Friction! Friction in an online marketplace refers to anything in the user experience that creates obstacles.
Barriers to the user’s ability to complete a desired action. Anything like:
Examples in an online marketplace may include:
Why is it important for you as an online marketplace operator to eliminate friction?
Eliminating friction:
Amazon is friction reducing machine. Amazon implemented thousands of strategies over the years to reduce friction.
Amazon is friction reducing machine. Amazon implemented thousands of strategies over the years to reduce friction.
Some examples from Amazon:
All good things and things we’ll cover!
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How to Identify Points of Friction in Your Online Marketplace
Friction – it’s everywhere! Where to look? Start here:
Having a Difficult Registration or Login Process
Complex registration frustrates customers. They high tail it running away and abandoning their shopping cart.
Look for difficult registrations by tracking the number of abandoned carts or monitoring user feedback or complaints about the registration or login process.
Look for difficult registrations by tracking the number of abandoned carts or monitoring user feedback or complaints about the registration or login process.
Having a complicated registration process is like giving your customers a puzzle to solve before they can buy from you. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Having a Confusing or Complicated User Interface
A confusing interface makes it difficult for customers to find what they want.
Find complicated user interfaces by observing user behavior, such as the time spent on a page. Or monitor the number of clicks required to find a product.
Also recommended is that you solicit user feedback from friends and family. See if they find the website easy to use.
Complicated user interfaces are like trying to navigate through a maze blindfolded. You might eventually find what you’re looking for, but no fun!
Having a Complicated Checkout Process
Complicated checkout processes lead to customers abandoning their carts. No purchase!
To identify, track the number of abandoned carts during checkout. Monitoring user feedback or complaints about the checkout process.
Complicated checkout processes are like going through airport security. Takes way too long…
Having Long Loading Times
A slow website can lead your customers to leave you before purchasing (leaving you before your first date).
To catch, monitor website speed and load times. Also, monitor user feedback or complaints about slow website performance.
Slow websites remind me of lineups in the morning at local coffee shops. We all have places to be!
Having an Inefficient Search Function in Your Online Marketplace
A poor search function sucks! It makes it difficult for customers to find what they want.
You can identify this issue by monitoring the number of unsuccessful search queries. Or also listen to user feedback or complaints about the search function. No one wants to look for a needle in a haystack.
Having Poor Product Descriptions or Images
Unclear product descriptions or low-quality images make informed purchasing decisions difficult.
Monitor user feedback or complaints about the product descriptions or images. Poor product descriptions are like blind dates. You think you know what you’re getting into but…
Monitor user feedback or complaints about the product descriptions or images. Poor product descriptions are like blind dates. You think you know what you’re getting into but…
How to Reduce Friction in Your Online Marketplace
Some ways to improve the common points of friction for your online marketplace:
Improving a Difficult Registration or Login Process:
Improving a Complicated User Interface:
Improving a Complicated Checkout Process:
Checkout should be like ordering a pizza with a multitude of choices (toppings = payment options).
Improving Long Loading Times:
Improving Inefficient Search Functions:
Improving Poor Product Descriptions or Images:
Overall, to improve friction, stay focused on the customer experience! Continually test – continuously improve.
Closing Summary
First, we covered friction as any barrier that prevents or discourages customers from completing a transaction. Then we covered common points of friction:
You also learned how to use strategies to improve each one. For example, to simplify the registration/login process, we recommended reducing the required fields and offering a guest checkout option.
How about you?
