UX & backyard chickens
A peek into how Millennials and Gen X have influenced the e-commerce pet supply industry, and how Omlet.com is optimizing the user experience for new backyard chicken owners
Backyard Chickens aren’t going anywhere.
Their popularity has been on the rise for many years, but as a side effect from COVID-19 interest in raising backyard chickens has skyrocketed in the United States.
As the delicate balance of the subsidized factory farm and the mono-crop agriculture system buckled under the weight of the pandemic, people turned to themselves- reviving the spirit of self-sustainability and implementing the practices of what humanity has done to provide for themselves for thousands of years — raise their own food sources on a family-sized scale. Gathering eggs from their own chickens & growing produce in home gardens has flourished, becoming the norm for many families in the wake of COVID-19.
Over this past year, I’ve observed people's mindsets shifting as they have grown closer to their food sources. Chickens aren’t just token, background farm animals in movies — now they’ve become part of the family. In the United States alone, the pet product industry is estimated to be worth $72+ billion a year. It's clear that, as consumers, many of us are motivated to provide the best for our nonhuman companions.
America's relationship with chickens has rapidly changed and evolved in the last 120 years
If you want to dive into it you can read this article that covers the history of chickens since the 1900s, but I’m going to keep it brief here.
The fact is eating chickens and eggs was a delicacy until as recently as the 1950–1960s. Advances with inhumane practices (but effective for diminishing mortality rates) that included inoculating chickens with wide ranges of antibiotics, which made battery hens resistant to the fatal consequences of overcrowding. That artificial assistance along with breeding efforts created a broiler chicken that grew quickly, (they are slaughtered at just 4-7 weeks old) and laying hens that produced more eggs than their ancestors ever had- turning chicken and eggs from a rare treat to an inexpensive, mass-produced food source. The commercialization of animal products led to people pulling away from self-sustainability in favor of the cheap products available at the early predecessors of our modern grocery stores.
In the mid to late 1900s suburbia, immaculate lawns, and HOA’s became the norm- ‘unsightly’ lawns and ‘agricultural animals’ were banned in communities. Humanity drifted away from our food and our symbiotic relationship with animals. As that bridge widened our nation turned a blind eye to the inhumane and unsustainable treatment of the animals, plants, and people that work to nourish us.
Thankfully, that is changing.
The power of chickens in social media
The backyard chicken movement is rapidly spreading filling Facebook and Instagram feed with chickens. #ChickensofInstagram is tagged on more than 1.6 million posts. I feel that the surge in popularity with folks taking the leap of raising their own flocks has been greatly aided by social media and the ability to closely connect with these communities.
I never knew chickens could have such a large personality but they’ve proven me wrong.
— K.K. Backyard Chicken Group
Influencers and advocates, like Jenny of Lipstick & Chickens, and Kathy ‘The Chicken Chick’, have blazed the trail forward sharing knowledge and insight on keeping healthy, happy chickens in suburban and urban settings. Removing the stigma that chickens are dirty or unpersonable animals. With a camera in every pocket and a place to share photos, social media has allowed chickens individual personalities to shine.
(I mean, look at this guy! Barth works hard to put out content for his many fans)
After years of misunderstanding and neglect, Chickens are now starting to get the love and care they deserve. As a designer, I appreciate that companies are recognizing the value of bringing optimal user experiences to animals and the humans who care for them.
Businesses that leaned into providing for people that want the best for their animals have gained a foothold and are now dominating the industry.
Enter, my personal favorite, Omlet Modern Pet Housing.
When modern design and ancient animal husbandry intersect
Chickens, more often than not, have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to shelter and care over the past 100 years. Evolving mindsets for the care of animals has increased the demand for easy-to-set-up, secure, aesthetically pleasing, and most importantly, sanitary chicken housing that supports animal enrichment. Omlet answered that demand back in 2003. Founded by 4 product designers from London, Omlet has paved the way for modern backyard chicken keeping.
Warning! The following may sound like I am a secret undercover spokesperson for Omlet… alas, I am not.
I am just really, really passionate about exceptional user experiences. (Feel free to hire me Omlet!)
Instead of getting by just as a pet supply company Omlet has chosen to base their operation on “What can we do to ensure customer success?”
Before your coop arrives on your doorstep, Omlets’ website boasts comprehensive guides for caring for your feathered friends. Ensuring their customers are well armed with how to properly care for the new additions to the family.
