Enhancing E-commerce Success: A UX Audit for IKEA
Ever wondered how a simple tweak could skyrocket your e-commerce site's success? We dove deep into IKEA’s website to uncover what makes or breaks an online shopping experience. Our hands-on audit revealed eye-opening insights and practical tips that any e-commerce platform can benefit from.
Ready to see how a UX audit can elevate your site? Let’s dive in!
.png)
UX Audit at UX Studio
At UX studio we have quite the experience with UX audits. Normally, when we conduct UX audits for clients, our process starts by getting to know your team, business, and product inside out to set a strong foundation for the audit. Next, we gather detailed insights from your target audience and analyze key metrics to pinpoint user needs and pain points. Finally, we bring everything together in a report filled with practical recommendations that you can implement right away.
This time, the audit wasn't for a client, so we decided to shake things up and try a new approach. First, we needed a platform to test on. Choosing IKEA was kind of a no-brainer for us. With its massive inventory, international presence, and complex navigation, it’s the perfect playground to test our skills. Plus, we really liked the thought of browsing through Swedish furniture for weeks.
Our Approach
After landing on IKEA’s site, we followed the following steps throughout the audit process:
- Selection of guidelines: We began by selecting relevant guidelines focusing on e-commerce usability and user experience.
- Website examination: We thoroughly navigated through the IKEA website, examining each relevant page, feature, and functionality.
- Comparison and analysis: Each aspect of the site was compared against the selected guidelines. This step was crucial for identifying specific areas needing improvement.
- Compilation of findings: The findings were consolidated into a comprehensive report, highlighting specific areas for improvement and offering solution ideas.
The project timeline was four weeks, with two researchers dedicated to ensuring a thorough audit. The audit covers positive, neutral, and negative aspects of the website in relation to the guidelines, along with recommendations for improvements. However, for this particular practice project, our designer created the final output website to focus solely on the negatives and suggested improvements.
A brief section of the final audit, illustrating how we gathered insights during our website examination.
What We Found
We divided up our findings into 5 main categories:
- Navigation and product discovery
- Search and filtering
- Product pages and information
- Shopping cart and checkout process
- Trust and credibility
In each category, you'll find a brief overview of the issues and a glimpse into our recommendations. If you want to dive deeper into all our findings and suggestions, head over to our output site! (just a heads-up, it's unfortunately desktop-only).
If you're pressed for time, here are the five key insights to get you started:
- Navigation and Product Discovery
Ever felt like you're lost at sea trying to find your way around a website? Good navigation is your compass. It helps users find what they're looking for without getting lost. If customers can't find things quickly, they're likely to leave your site and not come back. In online shopping, smooth navigation helps customers explore categories, discover new products, and easily get to important pages like their shopping cart or account settings.
The current navigation structure on IKEA's website presents several challenges. The layout lacks a persistent navigation bar, and breadcrumbs are placed at the bottom of pages. We also noticed that some category names could be clearer.
A page of our output, marking the improvement possibilities for navigation and classification on IKEA’s site.
Our Recommendations:
- Implement a sticky navigation bar that remains visible as users scroll.
- Move breadcrumbs to the top left of each page.
- Add a "Bestsellers" category to the main navigation.
- Search and Filtering
A good search and filtering system can make or break your user experience. It helps customers quickly find exactly what they’re looking for. If search results are off or filters are confusing, users get frustrated and leave.
The current search functionality sometimes yields inaccurate or irrelevant results and the filtering options could also be more comprehensive and intuitive.
Our Recommendations:
- Implement an autocomplete feature with popular search suggestions.
- Improve the search algorithm to better handle synonyms and common misspellings.
- Ensure filtering options are clearly organized into distinct categories.
- Product Pages and Information
Product pages are the heart of an online store. They need to give users all the information they need to make a purchase. Also, it’s not enough to show users all the information, they need to be able to find them easily as well.
We observed that critical product information is often hidden in expandable sections and product imagery doesn't always provide adequate context or scale.
A page of our output, marking the improvement possibilities for the product descriptions on IKEA’s site.
Our Recommendations:
- Reorganize information to prioritize key details.
- Create a concise summary section above the fold.
- Always include contextual photos and 360-degree views to improve product imagery.
- Shopping Cart and Checkout Process
In the digital world, your shopping cart and checkout process are the final frontier between browsing and buying. If this last step is a headache, customers are likely to abandon their carts and leave without making a purchase.
IKEA uses an unconventional "bag" icon for the cart, which may not be immediately recognizable. The checkout process can be perceived as a bit lengthy and doesn't offer some popular payment options (e.g. Apple Pay).
A page of our output, marking the improvement possibilities for IKEA’s shopping cart, including for example unconventional bag icon, unclear cart information and missing checkout CTA.
A page of our output, marking the improvement possibilities for IKEA’s shopping cart.
Our Recommendations:
- Replace the "bag" icon with a more conventional shopping cart icon.
- Implement a mini-cart feature for viewing and editing cart contents.
- Add popular third-party payment options like Apple Pay.
- Streamline the checkout process to a single-page checkout with clear progress indicators.
- Trust and Credibility
Trust is everything in online shopping. Customers need to feel confident that their personal and payment info is safe and that they're buying quality products.
