DECREASING USER DROPOUT
Helping users navigate dead ends.
CLIENT
Bowglass Works
ROLE
Content Designer
TIMELINE
3 Months
COMPANY BIO
Boutique glass blowing company based out of New York
The Problem
-
Users were running into multiple "dead ends" during their journey, causing them to abandon the site.
The Process
-
A/B Testing
-
Survey
-
5 Second testing
The Solution
-
Incorporate helpful microcopy to help them navigate past dead ends.
The Impact
-
More visits to desired pages
-
Drastic decrease in site abandonment
-
Happier, less frustrated, more informed users.
Click here to see screen iterations
OVERVIEW
Bowglass is a "made to order" company, meaning they only start production after receiving payment (no back stock or inventory).
This helps ensure each item is unique, but it also means shipping often takes up to 3 weeks or more.
The stakeholder originally listed most of his products as Sold Out in a roundabout effort of implementing this practice, with clarifying information found under the misleading and overlooked "Terms and Conditions" tab in the toolbar. Both of these things led to high rates of user dropout and frustration.
The solution was 3-pronged: remove the Sold Out stickers that were causing users to leave the site, inform the user of the shipping timeline where they expect and need to see it, relay the information in a tone they want to hear.
We conducted research and testing to inform both the placement and tone of the information
BEFORE
Here's the original product page with the Sold Out stickers.
Content informing the user of why products are "sold out" is hidden under the Terms and Conditions tab found at the top of the page.
AFTER
I moved the information about the shipping timeline to the beginning of the flow, and added a "cheeky" header to get the user to read the subheader. I also grouped the products to make the user's search easier to navigate.
I added a verification screen to bookend their journey, with a reminder about the shipping details to avoid any possible frustration.
THE PROCESS
Understanding what was needed was pretty obvious, but we needed to validate two things:
-
Placement of the information (where in the journey to include it)
-
How to relay the information (tone and method).
Placement
Our initial journey mapping efforts played a big role in deciding where to impart this information to our users. We don't want to distract them from any happy points, so the idea is to utilize some good friction to make sure the user isn't caught off guard or frustrated to learn about the delivery timeline.
I conducted a 6 person survey to make sure our placement was user-centered, and found an even preference for the information to be conveyed both before and after the purchase journey (from product page to submit order)
To appeal to both preferences, I decided to bookend their experience, providing some content at the beginning with a gentle reminder after purchase.
Method and Tone
Along with the placement and tone, we needed to understand how our users want to receive the information, both in terms of the tone and the delivery venue (pop-up, header, confirmation email, confirmation screen, etc.)
We listed our assumptions, wrote up a few different versions of the actual content, and used Lyssna to conduct some 5 second and A/B testing, with both tests providing some great insights.
We also had our survey participants go through mid-fidelity mockups of a few different versions, instructing them to place an item in the cart without purchasing it, and asked them about shipping details afterwards to see if they retained information.
THE RESULTS
1st message​​
-
For the first message, we tested a pop-up and a header (both on the product page).
-
We found that our participants closed the pop-up more often than they read it.
-
Of the participants that read both of them, more information was retained with the use of a header.
-
Bonus points for being able to impart a bit of our brand voice in the messaging.
2nd message​​
-
For the second message, we tested a confirmation email, confirmation screen, and another pop-up.
-
The information in the confirmation email was retained, but only two participants actually chose to look at it.
-
The pop-up was simply closed most of the time.
-
The separate confirmation screen performed the best.
THE FINAL SCREENS
Scroll to see all the different iterations we created for each screen, along with testing insights that led to the edits.
SCREEN ITERATIONS
1st message
ORIGINAL SCREEN
-
Original screen showing Sold Out stickers.
1ST ITERATION
-
The stakeholder and I went back and forth on the header, but testing showed positive results both in terms of the somewhat playful tone and it's efficacy in getting the user to read the subhead (where the most important information resides).
​
-
5-second testing and A/B testing will follow to ensure comprehension of the material and validate tone of voice.
Our items are made to order here at BowGlass. This ensures that each product is one of a kind, just like you. We'll keep you updated on your order along the way, but keep in mind that delivery can take up to 3 weeks.
2ND ITERATION
-
Second iteration simply involved cleaning up the UI, making small tone adjustments according to A/B testing results, and shortening the subhead to increase 5 second testing scores.
​
-
Overall, I put 5 different versions of the subheader through testing to make sure our information got across in the right way.
​
​
Our products are made to order here at BowGlass. It's how we make sure each item is unique, just like you. We do our best to get your order shipped quickly, but keep in mind that delivery can take up to 3 weeks.
FINAL ITERATION
-
Our final iteration involved making it slightly more scannable (increasing font size), as some of our participants stated having a hard time reading the subhead.
​
​
-
This was also a good lesson for me, as I was in favor of a much shorter, less "cute", subheader. This copy tested better on all fronts; a gentle reminder that I am not the user.
Our products are made to order here at BowGlass. It's how we make sure each item is unique, just like you. We do our best to get your order shipped quickly, but keep in mind that delivery can take up to 3 weeks.
VERIFICATION (after purchase).
1ST ITERATION
-
Initial iteration was a pop-up and tested very poorly.
​
-
To nobody's surprise, participants groaned at having being given a task, and very few of the users retained any information.
2ND ITERATION
-
This one definitely felt better in terms of venue, to me and to our test participants.
​
-
The next step would be to pit the tone and content against a couple of different versions to make sure the necessary information is being conveyed and the tone is consistent with the rest of the product.
​
-
The last step is to add in a way out for the user.
THIRD ITERATION
-
Our third iteration tested a bit better.
​
-
We are no longer telling the user what to do, simply providing the necessary information.
​
-
Lastly, we added in some helpful links
-
Home page button​
-
Link to the company's new subscription service
-
​
-
Despite the better testing results, the vague phrasing still gave us pause. Is it relaying all the information we need the user to have?
FINAL ITERATION
-
Our final iteration solved the issues present in our third iteration.​
​
-
Users retained all the necessary information