Sounds far from premium, and a major concern for a client trying to replicate their upmarket jewellery store experience on an e-commerce platform. Six months live and no sales, what's going wrong?
It’s not possible to publish the client’s identity or live links due to confidentiality and Non-disclosure agreements.
The client is a traditional bricks-and-mortar retailer specialising in diamond jewellery/engagement rings. The visual aesthetic of both the physical store and the website are high priority for the client.
2 weeks
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During the pandemic, the client added e-commerce to their website with the ability for users to purchase engagement rings through the site. After 6 months of being live, the site had not achieved a single conversion. Analytics could only tell the client where users were dropping off, not why they were dropping off.
A hybrid method of Interviews and Usability testing were conducted across the client’s site, along with two of the clients online competitors. E-commerce is the bread-and-butter of the competitor sites who both offer engagement rings for purchase. The competitor sites appeared to have more considered user flows, we wanted real users to compare the experience with our clients site.
The scenario for all tests was
You're searching for an engagement ring, you find one you like. Select options, e.g. Finish, size and, diamond – Followed by check-out.
We engaged with 12 users through a recruitment partner. The user type being people (male and female) who were looking, or had purchased an engagement ring the past 6 months. The 12 users were divided equally based on modest to high budgets/income as the client has a wide product price range.
Regarding the purchase of an engagement ring, not a single user we tested with would be confident in committing to an online purchase on any of the e-commerce sites that were presented to them. Every user we spoke to wanted to consult with an expert and have a means to inspect the product before committing to buy.
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In the gallery, users wanted to refine their engagement ring search by price, which was not possible on the clients site. This was due to the client wanting to appear more premium, by not showing the price upfront. Common in retail, “if you can’t see a price, you probably can’t afford it” which doesn’t translate online. The client was forcing users to do something the way they wanted them to.
The client uses industry terminology to demonstrate their expertise and knowledge of the products. Users found this confusing, they were not familiar with the terms presented to them.
Users need more assurance that a high value item will be delivered to them securely. This is currently unclear.
Through usability testing we were able to see that users were more likely to use the website to get an understanding of the range of products the client had to offer. Our recommendation was to amend the focus of the site from an e-commerce to lead generation (with the ability to perform e-commerce). Speak in language that users understand and expand the consultation process to address user needs.
Conducting the right research and engaging with potential users early is crucial to getting the right design. The client had prioritised features and aesthetics for their design.
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An iOS app for a global engineering company with core features based around ordering spare parts and identifying equipment. The app is to be used by employees and customers.
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What assurances do users need to purchase an engagement ring online? Interviews and usability testing were conducted to inform changes to an existing design.
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An Australian-based organisation that helps gather and guide highly skilled professionals to apply their skills to communities in developing countries.
