The testing included 5 users with 3 American participants, tested in-person, and 2 Kenyan participants, tested remotely through Google Hangouts. Further remote testing will take place with Kenyan participants. All users reside in metropolitan areas, shop online, and have medium to high comfort level using apps.
Testing users in the U.S. and Kenya allowed a comparison between experiences. There are some interactions that U.S. shoppers have come to expect but in Kenya, the expectations differ, perhaps due in part to more recent internet and smart phone penetration. This also offers an opportunity to find ways to delight the Kenyan consumer.
Each user chose a different method to login. One U.S. participant “continued without login” because they are weary of Facebook and Google login due to request to post or access information. Another American participant preferred to use their yahoo email to login because it’s their less used address and they want to avoid unwanted mail. Participants in Kenya used Google and Facebook to login and did not voice any concerns around utilizing those options.
During checkout one American user expressed concern over the “scan” button on the credit card number field and noted that might prevent completion of the purchase. Amazon was also a frequent reference point for the American participants, particularly during the checkout process. One American participant likes that Amazon allows the customer to “cancel and continue” through the end of the checkout process, providing an opt-out.
For Kenyan participants, there was some confusion around the “I’m ready to checkout” button in relation to checkout with M-Pesa and PayPal buttons. They did not know it was the credit card option. They did like the M-Pesa option. All users feel more secure about payment by credit card if there’s a security lock or other indicator for a secure site. Although no one used the PayPal option, seeing it provided another level of comfort and credibility for the users. Not all users were clear on what action to take on the Store Directions page. Some stopped assuming that was the final page in that particular flow.
Participants from Kenya provided useful feedback regarding the shipping form and shed light on their delivery process. Customers are allowed to try on garments upon delivery and then make a decision to keep or return it. For online shopping in the U.S., delivery and product returns are separate processes. In Kenya, trust is still a major challenge. Providing other forms of product engagement, such as photos and size guides, may help the decision making process. There also needs to be a more pronounced differentiator between “Shopping your preferences” and “Shopping all items” as not all users noticed the buttons.
This task includes taking the style quiz. All participants experienced confusion between the Style Guide and Services Lounge. Half went to Style Services first and one thought its where you would go to speak to a person and get help. Half of the users struggled with quiz question 5 which asks the user to identify their body shape from a series of diagrams. One challenge was related to functionality, the other was related to layout. It became clear this question required less options in order to minimize the user's memory load as well as a better visual representation.
Of these two pages, which one is more appealing? Why did you select that one? All five participants chose the darker scheme due to the color contrast.