Leaky shopping cart? Fixing e-commerce ux frustrations

A smooth, intuitive online shopping experience is paramount. When friction points arise, especially during critical moments like checkout, customers are quick to leave, often for a competitor. Let's look at some common e-commerce UX frustrations highlighted by businesses and their customers.

The discount dilemma: when codes cause chaos

Promotional codes are a great marketing tool, but they can easily become a source of frustration if not implemented thoughtfully:

• Application angst: Customers report problems actually applying discount codes, especially when using alternative payment methods like ApplePay or PayPal, where the flow might bypass standard input fields.

• Mysterious terms: Poor communication regarding the terms and conditions (like minimum order thresholds for a discount to apply) can lead to disappointment at checkout.

• Waiting games & silence: Significant delays between signing up for a newsletter to receive a promised discount code, or a lack of clear success messaging after signing up, leaves users wondering if it even worked.

These issues don't just frustrate users; they can undermine the very marketing campaigns the discounts were designed to support.

Navigating the checkout maze: why simplicity sells

The checkout process is where many potential sales are lost. Complexity is a major conversion killer:

• Marathon checkouts: Processes that are overly long, confusing, or seem to "go round in circles" are frequent complaints.

• Address ambiguity: Users often struggle with unclear distinctions between billing and shipping address fields, or encounter problems with clunky address validation tools.

• Hidden voucher fields: Especially on mobile devices, finding the input field for a voucher code can be a frustrating treasure hunt.

• Lack of support: When customers encounter issues during checkout, the absence of easily accessible customer support can be the final straw.

The fine print frustration: delivery & payment pitfalls

Transparency and reliability in delivery and payment are key to building trust:

• Delivery dread: Customers express frustration over unclear or unexpectedly expensive delivery fees, vague delivery timelines, or the difficulty in changing a delivery address after an order has been placed.

• Payment problems: Issues such as expected payment options (like Klarna or Clearpay) being visible but not actually selectable, glitches on the payment page itself, or the total payment amount not being clearly displayed all cause significant friction.

These ambiguities at the final hurdle can easily lead to cart abandonment.

"Is it in stock? will it fit?": product information gaps

Clear and accurate product information is fundamental to a good online shopping experience:

• Stock uncertainty: Displaying out-of-stock items prominently in search results or category pages without very clear labelling ('sold out', 'notify me when available') is a common annoyance. The lack of features like waitlists or back-in-stock notifications adds to this frustration.

• Sizing struggles: For apparel and other size-dependent items, unclear sizing information, non-specific size guides, a lack of information about the model's size for comparison, or forcing customers to hunt for crucial product details are frequent complaints.

Gifting gone wrong: when generosity gets complicated

Making it easy for customers to purchase gifts can be a great way to enhance their experience and drive sales, but it's often an afterthought:

• Recipient mix-ups: Difficulties arise when customers try to send gift cards directly to a recipient rather than having it sent to themselves (the purchaser) first.

• Missing touches: Many websites lack options for gift wrapping, adding personal messages easily, or clearly specifying a different delivery address for a gift.

The crucial disconnect: marketing promises vs. website reality

It's vital to highlight a key finding from the research: "frequent complaints regarding discount codes, delivery information, and payment processes often highlight a disconnect between marketing initiatives and the website's technical execution."

Marketing teams might promote exciting offers (like "10% off your first order for subscribing!") or set delivery expectations that aren't adequately supported by the website's actual functionality or aren't clearly communicated through its interface. This gap between the promise and the online reality leads directly to customer frustration and can severely undermine the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Plugging the leaks for a smoother journey

These e-commerce UX failures aren't just minor inconveniences; they directly translate into lost sales, damaged customer trust, and wasted marketing spend. Addressing them means focusing on creating a transparent, intuitive, and seamless journey for your customers, from their first click to the final confirmation.

Is your e-commerce website providing the best possible experience, or could there be 'leaks' costing you sales? An expert eye can often spot areas for improvement that make a big difference.

Next up in our series, we'll be exploring another critical factor that impacts all websites, but especially e-commerce: website speed and performance. Don't miss it!

If you're looking to enhance your online store's user experience, contact Born Digital today for an e-commerce UX review. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn to get notified when the next post drops!