Predator Kayaks is an e-commerce site that sells fishing-specific kayaks.
I helped them increase customer conversion rates through competitive analysis and NNG-defined e-commerce best practices.
The site currently forces users to create an account before checkout. The PM hypothesizes that creating a guest checkout system will solve this issue.
Website data shows that 50% of users open an average of 7 item pages, then abandon the site without moving any items to their cart.
The project manager hypothesizes that users are simply unable to make a well-informed decision. The PM believes that a comparison tool is the solution.
Competitive analysis is the most relevant type of research for an e-commerce scenario; what is business if not competition?
I used SERP analysis from Semrush.com to identify Predator Kayak’s top 7 competitors and analyzed them with a spreadsheet of features. From there I took the top 4 and performed in-depth competitive analyses of their sites.
“Today, our main reason to recommend usability improvements for e-commerce sites is the competitive pressure from other sites that keep getting better.”
- Nielsen Norman Group
I performed two rounds of secondary research.
The first round was composed of finding kayak-specific information from kayakanglermag.com to help users make an informed purchase.
In my second round of research I dove deep into the Nielsen Norman Group archives of research to discover what e-commerce shoppers need.
According to NN/G, all four basic user types must be accommodated to ensure maximum conversion rates.
The PM originally proposed two hypothesized solutions: a comparison tool and a guest checkout system.
While only 2/7 competitors utilized product comparison tools; this is attributed to the fact that the majority of them are big-box stores that prioritize product range and low prices.
However, ACK (the #1 ranked kayaking-specific site) and REI (another outdoor specialty site) both utilize comparison tools. With a similarly narrow line of products and high product prices, it makes sense for Predatorkayaks.com to implement a comparison tool.
Statistics show that guest checkout is a must when it comes to e-commerce. According to NN/G, customers strongly resent upfront registration, and studies show that it can cause abandonment rates of 23% or more.
“Today's consumers aren't satisfied with sites that simply make it possible to shop; the experience must also be pleasant.”
- Nielsen Norman Group
I took the provided wireframes for this project and modified them by adding the new features.
I referred back to my competitive analyses throughout the sketching process to see which sites had the most well-designed features and bor-rowed from them.
I also sketched IA and user flow diagrams.
Shoppers are 1.2X more likely to choose guest checkout over account creation.
With the new design, users checkout as a guest by default to save time.
For users with an account, there is a clear link for signing in.
After analyzing comparison tools, I saw areas for improvement.
By enlarging the feature, displaying product names and using identical photo elevations, I was able to design a feature that would one-up competitors.
Product pages must contain as much information as possible and do so in a variety of ways.
As the most critical component of any e-commerce site, I made sure to invest time and energy into building an impressive product page.
I turned the wireframes into a prototype and tested with five users.
Most issues discovered were minor (spacing, wording/copy, back buttons, etc.).
I iterated and moved forward with creating high fidelity designs.
The homepage immediately helps the user understand what the site sells and provides them with multiple options for finding what they need.
The comparison tool has high visibility, flexibility and ease of use.
It compares all necessary kayak features as described by kayakanglermag.com and is sized so that product names are always visible.
The page includes the majority of NNG's "must have", "nice to have" and "fancy" features that users expect from product pages, with a focus on providing information that customers can utilize to make informed purchase decisions.
The learning center helps users understand what to look for in purchasing a kayak, and contains a tab that allows users to jump from articles to products in a single click.
The club membership feature needs expansion and testing.
Some users mentioned that the navigation bar “might be hard to see”. A cleaner version could be benefishal.
I implemented a unique button during checkout that displays a popup of current promo codes. It was designed to keep users from leaving checkout page to fish for coupons elsewhere on the site. Some users were confused by this button, so I improved the copy but further testing is required.
This project was an excellent exercise in e-commerce; I learned all of the most vital components to online retail in relation to UI/UX.
E-commerce has come to a point where the process is fairly standardized. When changes are made or new features are added, users can easily become confused.
However, users have high expectations for e-commerce due to its competitive nature. In a sink-or-swim industry, designs must be current or users will bounce, leaving businesses with lowered net profits.
Hey, did you catch all the puns?
Check out more of my projects below:
Questions or comments? Let minnow at petebruno1@gmail.com
