E-commerce owners are constantly asking themselves key questions: what to do to sell more? Why do my users opt out of the purchase? What can I do to improve the quality of the store and the convenience of use for users? If you are also concerned about these issues, you are not indifferent to usability and want to adapt as much as possible to the needs of your audience, but you do not know where to start - then UX audit will be the best solution for you.
What is a UX audit?
The audit conducted by UX experts consists of analyzing the pages in terms of usability, matching with users and the possibility of achieving the goals set by them. It can be based on an already existing store or on mock-ups if the project is just being developed. The researcher, taking on the role of the user, goes through a certain process and checks if he is able to carry it out without problems. The purpose of the audit is to identify problem areas and recommend solutions.
What methodology do we use during the usability audit?
Each audit is based on heuristics developed by the research group Nielsen Norman Group, which determine the principles of usability and thus good design practices used in the development of all kinds of websites. Examples of heuristics include taking care of effective handling of errors on the website (providing appropriate messages for the user), maintaining consistency (e.g. maintaining a uniform color scheme of the most important buttons), or finally the use of friendly navigation (“crumb” navigation so-called breadcrumbs).
The second method is cognitive walkthrough. The expert assumes the role of a user using the client portal, determines the path that the client takes within the framework of the implementation of certain processes and indicates the areas to be examined as part of the audit. These journeys are always designed in such a way that they cover as many of the most important elements of the site as possible that the user comes into contact with. Depending on the specifics of the store, additional assumptions are made about the different types of customers that the researcher pays attention to, e.g. division into new and returning customers, the need to find advice in the store, knowledge of the industry among users, etc. Such paths of users, depending on the store, can be from one to about four.
The third pillar on which we base our analysis is the usability checklist. During the audit, we use the guidelines Best Practices for E-commerce, developed by Ideacto designers, which include in the extended version more than 500 points to check in the store.
What does the audit report contain and what does the work on it look like?
Before determining the scope of the audit, we preliminarily analyze the traffic on the site. For example, if statistics show that the majority of users use mobile devices, then we put more emphasis on the analysis of the website in the smartphone version and in the second place we conduct an audit of the desktop version. Depending on the scope of cooperation, we also talk to the client about the industry, carry out in-depth market research, competitive environment, check statistics and research on users in a given category of e-commerce.
After determining the basic needs of users and checking the possibilities offered by the store, we proceed to the analysis of the store, meticulously documenting each problematic moment. In the report we include photos of encountered errors, mark the exact place, situation of occurrence and describe what it consists of, what it may cause a problem for users. For each error, a recommendation in the form of a description of the solution to the problem along with an example from another store, which can serve as inspiration for the redesign of the store. Each error is also evaluated in terms of its importance. Our classification includes three types of errors:
- critical — this is a problem that prevents the user from going to the next step and significantly hinders the exploration of the store. We always recommend that you fix this type of error first, because partly because of this, the store can lose customers.
- serious — a medium-degree error that does not particularly complicate the intended user path, but can lead to some confusion. Nevertheless, in the event of this kind of problem, the user is able to achieve his goal.
- minor (cosmetic) — this is a problem that can be annoying, but does not have a big impact on the use of the store by users. However, it is worth removing it, especially if it does not require large labor costs.
The summary of the report includes the overall rating of the store and tips. We draw your attention to what especially the store should emphasize, what is important for its users and what is missing in it. We highlight the most problematic moments encountered in the user path and list the further steps that need to be taken to make the store fully usable and convenient for its customers to use. We often meet with the client to hand over the report, discuss it and for workshop work to determine the exact direction of the changes. We exchange opinions with the client, discuss the possibility of correcting detected errors and share expert knowledge. This is the most valuable moment for audit work, in which the results of the researchers' work can collide with the vision of the client and the business and jointly develop the ideal solution.
Why is auditing so necessary in every e-commerce?
A UX audit is an expert look at the store. As an e-commerce creator or owner, you may not notice some problems. This is a typical cognitive bias, the so-called possession effect, which in this case can be defined as focusing on specific problems (e.g. related to sales) without looking at the broader context (e.g. the usability of an e-commerce site). In addition, a completely natural situation is blindness to errors caused by daily work with the site and the lack of a fresh look. Therefore, it is worth subjecting the store to a third party, unrelated to your activity, and having extensive knowledge in the field of UX.
You can use the guidelines from the report primarily to fix detected errors, you will learn what to pay attention to and what to keep in mind when optimizing the site. This knowledge is universal, the basic principles of UX (heuristics) have not undergone any changes and trends for many years. You can save them for future work on the site. After implementing the recommended changes, you will notice an increase in user satisfaction with the use of your store (which is worth further exploring and further developing the elements that build this satisfaction), an increase in the conversion rate, the number of returning users and referrals. Remember that even with excellent products, competitive offer or prices, you will not be able to increase the level of sales if the store is not useful and causes difficulties when viewing its content by users. Therefore, you should not underestimate any errors, even the smallest ones, because accumulating them in the service can have an equally bad effect on the usability.
