressed in trends. For example, features based on voice recognition may prove to be an interesting tool for them, but they will primarily expect an intelligent form of search (e.g. taking into account related search terms or ignoring so-called typos). When developing UX design according to new trends, it is worth considering first whether it meets the basic requirements of users.
Poor quality mobile version of the store (or even lack of it)
Although the slogan "mobile first" in 2023 should need no explanation, there are still many eCommerce sites that do not have a mobile version of their store. The lack of attention to the proper functioning of the platform on different devices is not only a serious mistake, but can also cost the loss of a significant number of users. The Chamber of Electronic Commerce, in its report "A Decade of Polish e-commerce," states that in 2022 nearly 80% of shoppers will use a smartphone.
There are many ways to implement a mobile version of a website - from writing code that takes into account the adjustment of individual elements to the size of the screen (RWD - Responsive Web Design), through the implementation of solutions based on PWA, to designing a dedicated mobile application. You will surely find a solution that will best meet the needs of your store and its customers, and thus save you from making one of the most serious UX mistakes. If you want to learn more about effective mobile commerce, read one of our blog articles dedicated to this topic.
Creating content for Google's robots
Why is there so much talk about content in eCommerce? Because the purpose of it is to engage the users on the site, encourage them to buy, and demonstrate the value of the brand. Thus, it is not just "art for art's sake." Nor should its sole purpose be to keep the site high in the search engine. Of course, a satisfactory place in Google results is important, because it is what brings potential customers to the eCommerce site.
Meta tags, keywords or internal linking are elements to pay attention to when developing content. However, creating content only with the idea of fitting into the algorithms can be a serious mistake - texts written in an unnatural way are most likely to arouse the reader's aversion. Only interesting pieces can have a real impact on whether a user will take a specific action on the site (e.g. make a purchase or sign up for a newsletter). For this reason, do not forget about the quality of the content - blog articles or product descriptions should add value in the form of knowledge, which may prove crucial for potential customers not only when making purchasing decisions.
Loading time of page is too long
The recommended page load time is constantly being reduced - it is already below 3 seconds. Tests conducted by eCommerce platform owners have proven that increasing page load rate by even 0.1 second can affect (in a positive way) the time spent inside the platform. Queue-it service confirmed that a seemingly minor change, can improve conversions by up to 8.4%. For this reason, you should always consider first whether making additional improvements (including UX) will affect the load on your online store. Mismatched image and video formats or unnecessary plug-ins can increase loading times and make the customer abandon the purchase, and your efforts to arouse the viewer's attention will have the opposite effect.
At this point, it's worth asking yourself again about your customer's needs and, based on that, implement elements that will help them navigate the site smoothly, as well as affect their positive transaction experience.
Success is in the (UX) details. How to find mistakes in your own online store?
As you've noticed, the customer journey in eCommerce is made up of small elements, the improvement of which can help enhance the customer's experience and build a long-term relationship with them, thus ensuring continued profits for the online store. Seemingly small changes in User Experience design can make the platform easier to use and make the user start visiting it regularly. In what areas of the online store can you still find faults?
- Extended ordering process - checkout consisting of multiple sub-pages can prove to be a hindrance when finalizing the transaction. Presenting all the steps in one window will make the whole process easier.
- Non-intuitive navigation - the list of elements that can influence a browser to get lost on the site is long. The frustration of finding the items one is looking for can be compounded by, among other things, complicated menus, unclear product categories or the lack of sufficiently extensive filters and sorting options.
- Lack of purchase options for those registered on the platform - requiring a login for purchase can be read as an unnecessary obstacle by users who care about completing the transaction quickly. Not requiring registration at all, or making it easier (e.g., by allowing login via social media) are common ways to address this issue.
Perfect UX is a process - how to study the UX of an online store?
Your eCommerce store has seen a refreshed design and simplified check out, and product cards have gained new descriptions, but still the conversion rate doesn't change? This doesn't immediately mean that you've made a mistake - UX changes in eCommerce always involve some difficulties and challenges. Users are often accustomed to particular functionalities, and replacing them can cause a temporary sense of confusion (for example, moving the menu to the right from the left corner of the page). What should you keep in mind when making any modifications?
Analyzing and studying user interaction is essential, as UX design is not a one-time activity, but a process. Not every idea has to be a hit, but testing individual solutions certainly brings you closer to success. It is worth observing the development of individual changes, comparing them with the help of A/B testing, and making long-term decisions on this basis. Sometimes it can happen that low indicator values at the beginning can improve significantly as users adapt to the changes. The conclusion? It's not worth giving up on change, keeping in mind that UX means continuous development.
In detecting errors related to UX design, an audit of an online store outsourced to an external company, which will evaluate the performance of its various elements in a subjective and experience-supported manner, can be helpful. If you are thinking about conducting such an audit for your eCommerce, you have come to the right place - we will be happy to help you!
