UX experiments / Friction
Friction · A/B test · reported case
Forced registration or guest checkout: which sold more?
Checkout opened with a login form. Which version sold more?
Make your call. Which version won, and why? Decide before you open the result. Guessing first is what trains your judgment.
Made your call? See the result
Purchases rose 45%.
What happened
Jared Spool's team swapped Register for Continue and explained that an account was optional. The retailer reported $15M extra in the first month and about $300M in the first year.
Why it worked
People came to buy, not to start a relationship. Registration felt like a cost with no payoff, and many returning shoppers had forgotten old accounts.
The takeaway
Remove forced commitment from the path to value. Ask for the account after the value is delivered.
Source
- Fast Company · The $300 million Continue button (fastcompany.com)
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