Client: Mama Lam's • My role: UX Researcher
Summary
Background
Mama Lam’s is a mother/daughter operated business that has been making Malaysian specialty items since late 2016. This includes curry pastes, hot sauces, and chili oils. They are a small business based out of Long Island City (Queens, NYC).
Problem
Mama Lam’s had noticed that users add products to their cart but do not continue to check out. They wanted to test the usability of their checkout flow.
Research Objectives
• To identify why users are not completing their purchase.
• To understand the users’ experience when buying products on the website.
• To understand how users feel about Mama Lam’s as a whole.
• To understand the users’ experience when buying products on the website.
• To understand how users feel about Mama Lam’s as a whole.
Main Research Questions
Timeline
Challenges and Constraints:
• Limited access to stakeholders
• Participant recruitment:
• Only 2 out of every 30 respondents followed through with booking a session.
• Assumption: A lack of incentives led to a high volume of participant drop-off.
• Tricky participants:
• Assumption: A lack of incentives led to a high volume of participant drop-off.
• Tricky participants:
• Large number of participants that spoke English as a second language.
• Participants not staying on task.
• Participants not staying on task.
Recruiting copy via Instagram stories
Recruiting:
We also used the following methods of recruitment:
I did not have any budget or support for recruitment. I suggested to the client that we utilize their existing follower base as much as possible.
We collaborated on ideas for:
We collaborated on ideas for:
• A message to their mailing list.
• Copy they could post to Instagram.
• A link to a participant screener was included in all
messaging.
• Copy they could post to Instagram.
• A link to a participant screener was included in all
messaging.
We also used the following methods of recruitment:
• Facebook posts to local neighborhood groups.
• Personal networks.
• Personal networks.
Conducting:
Moderated Usability Test
• 45-60min
• Remote via Zoom
• Participant Criteria:
• N = 5
• Non-customers of Mama Lam’s
• Have never visited the website
• Non-customers of Mama Lam’s
• Have never visited the website
Since Mama Lam's had been experiencing some issues with user conversion rates, I decided to do moderated usability tests in order to research the mechanics of the current checkout process, to uncover any issues with the existing user flow, and to test whether the website was intuitive.
Screenshot from remote usability test
Analysis:
I also noted user's ratings for success (Pass / Pass with Difficulty / Fail) and Single Ease Question (SEQ). I asked participants to rate the checkout process on a scale of 1-7, where:
1: very difficult
4: neutral
7: very easy
4: neutral
7: very easy
Synthesis:
Readout:
Example slides from usability report
Overall, participants were able to complete a purchase, but encountered a number of obstacles which may explain why users abandoned their carts.
A usability report with recommendations was provided to the client using the following key:
• A green plus sign (+): Positive finding; participants found delightful or easy.
• A yellow exclamation point (!): Annoyances / slowed down the checkout process.
• Two orange exclamation points (!!): Participants found painful or left the cart altogether.
• A grey letter (i): Additional information.
• A yellow exclamation point (!): Annoyances / slowed down the checkout process.
• Two orange exclamation points (!!): Participants found painful or left the cart altogether.
• A grey letter (i): Additional information.
