Heuristic Evaluation of an E-Commerce Website to Improve User Experience and Conversion Rates

Project Overview:

The client, an e-commerce company, approached us to help improve the user experience (UX) of their website with the goal of reducing customer drop-offs and increasing the conversion rate. In response, we conducted a Heuristic Evaluation of the website, which involved evaluating the user interface (UI) against established usability principles known as heuristics.

The evaluation was carried out by a team of three usability experts, who thoroughly assessed the site across a range of key user experience parameters. Our findings were documented in a comprehensive report that includes a detailed analysis of identified usability issues, recommendations for improvements, and strategic suggestions to address potential pain points.

The client’s user base is diverse, with varying preferences, needs, and behaviors. Therefore, the evaluation focused on making the website intuitive, accessible, and reassuring to both new and returning users, as well as improving overall usability and trustworthiness.

Key Focus Areas:

1. Identifying and resolving usability issues to improve customer satisfaction and retention.
2. Improving the website’s conversion rate by addressing barriers that prevent users from completing purchases.
3. Enhancing trust and security, particularly around payment and customer support.

Due to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), we are unable to share visual artifacts or screenshots directly associated with the evaluation. However, we will describe the methodology, findings, and recommendations in detail.

Methodology:

The heuristic evaluation was based on established usability guidelines—commonly referred to as heuristics. These heuristics serve as rules of thumb for evaluating the usability of websites. For this evaluation, we divided the heuristics into 6 groups according to the Buying Decision Process as outlined by Engel et al., with 2 additional groups based on general usability standards. The evaluators examined the site against these 8 categories to cover all stages of the customer journey.

Heuristic Groups:

1. Need Recognition and Problem Awareness – How easily users can identify their needs and find relevant solutions.
2. Information Search – The ease with which users can find relevant product information.
3. Purchase Decision Making – How well the website supports users in making informed purchasing decisions.
4. Transaction – The ease and security of the checkout process.
5. Post-Sales Behavior – How well the site supports customers after making a purchase (e.g., order tracking, returns).
6. Overall Purchase Experience – The overall usability and satisfaction throughout the buying process.
7. Trust Building – How the website instills trust, especially regarding payment security, privacy, and brand reliability.
8. Error Handling – How the website helps users recover from mistakes or navigational issues.

Rating Scale:

The evaluators used a 6-point rating scale to score each aspect of the site’s design based on its alignment with these heuristics. The scale was as follows:

• 0: Not Applicable
• 1: Strongly Disagree
• 2: Disagree
• 3: Neither Agree nor Disagree
• 4: Agree
• 5: Strongly Agree

Summary of Findings:

Upon completing the evaluation, we grouped the findings into two primary sections: Success Areas (where the site performed well) and Problem Areas (where there were opportunities for improvement).

Success Areas

The website had several strengths, both in terms of aesthetics and functionality. These areas were identified as successes:

1. Clean and Organized Design: The website has a visually appealing and minimalist design with consistent fonts, icons, and layout. The site is not cluttered, which makes it easy for users to navigate.
2. Well-Categorized Content: The homepage effectively categorizes products by brands, types, and ongoing offers. This logical organization helps users quickly find what they are looking for.
3. Sticky Header: The website includes a sticky header with minimal menu items, making it easy for users to access essential features such as search, user profile, and shopping cart.
4. Simple Navigation and Quick Access: The footer, though "fat" in some instances, is still well-organized and includes essential site navigation links, social media buttons, and access to popular searches.
5. Sign-Up Process: The website offers a short, easy-to-complete sign-up process with options to register using social media profiles (Facebook, Google, etc.), reducing friction for new users.
6. Undo Filters: Users can easily remove filters without experiencing long load times or confusion. This helps users refine their searches quickly and effectively.
7. Product Removal Confirmation: The site offers a confirmation dialog before removing an item from the cart, which helps users reconsider before abandoning a potential purchase.
8. Try-On Feature: The innovative "Try On" feature allows users to visualize how clothes will look on models with similar body types. This feature enhances the buying experience and helps customers make more confident decisions.

Problem Areas

While the website excelled in certain areas, there were several usability and trust-related issues that needed addressing. Below are the critical problem areas and their corresponding recommendations:

1. Lack of Product Ratings and Reviews
• Problem: The website does not display ratings or reviews for products, which is a key factor in influencing customer purchasing decisions.
• Recommendation: Implement a product rating and review system. Customers should be able to see feedback from previous buyers, which can help increase conversion rates by providing social proof. Additionally, allowing users to comment on reviews would offer deeper insights into product quality.
2. No Delivery Option Customization
• Problem: During the checkout process, users are not offered alternatives for delivery companies or delivery times. This lack of flexibility can frustrate customers.
• Recommendation: Provide users with the option to choose a preferred shipping carrier (e.g., USPS, FedEx) and set delivery windows for added convenience. Users should also be able to select expedited shipping if necessary.
3. Security Concerns in Payment
• Problem: Users are not reassured about the security of their financial information during the checkout process. Without trust signals, users may abandon their purchases due to concerns over data protection.
• Recommendation: Display trust signals such as a security badge or a message stating that "your card details are 100% safe with us" near the payment section. This will help build customer trust, especially when entering sensitive information.
4. Limited Visibility of Customer Support Contact Information
• Problem: The contact information for customer support is hidden in less accessible areas of the site, making it difficult for users to reach out when they have urgent issues.
• Recommendation: Make the contact information more visible by providing a dedicated "Contact Us" page that prominently displays customer care phone numbers, email addresses, and other methods of communication.
5. Lengthy and Confusing FAQs
• Problem: The FAQs are overly long and categorically divided, which can overwhelm users who are looking for quick answers.
• Recommendation: Implement a search function within the FAQ section to help users quickly locate the information they need. Additionally, consider consolidating similar topics to simplify the list of categories.

Evaluation - Screenshot

Evaluation Analysis - Spider chart

The spider chart below highlights the strengths and weaknesses identified in our heuristic evaluation. The axes represent the different heuristic categories, with higher scores indicating areas where the site performs well and lower scores pointing to areas for improvement.

Conclusion:

The heuristic evaluation revealed that while the e-commerce website performs well in several key areas, including design consistency, easy navigation, and innovative features like the "Try On" tool, there are important usability issues that need to be addressed. These issues, particularly around user trust, customer support, and product feedback, present barriers to an optimal user experience and could hinder conversion rates.

By implementing the recommended improvements—such as adding product ratings, offering more delivery options, enhancing security messaging, and improving the accessibility of customer support—this e-commerce website can significantly enhance its user experience, build customer trust, and ultimately increase its conversion rate.

Through this evaluation, the website has the potential to evolve into a more user-friendly, secure, and customer-oriented platform, ensuring better engagement and satisfaction for its diverse customer base.