Next Day Delivery
Project Overview
Free Delivery!?
Shoezone introduced a company-wide, FREE Next Day Delivery service for both in-store and online customers. The key challenge was to effectively notify users of the next day service and cut-off times across the company’s website & app.
As a UX/UI Designer, my role spanned several weeks; collaborating closely with the Head of Digital, developers, testers, and an external agency who are building the shoezone app.
Problem Statement
Conversion, Conversion, Conversion.
The primary business goal was to achieve a conversion rate increase of 0.5%-1%, which would ensure next day delivery was profitable. Shoezone faced significant competition from Amazon, which was capturing a substantial share of sales for the same products due to its Prime delivery service, despite shipping from the same warehouse.
The CEO wanted to to boost Shoezone’s .com sales, as sales from our website were more profitable than those through Amazon due to operational costs. Another key concern was the potential impact of changes to Amazon’s algorithm, which could result in lower product rankings and thus reduced sales, a risk that could negatively affect the company's stock market performance.
Research
Competitor Audits
To gain insights, I employed several research methods, including competitive analysis, which involved looking at other retailers in a similar market position to Shoezone. These included both direct and indirect competitors.
The research focused on understanding how companies communicated their delivery options, especially regarding next-day delivery and the use of countdown timers. I also asked users to browse those websites and asked what stood out, the vast majority said the countdown timers would encourage them to buy products.
Ideation
Let's start creating...
The ideation process began with a meeting with the Head of Digital to set the project’s brief requirements. Based on this, I created initial sketches and discussed feasibility with developers and testers whilst considering both frontend and backend constraints.
Given the project’s timeline, I iterated quickly, translating the sketches into user flows using Figma and creating a flowchart to map the customer journey. Feedback was actively sought from the team, allowing me to refine the design where necessary.
Wireframes and prototypes were created with a focus on optimising space on smaller devices, leading to the decision to place a smaller countdown timer near the "Add to Bag" button and on the bag page.
A banner was considered but ultimately ruled out to avoid slowing down page load times, which could negatively affect Google search rankings.
Design
Accessible and functional
As a priority project, the next-day delivery update had to seamlessly integrate with the existing website and the soon to launch app’s visual design.
Accessibility was a key consideration throughout the design process; I ensured that text was legible, easy to read, and compatible with screen readers. This included not using inactive buttons for users reliant on screen readers to enhance usability.
Due to the speed of the project, the mock ups and prototypes were done fairly quickly and required daily catch ups to communicate my design choices.
Testing
"I like it, but..."
The feedback received was generally positive, particularly regarding the colour scheme of the next-day delivery block. However, the messaging needed amending to make it more attention-grabbing. Users liked the countdown timer and did want it site wide.
Based on this feedback, we made several adjustments: removing the drop shadow, changing the colour, and showing countdown on the product detail page and shopping bag page, rather than displaying it all pages due to site performance.
Implementation
Cache me a break
The developers and testers were shown the wireframes and given an updated spec to cater for the API integration as this is something the business wants to do going forward.
One unforeseen challenge was the API load time; initially, the API struggled to return the countdown timer due to a caching issue, which affected the user journey by preventing customers from selecting the size and quantity of their desired item. This issue caused a temporary drop in sales.
In hindsight, limiting the API to the countdown timer alone from the outset would have prevented a block in the users journey.
Results
"Why is it so busy?"
The impact of the design was significant, with a notable improvement in the completion rate during the checkout process and an increase in session-to-purchase conversions. The conversion rate improved by an average of 1.2%.
Additionally, we noticed the change to the website also increased sales just before the cut-off time.