How Can UX Combat Analysis Paralysis?

A recent online purchase experience made me think about the extreme analysis paralysis we encounter on an everyday basis given the infinite choices available to us online. I simply needed a lightbulb for a desk lamp. Pre-Amazon, one would choose from the few options at the local hardware store and be done with it. To avoid having to walk to an actual store and interact with real people, I searched for light bulbs on Amazon and got over 200,000 results. This included smart bulbs, bulbs in different wattages and shapes and sizes, vintage style, soft white or amber warm…and the list goes on.

I spent over an hour sifting through the overwhelming number of choices trying to find the simplest, cheapest one. This is a perfect example of how we sacrifice simplicity for convenience and specificity. While it’s great to provide users with different options, having too many choices can lead to frustration. To make sure users are having an optimal experience and that your e-commerce conversion rates are reaching their potential, it’s essential to provide assistance to users when they’re making purchasing decisions. Here are a few tools you can implement that may help your conversion rates:

1. Filters & Sorting — This is the most commonly used method of helping users narrow down their pool of options. What’s important to keep in mind here is what those filters are. What…