My customer journey from beginning to end is interesting to reflect on through a UX minded perspective. Omlets care for the user experience for both the owner and the chickens inhabiting the coop is expressed throughout the entirety of the design. You go from having a few boxes to a fully functional coop in an afternoon. Putting the coop together feels like a domino effect- while it doesn’t feel intuitive(to me at least, as I had never built anything like this!)- once you start everything has its own perfectly designed place. In a few short hours you are left with a beautifully crafted, predator-resistant chicken coop.
Offering modular or all-in-one packages that need minimal tools has become expected by consumers. However, Omlet takes every part of the e-commerce buying experience a step further.
Smoothing sources of customer pain points when shopping online
With the rise of e-commerce comes pain points for the users. My UX background has put the microscope on observing these pain points as a customer as I join the millions of others that primarily shop online.
51% of consumers surveyed say that one of their biggest hang-ups is that they cannot interact with an object in person, followed by 11% of consumers frustrated by a lack of interactivity within the website. People want to know exactly what they are receiving. Omlet addresses this issue with a comprehensive, interactive builder- for all of their house-designed, modular products — so there is no mistaking what you will receive in your order.
It doesn’t stop there. After you receive your order the plethora of packages arrive on your doorstep, Each labeled A, B, C, D, E, and F. (there are more if you ordered extras!)
In the user manual, Omlet further breaks down the contents of each package in by the corresponding letter.
Brilliant right?
So simple, yet I was floored when I saw each package carefully packed and labeled with what exactly was in each of the packages before I even opened them.
Research shows that 68% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase a product if they can watch a video about the product beforehand.
Omlet has you covered there too.
Not only are there an abundance of instruction manuals for each part of the process, but they also have a video about the Omlet coop & an instructional video you can watch, pause and start again as you build the coop.
On top of that, they have a number you can call, a Facebook group that they are active in, and a Youtube channel full of informational videos covering all of their products.
Did Omlet write the book on exceptional e-commerce customer service?
…I’m not sure, maybe!
They are dang good at ensuring their customers are covered, informed, and can get in touch with them. Not to mention their thousands of 5-star reviews — surveys show that bad reviews influence a whopping 94% of consumers.
Interestingly (and unsurprisingly) 89% of customers are motivated by price, and Omlet isn’t the cheapest.
With the entry of the basic Omlet Eglu coops starting at $679 USD I wondered why people chose to go with Omlet instead of the mass-produced pre-fab wooden coops that are widely available. So, I did an informal survey of Omlet owners to see why they chose to splurge.
Here are the results.
Overwhelmingly backyard chicken owners valued the hygienic value of having a coop you were able to easily clean and spray down.
Here is what some of them had to say,
Ease of cleaning and security for the girls. I work full-time. I needed a coop that didn’t require a ton of maintenance every week to keep a healthy and clean environment for my girls. -A.B.
The ease of cleaning. Less likely to get mites. Mobility so they can have fresh grass and decreased the chance of parasites. Also if we move we can take it with us. The security features for predators. It’s insulated for the winter. It’s also cute! -C.E.
Didnt want anything that required a drill to put up. I’m handy person and instruction challenged. My tiny 13 year old put ours up by herself!! -A.I.
For me I’m a new chicken owner and I wanted to NOT set myself up for failure… Omlet has 16+ years of selling the same thing and does say something! I was looking up reviews and found some reviews going back 10 years… and their omlet coop is still standing. Then I’ve seen people re sell their coops 5 years later. That says something for sure! -V.J.
It was exciting hearing from other Omlet Eglu owners on why they went with Omlet instead of cheaper options.
My curiosity was peaked so I decided to take a look into the statistics of the e-commerce side of pet products and learn more about the trends and the customers that are driving them forward.
Younger generations of pet owners want quality over quantity
With Millennials and Gen Xleading the charge with making their pets a priority, consumers don’t want traditional, low quality pet products. Even though the price is said to be one of the main factors when people chose to buy, competitive pricing ranks the lowest when it comes to factors that are taken into account when purchasing pet products online. This has rapidly changed the landscape and quality of resources and accessories available for our pets.
