Control as a principle of user experience
Every UX Designer has his views and best practices. We all have a guide book created through time and experience. I would like to share mine with you.
When I create, I base everything on the following principles. Meet my guiding star to the ultimate user experience.
In this article, I would like to address control.
I want and need; give it to me!
Control can manifest in various shapes and contains many implementation methods. I Want to talk about the feeling of control. We just need to make our visitors feel safe, and how do we achieve this? Well, I am super glad you asked. Let’s review some of the digital hangouts we have trust issues with.
We feel the most vulnerable when we are face to screen with the request for personal information, especially the one carried in our wallets. I am referring to any purchases processed online. E-commerce, Apps, etc.
You have a product. They want to buy it. It’s simple math, not a big deal, right? Wrong! Very, very wrong. Because well, let’s look at numbers for a second.
According to recent studies published on Baymard:
69.57% — The average documented online shopping cart abandonment rate.
Why do you leave me like that?!
Let me count the painful reasons why.
53% say extra costs are too high
My if-it-was-me voice: Ugh, why do they charge so much for the shipment?!
My get ’em back advice: Just be reasonable. It has nothing to do with functional UX, so I can only suggest you to be fair. Otherwise, they will find an alternative for you.
31% say they had to create an Account in order to buy
My if-it-was-me voice: They made me Register, I don’t Have time for this!
My get ’em back advice: Do not force them to do things they’re not ready for; instead, let them know how awesome and comfortable their life would be if they become a regular.
How about a registration button after the checkout? On the thank you page. You already have all the required information. Just display the ‘what’s in it for them’ and let them choose.
Or in case you simply must have them registered beforehand check this out:
In Asos.com (one of my favorites by far), you can freely browse the website and add items to your cart. When you are ready, you click on the checkout button. But wait, you are not a member, and their business goal is to make you one, so they make your life easier. They let you use your social network login options to expedite the process.
Then, they identify you and ask you some questions about your preferences (not mandatory), and BAM, you are in.
23% complain about a complicated checkout process
My if-it-was-me voice: Oh my god, this is too long! I don’t have time for this! Out!
My get ’em back advice: Uncomplicate the complications. Purchase processes should really be straightforward and easy. Divide them into steps, for instance: Personal information, Shipment information, Payment. Avoid unnecessary information requests. It should be smooth and painless.
All you have to do is go through a three-step process, and you are done.
20% couldn’t see the total cost
My if-it-was-me voice: Ugh, so how much do I need to pay for it?! Do they actually expect me to calculate all this?
My get ’em back advice: The total amount of the cart should always be accessible, including all the extras. Let them reach the cart content every given second on their journey.
17% have trust issues
My if-it-was-me voice: This doesn’t feel right; I am not giving you my credit card, Na-uh!
My get ’em back advice: Ensure that they always feel safe. Secure your site (Https the hell out of it). Use visual security certificates. Allow them to pick up a phone and call you if they get lost.
16% hate slow delivery
My if-it-was-me voice: But I need it for Christmas!! Ugh, I’m going to look for better delivery terms.
My get ’em back advice: This is really up to you. It’s all about being reasonable. There are many good alternatives to your product or service out there. It will be a real shame to lose them because of something you can actually control.
15% complain about bugs, crashes
My if-it-was-me voice: What just happened?! Oh man! Where are all my stuff? Why is my cart empty?
My get ’em back advice: Fix the technical issues. It’s not that hard, really. Just so you know, nowadays, we need it faster!
“2 seconds is the threshold for eCommerce website acceptability. At Google, we aim for under a half-second.”
Maile Ohye, from Google.
Check out this feature on Google Chrome that allows you to get a review on your website performance and gives you advice on how to fix the issues at hand:
Right-click anywhere on your webpage, then click on Inspect:
10% say returns policy wasn’t satisfactory
My if-it-was-me voice: Yeah, right, What if it’s damaged?! why shouldn’t I be able to return it?
My get ’em back advice: Again, customer satisfaction should be your number one priority; otherwise, you will be replaced.
6% complain about not enough payment methods
My if-it-was-me voice: Is my Diners card not good enough for you?! Whatever.
My get ’em back advice: If they want to pay you, just accept the friendly people’s money. If you can’t accept a particular payment method, be kind enough to display the payment methods you do accept, before they start their purchase journey.
4% card was declined
My if-it-was-me voice: Oopsy. My bad…
My get ’em back advice: How about a helpful error message, something in the spirit of: Aw, Shucks, Maybe next month, huh? :)
So, how are you doing; are we still good?
Look, I understand that it’s not always that simple. However, and thankfully, it is no longer a guessing game. We know what our users are dealing with because they tell us, so even if you take baby steps toward a better experience, that’s something.
My next article will be dedicated to engagement — how it can affect your users and increase revenues — fun stuff, I promise.
