What Is Friction And Where Does It Occur?

The consumer has become impatient. When it comes to anything E-commerce, a smooth transactional experience is absolutely vital, and one of the fastest ways to lose a potential customer is a clogged and convoluted buying process. . Whereas a smooth transaction will not only generate a higher sales volume; but will also increase repeat sales rates and brand loyalty. Frustrated customers will simply move on to the next offer. They want quick, easy, and seamless.

Purchasing friction - “occurs when shoppers get stuck between the awareness stage and the purchasing stage, and is essentially anything that slows down or hinders the buying process.”

To illustrate and analyze exactly where friction may occur; we will use something called a sales funnel.

“The conversion funnel often referred to as a “sales funnel,” is the path the visitor takes until the end conversion. It is called a funnel, because there is a larger surface area for users to enter the conversion funnel (meaning there are multiple entrance points) but it still takes users to the same endpoint or conversion”

Looking into the steps through this funnel, There are several places where friction can occur: 

• Complicated checkout process
• Hidden shipping costs
• Limited payment options
• Unexpected fees
• Poor UX / UI

Consumers now more so than ever have short attention spans, so that split second decision they make when choosing what to purchase is vital. People think “I want what I want and I want it now” and it's true across all E-commerce sectors. That is exactly why brands need to focus on this process to ensure sales volume is not only maintained, but growing.

Think about how many times you have decided to not buy from a store- or simply decided to not even buy the product at all; due to the hassle that came with it. This point leads me to a term known as shopping cart abandonment, which refers to the instance when a consumer adds a product to their online cart but does not check out or purchase, and the item just sits. 

“According to the Baymard institute, 69.72% of online shopping carts are abandoned. Think about that. For every 100 potential customers, 70 of them will leave without purchasing.” -Shopify.com

To analyze your store, take a look at your own sales funnel. Visit your online store and go through the purchasing process. If it seems confusing to you; it definitely will to others as well. Another recommendation would be to get feedback from others to remove bias, whether that be friends, business associates, or an agency.