Here are a few quick market statistics;
- Back in 2014, 1% of people in the United States had backyard chickens, the USDA estimated that number would jump to 5% by 2018 (I’m looking forward to the next release to see where that number is now in 2020)
- 9 in 10 Americans say they consider their pet to be a part of their family
- Millennials make up 35% of the pet owners in the US
- 67% of millennials and 56% of Gen Xers prefer to shop online
- The top factor that drives customer loyalty for online consumers is customer experience (43%), followed by price (36%), brand (19%), and others (2%)
With millions of pet owners turning to the internet to supply the tools they need to best care for their pets, companies like Omlet stepped up to support the pandemic-induced wave of new chicken owners.
The humanization trend for pets hasn’t left chickens behind.
Dubbed “The Pandemics Unlikely Pet” and “The New Family Dog” it is no surprise that the desire to want the best for our chickens overrides the long-standing tradition for providing the bare minimum to keep chickens alive.
Omlet answers this demand with their website jam-packed with modular coop + run options to fit the needs of different chicken owners and then treats, toys, swings, and accessories dedicated to your flocks' enrichment and health, providing the exceptional products consumers are motivated to purchase for their non-human family members.
People are motivated to keep chickens for more than just a source of eggs
Surveys of chicken owners showed that the rationale for keeping chickens in urban settings are as gardening partners (68%) and as pets (65%). When given the opportunity, and properly cared for, chickens enhance the natural cycle and ecosystem of your home garden.
Chickens enhance the soil, eat pesky bugs (my chickens enjoyed frequent meals of cabbage worms this summer!) and provide nitrogen-rich compost leaving you with a happy garden and happy chickens.
Beyond that chickens are great for our mental health!
Chickens are already working as therapy animals in senior homes and articles promoting chickens as therapeutic have been published by Psychology Today.
“Chickens at nursing homes can reduce resident-to-resident altercations, reduce antipsychotic drug use and increase the number of visits residents receive from friends and family.” — USA TODAY Network
“Today therapy chickens are used around the world to help those in nursing homes improve their mobility and have fun. Residents are more inclined to go outdoors if they can interact with animals when they get there. This means people are motivated to push themselves to achieve greater mobility and independence. The therapy chickens make people laugh, and bring simple pleasures to people who face huge challenges with ill health, disabilities, or have serious mental health issues.” -Susie Kearly, Backyard Poultry
When it comes to modern pet-keeping we have entered a cycle of positivity & excellent UX both for pets and the humans who love them
When companies like Omlet design and produce products dedicated to enriching the lives of our animals and, in turn, enriching the lives of people good things happen.
Quality of life is improved for the animals, mental & physical health is improved for people, jobs are created, the economy is stimulated.
The ripple effect that comes from providing optimal care for our chickens (and other critters!) is vast and powerful.
COVID has been detrimental and life-changing on every level- a silver lining here is that it has encouraged us to get back to our roots and rekindle the relationship with chickens we started over 4000 years ago.
Backyard chickens moving forward
There is work to be done yet, chickens are still banned in many municipals effectively banning the right people should have to pursue self-sustainability and food sovereignty. Roosters are still perceived as a nuisance despite the important role that they play in the flock dynamic. (Their crow is around 90 decibels, the same as a dog bark) Even amongst chicken groups, roosters do not always get the respect they deserve.
Thankfully we have people like Jenny of Lipstick & Chickens, and Facebook pages like Cotton the House Rooster that are breaking the outdated perception of roosters not adding value to your chicken keeping journey. Thanks to the power of social media we can change that perspective, reaching further and faster than ever before.
The future of backyard chickens is bright
As a new wave of chicken keepers enters the field, armed with knowledge, community support — and backed by innovative product designers that prioritize empowering their customers — I have no doubt that we’ll see great strides in the coming years as people wake up and return to what matters — sustainability, health, awareness, and compassion for our feathered friends.
Thank you so much for reading! I’d love to hear from you — have you taken the plunge and have your own backyard chickens? Feel free to share your experience!
Also, exciting news stay tuned for a follow-up article — I have scheduled an interview with a representative from Omlet.com — I’m very excited to learn about how Omlet has been affected by the pandemic and learn how they came to be the customer empowering company that they are.
Expect to see an article about the interview in the next few weeks!
Take care and be safe!
Further reading & resources
- The Chicken Chicks Guide to Backyard Chickens (Book available on Amazon)
Documentaries
