By: PR Fueled
Shantelle Liu, a Senior UX Designer at Zoom, delivered a speech at the Womentech Global Conference 2024 on the critical issue of reducing customer friction in online checkout processes. Drawing from her extensive professional experience, Shantelle addressed common misconceptions about checkout abandonment and presented UX design strategies to enhance online shopping experiences.
Shantelle Liu focuses on designing eCommerce solutions for Zoom. Her work emphasizes product growth, monetization, and new product introductions. Shantelle’s previous experience spans leading tech companies like Apple and Microsoft, as well as governmental agencies and start-ups. Her unique background in journalism has equipped her with strong storytelling skills, which she integrates into her human-centered design methods and processes.
The Womentech Global Conference (WTGC) is the largest global conference for women in tech, uniting thousands of like-minded individuals. The conference features a wide variety of live events hosted across various time zones, including the Americas, GMT, and APAC regions. WTGC offers participants an enriching experience with inspiring keynotes, industry-specific summits, sponsor info sessions, a career growth expo, workshops, open space discussion groups, contribution sprints, 1:1 networking opportunities, and interactive community content.
Shantelle began her speech by highlighting a significant statistic: 69.57% of online shopping carts are abandoned before checkout completion. This high rate of abandonment is often misunderstood by merchants. Shantelle identified several key reasons for this phenomenon, including unexpected costs such as shipping fees or taxes, a lengthy or complicated checkout process, and difficulties in navigating the checkout page.
To tackle the issue of checkout abandonment, Shantelle emphasized the importance of using UX methods to understand user behavior. She outlined several techniques:
Heatmaps: These visual representations show where users click, move their cursor, or scroll on a webpage. Heatmaps can help identify areas where users are experiencing difficulties or confusion.
Session Recordings: By capturing individual user interactions in real-time, session recordings provide deeper insights into the user experience. They allow businesses to observe exactly how users navigate through the checkout process.
A/B Testing: This method involves comparing two or more versions of a webpage to determine which performs better in terms of user engagement or conversion rate. A/B testing can help optimize the checkout process by identifying the most effective design elements.
Surveys and Interviews: These qualitative methods provide insights into user behavior and motivations. By collecting feedback directly from users, businesses can uncover underlying issues that may not be apparent from quantitative data alone.
Shantelle then shared several UX strategies to streamline the checkout process and reduce friction:
Minimize Steps: One of the most effective strategies is to minimize the number of steps required to complete a purchase. By simplifying each interaction, businesses can create a more seamless and efficient checkout experience.
Optimize Form Fields: Ensuring that form fields and input elements are optimized is crucial for a smooth checkout process. This includes using autofill options, clear labeling, and error validation to make it easier for users to complete the required information.
Offer Diverse Payment Options: Providing a variety of payment options is essential for accommodating diverse user preferences. By offering multiple payment methods, businesses can increase their conversion rates and reduce abandonment.
Shantelle’s speech at the WTGC 2024 provided valuable insights into reducing customer friction in online checkout processes. Her expertise in UX design and her ability to communicate complex concepts effectively have made a significant impact, offering actionable strategies for businesses to improve their online shopping experiences.
Published by: Martin De Juan
