Price Transparency

Improve Price Transparency in eBay's Cart and Checkout

Project Overview:
This project aimed to improve price transparency in the cart and checkout experiences on eBay, addressing user pain points related to the visibility and clarity of discounts and promotions.

Role and Responsibilities:
As the UX Designer, I led designed solutions, participated in design research and collaborated with cross-functional teams to enhance the cart and checkout pages.

(Before Screenshot)

Challenges:

Inadequate Highlighting of Savings: The cart did not effectively highlight savings at the item level, causing user confusion and missed opportunities to nudge buyers towards purchasing.

Inconsistent Discount Presentation: Buyers often navigated to the cart to see their total savings. If the discount breakdown did not match their expectations, they lost trust.

Research and Analysis

Timing of Purchases: Most purchases occur within the first hour of arriving at checkout, with a significant drop in purchase propensity after 24 hours.

Influence of Price and Promotions: Prior research in the UK indicates that price and promotions are crucial, with 42% of buyers ranking them as the most important consideration.

  • We conducted extensive user interviews and surveys to gather qualitative data on user expectations and pain points. These conversations provided deep insights into user behavior, preferences, and challenges they face during the cart and checkout processes. Participants shared their thoughts on how price transparency and discount presentation influenced their purchasing decisions.

  • In shop-along studies, we observed real-time user interactions with the cart and checkout. This method allowed us to see firsthand how users navigate the platform, search for discounts, and respond to price information. These observations were crucial in identifying moments of confusion or frustration.

  • I tested various prototypes through usability testing to gather feedback and identify usability issues. Participants interacted with different versions of the cart and checkout designs, helping me refine the presentation of discounts and savings. This iterative process ensured that the final design was user-friendly and intuitive.

  • I conducted a comprehensive competitive analysis to benchmark eBay’s cart and checkout experience against industry standards. By examining how other e-commerce platforms present discounts and promotions, we identified best practices and areas where eBay could improve. This analysis informed our design decisions and helped us create a more competitive user experience.

Key Findings:

  1. Participants were unsure if discounts in the cart had already been applied to the total.

  2. Navigating away from the cart and checkout to find a promo code or discount seen earlier in the purchasing funnel often resulted in users never returning to complete their purchase or getting distracted by other items.

design iteration

Leveraging insights from the research phase, I initiated a series of iterative design sessions focused on improving the clarity and visibility of pricing information to enhance user experience and usability.

    • Engaged in collaborative ideation sessions to generate a diverse range of concepts for displaying pricing information.

    • Concepts were sketched, prototyped, and internally reviewed to foster creativity and innovation.

    • Investigated multiple design ideas, each offering different visual treatments, placements, and functionalities.

    • Design concepts varied from subtle price indicators integrated into the interface to bold signals designed to capture user attention immediately.

    • User feedback was integral to the design iteration process.

    • Prototypes and mockups were rigorously tested for usability, with users providing feedback on clarity, relevance, and visual hierarchy.

    • Iterative feedback and refinement cycles led to the integration of design elements that resonated most with users.

    • Adjustments were made to color schemes, typography, iconography, and layout to ensure a cohesive and intuitive user experience.

Through this iterative design process, we improved the presentation of pricing information, ensuring users could easily understand and trust the price transparency in eBay's cart and checkout experiences.

Collaboration with Development Team

Our collaboration with the development team was crucial in refining and implementing the bottom sheet solution for price transparency.

Cross-Functional Workshops: I organized regular workshops to align design and development perspectives. These sessions were essential for discussing project goals, technical limitations, and implementation timelines, ensuring a unified approach to the bottom sheet integration.

Prototyping and Development: We transitioned design prototypes to the development team, working closely to translate design ideas into functional code. This close cooperation allowed us to address technical constraints and optimize performance while ensuring that the bottom sheets met our design criteria.

Iterative Review and Feedback: Through ongoing communication, we iteratively refined the bottom sheets. Feedback from developers about technical feasibility and optimization needs led to adjustments in the design, balancing functionality with user experience.

Quality Assurance: Thorough testing was conducted to ensure that the bottom sheets performed consistently across various platforms and devices. This included cross-browser testing, performance evaluations, and accessibility audits, all aimed at maintaining a high-quality user experience.

By working closely with the development team, we ensured that the bottom sheet solution was effectively implemented, aligning with both design intentions and technical requirements. This collaborative approach played a key role in our decision to use bottom sheets, as it became clear that they provided the best balance of visibility and organization for price transparency.

Testing and Optimization

To ensure the effectiveness of the bottom sheets in the cart and checkout process, we employed a multi-faceted testing approach:

  1. A/B Testing: We compared user interactions and conversion rates between the new bottom sheet design and the previous cart interface. This testing helped us evaluate the impact of the new design on user engagement and overall performance.

  2. User Feedback Sessions: We conducted usability testing sessions with a diverse group of users. Participants interacted with the bottom sheets and provided feedback on their clarity, ease of use, and the effectiveness of the discount and pricing information presented.

  3. Analytics Review: We analyzed user behavior metrics, including interaction rates, abandonment rates, and time spent on the cart and checkout pages. This data helped us understand how well the bottom sheets facilitated the user journey and identified areas for further optimization.

  4. Cross-Platform Testing: We ensured the bottom sheets were tested across different mobile platforms, including iOS and Android. This cross-platform testing verified that the design performed consistently and effectively across various devices.

This comprehensive testing approach ensured that the bottom sheets not only improved price transparency but also provided a seamless and intuitive user experience.

Results

Organized Discount Management

The bottom sheet method allowed us to display multiple discounts and coupons in an organized manner, maintaining a clean and user-friendly interface. This approach kept the main cart interface uncluttered while still providing all necessary information through a convenient link to the bottom sheet.

Enhance buyer confidence

Introducing bottom sheets for displaying discounts and coupons significantly increased buyer confidence. This approach ensured users felt informed and reassured about their purchases, leading to higher customer satisfaction.

Lessons Learned

Managing Layered Bottom Sheets

Careful layering of bottom sheets was essential due to the existing use of bottom sheets for cart and checkout. Effective management ensured that additional bottom sheets did not disrupt the user’s navigation or create confusion.

Enhancing Organizational Clarity

Using a bottom sheet to consolidate price details and discount breakdowns kept the cart organized and transparent. This approach helped users easily track their savings and understand their final price, improving overall user experience.

Conclusion

The price transparency project significantly improved clarity and user trust in eBay’s cart and checkout processes. Implementing bottom sheets for detailed pricing and organized discount breakdowns streamlined the cart experience and boosted conversion rates.

Looking ahead, the eBay Design System team had introduced a new popover component near the end of the project, which would be tested next to explore additional enhancements in presenting pricing details. This will continue our efforts to refine the cart and checkout experience further.