Riding with you through each stage of life.

An ECommerce Case Study

by Alyssa Rogers

 Did you know?

• 50% of users open on average 7 item pages, then abandon the site without moving any items to the cart

• 70% of users who place an item in the cart do not complete the purchase

• users abandon the cart in the registration page

 The Goal:

• improve conversion from browsing to completing a transaction to increase revenue on Life Cycle’s mobile-web experience

• design a guest checkout to solve abandonment issues

• capture guest email in checkout

Let’s get to know our user…

The typical user base for Life Cycle is 72% male, with ages ranging from 24-38 years old. They are high income earners, who take biking very seriously. They do not hesitate to spend a higher amount of money for this bicycle investment. They are picky and research their options.

Upon completion of User Surveys and Interviews, we were able to categorize the characteristics, tendencies and needs of the users into the following Personas:

While browsing competitor and industry comparable brands, we took note of successes and pain points that a user might face. Competitor Analysis included the following brands: Trek Bikes, Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods.

When synthesizing research, three sites were analyzed in order to witness how they addressed the problems that Life Cycle is currently facing.

Taking these experiences, it was necessary to place ourselves in the shoes of the Life Cycle user, keeping our Personas in mind. How will the user achieve the brand goals navigating from start to finish? This User Flow assists in mapping out the process.

Low Fidelity Screens were sketched in order to tell the story and encapsulate the desires of not only the Life Cycle brand, but by incorporating top of mind user need- making the transaction process successful to both. This way, the users’ pain points are addressed, making their purchasing process easy and carefree, while achieving the desired increase in KPI’s.

Initial Usability Testing Results by Level of Priority

High

• “One click" PayPal feature in guest checkout received high praise

• The add-on suggested items on checkout screen are welcomed

• Layout of page is consistent with other ECommerce sites, requiring less "thinking" and placement is in the "right" spot

• The checkout page gives the user all the information he/she needs to know to move forward in the process

• Keeping the number of suggested items (2) low, so that the user isn't frustrated. If user wants more, they will use button

• If the user is frustrated, it will result in a non-conversion, and loss of completed transaction

• Address needs to be listed on the order confirmation page

Medium

• Comparison feature is well liked, and a welcomed feature

• User would not like to see a pop-up screen upon navigating the homepage to login/register, rather a later option

• When looking at photo/description of product, user would like to see rating (stars) and bullet points in compare feature

• A "save my info for later" option to be added between order confirmation and thank you page

Low

• On the "Mountain Bikes" page, the user would like the showcase of products categorized

• The user is aware of links/tabs for direction on the homepage. Category navigation is the user's priority

• The login button needs to be obvious, as the user does not like to hunt for how to sign into the site

A Style Guide was created to represent the brand color scheme, typography, logo, design elements and components that would be clearly incorporated into the High-Fidelity Screens.

After a second round of user testing, those who participated gave the following feedback:

• Orange = actionable. This color is of high contrast to the background and is easily recognizable, making it easy for the user to know what to do/where to go next

• The site is easy to navigate, simple and without unnecessary "fluff"

• The user would be likely to utilize this site to make a purchase, as it's convenient, well thought out, and allows for him/her to not have to think

• Users particularly enjoyed the "thank you" page, mentioning that more sites should take the opportunity to do this, as it would encourage repeat business. They felt appreciated when seeing this, and it was an unexpected added bonus.

• The edits/modifications/enhancements made to the guest shopping cart, compare feature, guest checkout and "one click" feature for quick checkout were praised and welcomed

As shown here in the prioritized screens, the user has easily recognizable actions to perform to increase KPIs, while the site clearly showcases the needs and wants of the user.

In conclusion, the Life Cycle site will now perform to its proper caliber resulting in the following deliverables: capturing guest user email, decreased abandonment in shopping carts, completed transactions and increasing revenue. Additionally designed features such as the compare option, suggested add-on of related items, quick pay, and thank you page are appealing directly to this target user, making the Life Cycle brand, one that customers will frequent throughout the stages of their lives.