User experience in online stores: identify and remove buying barriers
UX explained for retailers, with practical test tasks for navigation, product selection, cart and checkout.
Quick answer
User experience covers the overall experience of using a store. For retailers, it becomes tangible when customers can find a product, understand its suitability and order without unnecessary obstacles. Test complete tasks on real devices. Attractive design alone tells you little about whether those tasks succeed.
One customer needs a specific size but cannot find the filter. Another cannot tell whether the price is for one item or a pack. A general statement such as “the store needs to look more modern” makes these problems difficult to address. Identify the specific obstacle instead.
What is the difference between UX and usability?
Usability includes whether a task can be completed clearly and reliably. User experience also covers expectations and perceptions, such as whether the offer feels trustworthy or the information supports a buying decision. Both perspectives help describe store problems more precisely.
Which tasks are suitable for an initial test?
- Find a product: reach a specified item through categories and search.
- Assess suitability: establish size, specification or compatibility.
- Understand total costs: make sense of price, quantity and shipping information.
- Change an order: adjust a cart quantity or remove an item.
- Complete a purchase: work through address, shipping and payment using test data.
- Find help: answer a service question or contact the seller.
Give participants a task, but not the solution. “Click the filter at the top right” mainly tests whether someone follows your instructions. It is more useful to see where they look naturally and how they understand the terms displayed.
Why do devices and input methods matter?
A menu that is clear on a large screen may hide several levels on mobile. Test real smartphones as well as keyboard navigation. Look for visible focus, accessible controls and understandable form errors. Automated tools can identify technical issues but cannot fully assess the experience of completing a task.
Our article on online store accessibility explains this perspective in more detail. Combine technical tests with task-based checks rather than judging overall quality from a single test result.
How do you prioritise the problems you find?
Record each finding with the task, affected page and observed effect. An error that prevents an order deserves different treatment from a minor visual inconsistency. Also consider how often people use the affected route and how reliable the observation is.
Then define a change you can verify. “Make variants clearer” becomes specific when you add descriptions and explain price changes directly beside the selection. After implementation, test the same task again.
Which metrics complement observation?
Searches without relevant results, checkout errors, enquiries and abandonment can indicate problems. A single metric rarely explains the cause. Low sales may also relate to price, availability or unsuitable traffic. Connect the figures with observed tasks and specific customer feedback.
At sjmedia, this connection is part of conversion optimisation. We assess the journey through the store and the processes behind it. We change the design where doing so removes an identifiable obstacle.