Timeline

6 Weeks

June - July 2023

Tools

Figma

Miro

Teams

Low conversion rate of "Guest" to "Registered Customer" during checkout

User Problem

THE SOLUTION

THE PROBLEM

Business Problem

  • Low brand affinity

  • Higher attrition rates

  • Higher marketing and advertising costs

Boost retention by offering Post-Order Account Creation- the option to create an account after order completion

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Overview

The checkout flow is one of the most critical areas of an e-commerce site.

And while CVS has been successful in attracting visitors and converting them to customers, there has been an identified opportunity to further improve conversion rates among guest users during the checkout process.

Role

UX + UI Design

UX Research

  • Inconvenience of re-entering information each time

  • Inability to track order/slower customer support

  • Inability to see past purchases 

  • Loss of rewards and promotions only available to registered customers

THE TEAM

While I led the UX design efforts for app, this was a collaborative effort that brought in: ​​

  • Senior product leadership

  • One content stragetist

  • One accessibility designer

  • Two app developers

  • Input from dozens of CVS designers, design managers and developers

THE RESEARCH

UX Strategy

Given that 25% of users will abandon a checkout when forced to create an account (Baymard, 2023), business was firm in keeping guest checkout. So now the question became...

When during the checkout flow is it best to expose users to an optional account creation?

Mid-Order

01.

Don't Interrupt the Checkout Flow

Mid-order account creation risks distracting users with the urge to evaluate account benefits before completing their purchase, potentially increasing cart abandonment.

Delaying decisions until after the sale results in a smoother and more user-friendly checkout experience.

Competitive Analysis

In working to prioritize the design features and create a proof of concept prototype, I conducted a competitive analysis to understand trends within our competitors.

vs.

Key Findings:

3/5 competitors required account creation to checkout. 

Those that didn't, offered the option to create an account mid and post order.

& here’s why…

Post-Order

02.

Mid-Order Account Creation is Perceived as Time Intensive

When users create an account at the start/during an order, they associate all subsequent form fields with account creation.

Post-order account creation eliminates this perceived friction, as the only form fields users will see post-order are 1-2 password fields. So while the actual checkout process remains the same, a user's perception of the friction is notably reduced.

03.

Users Can Be More Strongly Encouraged to Create an Account Post-Order 

With the order complete and no risk of cart abandonment, have fun with it! 

Now, the user's attention can be entirely directed towards styling and marketing that more actively nudges users into account creation.

THE IDEATION

Design Principles

01.

Be accessible and inclusive of all users

OKRs Alignment

  • Increase "Checkout Guest" to "Registered Customer" conversion rate

  • Do no harm to checkout experience, maintain or improve retail checkout rates

02.

Be scalable and flexible to evolve over time

03.

Be consistent with existing design system

THE DESIGN

Lo-Fidelity Sketches

With my design principles and objectives in mind, I outlined a variety of solutions and began exploring two flows.

Lo-fi prototypes showing different possible flows were then socialized across various teams (Account, Marketing, Legal, etc.) and updated with stakeholder input and technical limitations in mind.

In order to decrease tech debt, proposal no.1- which opened a component as opposed to a new page- was pushed forward.

While justifiable, from a technical feasibility standpoint, a round of usability testing would have shed light on which proposal was more usable. 

Hi-Fidelity Wireframes

Weekly meetings across teams served to align marketing requirements with our users' key priorities. With final consensus and final copy ready, the following hi-fi prototypes were designed and presented.

It is worth noting that while only one happy flow is shown above, dozens of other screens were designed to highlight happy states and error states.

Happy Scenario for Different Use-Cases

  • Guest with ExtraCare or ExtraCare Plus

  • Guest without ExtraCare nor ExtraCare Plus

  • Guest - ExtraCare Plus enrollment with existing ExtraCare

  • Guest - ExtraCare Plus enrollment with new ExtraCare

The Details

Error States

  • Invalid password - not met the requirements

  • ExtraCare card has been tied to another account (limit 5 cvs.com accounts)

  • Account has been created for the email (hide it)

  • System error - can’t create an account

  • System error - can’t tie the ExtraCare card to the account

UP CLOSE + PERSONAL

Copywriting:

Craft concise and compelling messaging that communicates the benefits of post-order account creation, while addressing user concerns.

Transparency:

Clearly communicate the data privacy measures in place, assuring users that their information will be securely handled.

Seemless UI:

Integrate the "Create an Account" option seamlessly into the post-order confirmation page. Use a visually distinct but unobtrusive design to highlight the option.

Incentive Presentation:

Clearly present the incentives users will receive upon account creation, emphasizing their value.

Minimal Friction:

Reduce registration friction by requiring a single form field.

Customization:

Inform users of their ability to customize their communication preferences, ensuring they have control over marketing emails and notifications.

THE VALIDATION

Monitoring Success

Once in production, it's important that we track performance, learn from results and iterate accordingly. 

Specifically, post-order account creation rates will be monitored, with the aim of an increased conversion rate from "Guest" to "Registered Customer". 

This will not only improved immediate conversion metrics but also lay the foundation for enhanced user engagement and retention through personalized experiences and value-added features. 

Given the recent completion of this design, metrics will be updated when available.

LESSONS LEARNED

Accessibility Compliance

FINAL THOUGHTS

In striving to meet WCAG AA requirements, all designs underwent accessibility reviews, often times leading to design changes. In order to save time and design efforts, include accessibility teams early on in design reviews.

Synchronizing Timelines

Collaborating with various teams (legal, marketing, accounts, etc.) involved synchronizing review processes based on each team's availability. This experience was a lesson on optimizing my timeline to match the support and review windows of each team more effectively.