You want customers to have an easy experience when they are using your website. If your website is slow, confusing or makes checking out feel like hard work, interest can disappear quickly. Removing friction from your site means making the customer’s journey from browsing to buying as easy as possible.
What Website Friction Looks Like
Common obstacles that interrupt the buying journey include:
- Complicated navigation that makes products harder to find
- Slow page speed
- A Cluttered layout with too much information
- Lengthy or confusing checkout processes
- Unclear delivery information
A combination of these elements or even just one of them adds friction to your website, putting customers off from buying or returning to your website.
Why Reducing Friction Matters
Online shoppers expect fast loading websites. While a few extra seconds may not seem like a big deal, they can instantly put a customer off from your website. Many purchases, particularly low-cost or everyday items, are made impulsively so those extra few seconds slow customers down and they are less likely to make an impulse decision to purchase. Online shoppers also expect simplicity. Every extra click, form field or piece of text to read gives the customer another opportunity to abandon their basket. A seamless, convenient experience builds trust and encourages repeat purchases.
Practical Ways to Remove Friction
There are many simple fixes that can instantly help your website.
- Simplify your navigation and keep product categories clear, which helps customers easily find what they are looking for and makes sure they don’t have issues when purchasing it.
- Optimise your page speed to minimise waiting times where possible, you can achieve this by reducing large image sizes or videos, removing unnecessary code or improving hosting performance.
- Streamline your checkout by reducing unnecessary steps and offer guest checkout along with digital payment options like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- Display your delivery costs and return policies upfront so your customers are fully informed while making a purchase.
- Ensure that your website is mobile friendly, the majority of online shopping takes place on smartphones, so having a mobile-friendly website is no longer optional.
Improving conversions isn’t always about attracting more visitors, it’s often about making the buying experience easier. Businesses can create a more enjoyable experience for customers by removing unnecessary friction. If your website is making customers work harder than they need to, it could be costing you sales. Reviewing and improving the customer journey could be one of the most effective ways to improve customer satisfaction and boost sales