On IKEA, contact information is not easily accessible, which can leave the users wondering what to do if they encounter any problems. Shipping costs and delivery times are not clearly communicated upfront, and product reviews are not prominently displayed.
Our Recommendations:
- Add a prominent "Contact Us" button in the header and make sure that it leads users directly to a page with real contact information.
- Display estimated delivery dates and additional costs on product pages and in the cart.
As you can see, when it comes to e-commerce, every interaction shapes the customer's perception of your brand. Whether it’s navigating the site, discovering products, or completing checkout, user experience plays a pivotal role in guiding customers smoothly from browsing to purchasing.
Our audit of IKEA’s online platform highlighted just a few aspects that show how critical UX can be, revealing both challenges and solutions that any e-commerce site can learn from.
So, why is UX such a game-changer for e-commerce? Let’s dive into some core reasons.
Why UX Matters in E-commerce
The First Impression Counts
Imagine walking into a chaotic store. Products are scattered, aisles are confusing, and the staff is unhelpful. You’d probably leave immediately. The same principle applies online. A clean, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing design not only attracts visitors but encourages them to stay and explore. A well-designed homepage with easy navigation and clear call-to-actions (CTAs) can significantly reduce bounce rates. Users should find what they’re looking for quickly and effortlessly.
Enhance Usability
Let’s say you want to give a chance to this chaotic store, so you enter. However, your first impression was right and on top of everything else, when you finally reach the checkout, the line moves at a snail’s pace, and the cashier doesn’t know how to handle your payment method. This nightmare scenario is exactly what you want to avoid on your e-commerce site.
We want an e-commerce site that’s easy to navigate, loads quickly and the check-out is a breeze on any device. Simple features like responsive design, fast loading times, and mobile optimization are incredibly important. Ensuring your site is just as functional on smartphones and tablets as on desktops is a necessity, not a luxury.
Also, streamlined checkout processes are extremely important. Complicated checkout procedures are a major reason for cart abandonment. By simplifying forms, offering multiple payment options, and providing clear instructions, you can create a frictionless checkout experience.
Engaging customers through interactive elements like wish lists can also enhance the user experience. These features make shopping more enjoyable and encourage repeat visits and purchases.
Build Trust Through UX
Just bear with me for a few more minutes in this nightmare store. Imagine that now the lights are flickering, the shelves look shaky, and the staff is not only unhelpful, but seems shady as well. Now, you’d probably turn right around, leave empty-handed and vow never to return, right? The same goes for online shopping. If a site feels sketchy or unreliable, customers will leave faster than you can say "abandoned cart."
Users need to feel confident that their personal and payment information is secure and that they are making the right purchase. Good UX design in e-commerce that increases trust includes elements such as clear privacy policies and company information, secure payment gateways, and consistency. Detailed product descriptions, high-quality images, and user-generated content like reviews and ratings can reassure customers about the quality and reliability of your products.
Personalize for Customer Engagement
Now let’s leave this chaotic and shady store behind us and imagine stepping into your favorite store. The staff knows your name, your favorite products, and even offers you personalized discounts. Now you feel pretty special, don’t you? That’s the magic of personalization in e-commerce. It’s like having a personal shopper who knows exactly what you like and makes your shopping experience tailored just for you. When customers feel understood and valued, they’re more likely to keep coming back for more.
Personalization in UX means creating tailored experiences for users. By leveraging data and understanding customer behavior, you can offer personalized product recommendations, special offers, and content that resonates with individual customers.
Measure UX Success
How do you measure whether your UX is optimal? Tools like heatmaps, surveys and usability tests can provide valuable insights into user behavior and areas for improvement. Regularly optimizing your site based on these insights helps keep your UX fresh and aligned with customer expectations. However, sometimes these methods don’t tell the whole story. This is where UX audits can shine.
One of the benefits of UX audits is that unlike some of the usability tests and surveys, they dig deep into your entire site. It takes the guesswork out of the equation and gives you clarity on what needs to be done to meet your business goals and boost user satisfaction. When conducting UX audits we can uncover hidden issues of a site, while it provides us a comprehensive view of its user experience as well. That is why we think UX audits are so valuable!
Conclusion
A UX audit can be a game-changer for your e-commerce site, even if you're a big name like IKEA. By digging deep and finding those pesky usability issues, a UX audit can really elevate the user experience.
Think of it like renovating the nightmare physical store that we visited a few minutes ago. Just as a new layout and fresh paint can attract more visitors and keep them browsing, a well-done UX audit can transform your online store with actionable insights.
It’s not just about getting people to visit your site; it's about making them want to stay, explore, and make purchases. It's all about ensuring customers can easily find what they need and enjoy the shopping experience. With better navigation, a smoother checkout process, and intuitive design elements, you'll see higher conversion rates and fewer abandoned carts.
Curious about how a UX audit could benefit your e-commerce site? Or maybe you’re ready to give your online store a major UX boost? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to provide insights and solutions tailored to your unique needs. Let’s work together to create an exceptional user experience that drives your business forward.
Can’t Get Enough?
Looking to further increase your UX skills and knowledge? Our blog offers valuable insights and tips on UX design, research, and strategy that will help you take your skills to the next level. Whether you’re a seasoned UX professional or just starting out, our blog has something for everyone. So why wait? Check out our blog today and start learning!
