Revamping the User Experience of AJIO: A Case Study

My first task was to figure out the real time problems that users are facing and how do they deal with it. So, I decided to do

1. Desk research
2. Heuristic Evaluation
3. User Interview
4. competitor analysis
5. Usability testing

Desk Research.

I began by understanding

1. Common cons faced by the customers/Users using E-commerce
2. what AJIO as a brand do? Their business goals,
3. Who are their Users and what are their goals.
4. Understanding the existing UI.

Desk research Insights

1. It is said that in AJIO, 54.31% users bounce off. (Source)

My Understanding: More than half of the users of abandons cart.

2. The conversion rate of consumers who interact with the reviews is 108.4 percent higher than those who don’t. (Source)

My Understanding: Having review section would increase the conversion rate.

3. 42% of top e-commerce websites lack category-specific filter types.

My Understanding: Having too many filters can be confusing. Therefore, categorizing them can help the user.

4. 30% of consumers say influencer recommendations are one of the key factors in their purchasing decisions.(Source)

My Understanding: Users tend to purchase a product if some sort of trust is given.

5. Abandoned cart follow-up emails have an average open rate of 45%. (Source)

My Understanding: Sending reminder to users who have abandoned their carts could be an effective way to improve conversion rates.

6. The frustration involved in the overall product search experience results in an unacceptable level of churn and burn: to the tune of 68%, according to Forrester. (Source)

My Understanding: Improving the search experience is crucial for preventing users from leaving without making a purchase.

7. 40% of the users important reason to shop on web is because of detailed and clear information of what is being offered (Source)

My Understanding: It would be important to prioritize clear and detailed product information, along with improving the search experience and offering relevant search results.

8. 39% of purchasers are influenced by a relevant search. (Source)

My Understanding: Having relevant search results is crucial for users to find what they are looking for and make a purchase.

9. High shipping costs are the #1 reason for cart abandonment. (Source)

My Understanding: Offering free or reduced shipping costs could help to reduce cart abandonment rates.

10. 90% Of Customers Say Buying Decisions Are Influenced By Online Reviews (Source)

My Understanding: Customer tend to purchase more if they find positive reviews.

Heuristic evaluation

Then I evaluated the existing UI of AJIO with Jacob Nielson’s 10 Usability heuristics. I wanted to do the heuristic evaluation before doing User interview, Competitor analysis and Usability testing to avoid biased thoughts.

Here is what I found after doing my evaluation:

1. Home Page and Store page:

a. Aesthetic and Minimal design: The homepage is dumped with lots of ads and promotions.

b. Consistency and Standards: The same format of visual design is not been followed.

2.Product listing page:

a. Visibility of system status: Unable to find the filters being applied.

b. Aesthetic and Minimal Design: Issues with the bottom part (Filters, sort by, Category)

c. User Control and Freedom: Problems concerning the back button

3. Filters:

a. Error Prevention: There is no confirmation message when user click on reset filters.

User Interview

Then I went on with primary research. I started by talking to someone who was close to me, Having prepared small bunch of questions I just went with the flow.

Summary of the questions that I asked related to the product:

1. How often do you purchase and which mode of purchase do you prefer(can you elaborate)?
2. What are the apps do you prefer for shopping online? And why?
3. What are the things you usually buy from AJIO?
4. What do you like and dislike about the current AJIO app?

Insights from User Interview:

1. “While I view products, I am unable to go back to the home screen.”
2. “ As there are too many ads, I will directly use the categories icon or search to proceed with my products”
3. “The AJIO LUXE in the homepage is for provides these categories for AJIO or AJIO LUXE?”
4. “I want to share my Wishlist to my friend but I have to do one by one product”
5. “The product in Wishlist will go out of stock the next time I view it. So I don’t really use the Wishlist”
6. “I usually shop only from well known brands in AJIO, because it is hard to trust a new brand. And if the product is not upto my expectations, returning is a time consuming process.”
7. “For every product that I have to view, I have to go to the product description page and come back.”

Competitor analysis

Having a rough idea, I wanted to know how the competitor’s attempt to solve these concern.

After doing the Feature analysis, I analyzed the UI screen of competitors and observed how they have solved these Issues.

Listing the problem (Non-Heuristics)

1. Congested homepage.
2. No notifications regarding the out of stock in Wishlist and cart.
3. Users are unsatisfied about the customer service.
4. Confusion between offer price and original price.
5. Only one product can be shared at a time.
6. Lacks few navigation.
7. Poor customer support

• Home Page: Determine which content is most important and place it prominently on the page. Use hierarchy and layout techniques to guide the eye towards this content.
• Search: By having popular brands in the search, customers can more likely to make a purchase if they can quickly find the products they are looking for.
• Product listing: Adding ratings and quick view option can help the take an immediate decision.
• Product description Page: Including detailed product specifications and information, such as size, dimensions, materials, and care instructions, in the product image card can help users make informed decisions about the product. Social proof, such as customer reviews and ratings, can help build trust and credibility with users.
• Filters: Having a horizontal bar indicating the filters used and allowing to edit.
• Wishlist: Having an multiple Wishlist and share option can help users share the multiple products.
• Notifications: Providing notifications regarding the items in Wishlist can help the user to take immediate decisions.
• Chat: Have a chat screen for solving the queries would improve the customer experience.