Can you describe one way you've successfully reduced friction at a particular point in your customer journey? What was the impact of this change?

Question

Customer friction can significantly impact business success, but effective strategies exist to overcome these challenges. This article presents real-world examples and practical solutions from industry experts on reducing customer friction. From streamlining onboarding processes to optimizing checkout experiences, these insights offer valuable approaches to enhance customer satisfaction and drive business growth.

Vito Vishnepolsky · Answer

One of the most impactful ways we've reduced friction at Martal is by eliminating the typical slow, back-and-forth onboarding process. Instead of dragging clients through slide decks and intake forms, we conduct live GTM sessions that align both teams quickly.
Each session is structured to address specific setup processes of the lead generation campaign. We go beyond reviewing the ICP; we challenge it. We map messaging to buyer pain points, coordinate seamless handoff systems, and establish clear KPIs. As the meeting closes, the next outreach cycle is already underway.
The impact? We shave weeks off ramp time, avoid the usual misalignment later in the campaign, and start delivering qualified meetings within days, not months. Clients feel momentum from day one, and we get the data we need to execute at a high level.
Friction doesn't always show up as complaints. It shows up as delays, rework, and dropped leads. We cut that off early by building clarity into the front of the process.

Jorge Argota · Answer

At checkout, our online parts store asked for a long sign-up form. We swapped it for "guest pay"—just name, email, card, done. Steps dropped from eight to three clicks. Cart abandon rate fell from 60% to 25%, and sales jumped 35% in one month.

Josh Qian · Answer

At BestOnlineCabinets, we identified a source of friction in the customer journey during the measurement and design phase. Many customers were unsure about how to accurately measure their spaces for new cabinets, which led to confusion and, often, mistakes in their orders. To tackle this, we developed a comprehensive, user-friendly measurement guide that included visual aids, step-by-step instructions, and even video tutorials.
We also introduced a live chat feature where customers could connect with our design experts in real time. This allowed them to ask questions and get immediate assistance while measuring their spaces. The impact of these changes was remarkable. Customers felt more confident in their decisions, resulting in fewer errors and returns. We saw an increase in customer satisfaction and a noticeable uptick in sales as more people completed their orders without hesitation.

Josh Ritchie · Answer

The handoff from marketing to sales was always a pain point in our journey. With marketing focused on brand storytelling and sales focused on closing deals, the handoff felt disjointed. To bridge that gap, we created more story-centric sales enablement content. This has transformed our buyer experience, creating a smoother transition and making sales conversations much more organic.

Liam Waddy · Answer

One way we've successfully reduced friction in the customer journey is by optimizing the post-cart abandonment experience.
Previously, our client redirected users back to the cart from their emails and paid ads. To address the conversion rate (CVR), we developed paid ads and email CTAs that link users directly to the payment section of the checkout process—skipping the cart review and login steps. These campaigns target users who've abandoned their cart in the past seven days, when the product is still fresh in their mind and intent is likely high. 
Since implementing this change, our abandoned cart campaigns have seen a dramatic lift in performance. Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) on paid media increased from 5x to 20x and email CVR increased by 10%. 
I strongly recommend auditing your abandoned cart process. Evaluate how many users are expressing interest but not converting, and develop strategies to streamline their path back to checkout. For this client, we found over $1M in annual cart abandonment. Recovering even 20% of that had a meaningful impact on revenue. Capturing these near-purchases is one of the most cost-effective ways to drive growth.

David Case · Answer

As a recruiting firm, we face the unique challenge of managing two overlapping customer journeys: job seekers and employers. A smooth experience for one doesn't mean much unless it works for both. One area where we consistently saw friction was in the early phase of a new search, especially between a client submitting a new role and the completion of candidate interviews.
The root issue stemmed from delays in receiving detailed job information from the client. Without a clear understanding of the role's requirements, responsibilities, and working conditions, we couldn't launch the search quickly. This led to last-minute interview scheduling, which often resulted in high no-show rates among candidates.
To solve this, we introduced a structured client intake form alongside a 30-minute kickoff call with a recruiter, scheduled within 24 hours of the new role's submission. The form prompts clients to provide essential details like required skills or certifications, core responsibilities, hours and shifts, and insights into the site culture or work environment. 
Getting this information upfront helped us present qualified candidates faster and gave everyone more flexibility when setting up interviews.
To further reduce friction, we also added SMS confirmations and reminders for candidates, which proved much more effective than relying on email alone. Since implementing these changes, we've seen a 27% improvement in interview show-up rates and a 15% increase in placements from the initial shortlist.

Yaniv Masjedi · Answer

One of the most significant ways we improved customer experience was by revamping the onboarding process. We noticed that this was a critical period when many people were dropping off or had unmet expectations, which negatively impacted the long-term use of our platform.
We discovered that new customers, especially small businesses without in-house IT teams, often encountered technical issues during their initial setup. To address this, we introduced a new onboarding approach that combines automated setup guides, industry-specific templates, and personalized support from our Customer Success team within the first three days after sign-up.
This change transformed a disorganized and reactive process into a smooth, guided one, enabling customers to see the value of our platform more quickly and with less effort. The numbers reflected this improvement: we saw increased product usage on day one, fewer support requests in the first week, and higher scores on onboarding satisfaction. Most importantly, these changes led to improved customer retention and subsequent growth.
This entire experience reminded us of an important lesson: many of the issues customers face aren't due to the product being overly complex, but rather because they lack clarity and support. By focusing on empowering our customers and being responsive to their needs, we helped them succeed and build stronger loyalty to our brand.

Aboli Gangreddiwar · Answer

At Sundae, a real estate marketplace for off-market distressed properties, we connected homeowners looking to sell as-is with a network of vetted property investors. One key friction point we identified was the delay in investor offers: it took a median of over 24 hours after a property went live for an offer to be placed.
I conducted research to understand the root cause. Most investors relied on their assigned Investor Advisor to be notified of new listings and to help them place offers. There was no online way to act independently, and advisors often emailed listings hours later—only when they had time.
To reduce this bottleneck, I led two key initiatives:
Product-side: I proposed enabling self-serve offer placement directly through the website. This removed the manual dependency and allowed investors to submit offers instantly.
Lifecycle marketing-side: I introduced real-time property alert emails and SMS notifications so investors could be immediately notified when a relevant property went live—eliminating the lag from human-triggered communications.
Together, these changes more than doubled our offers per listing, improved speed to offer, and created a better experience for both sellers and investors. It was a strong example of how combining lifecycle and product strategy can drive marketplace efficiency.

Nirmal Gyanwali · Answer

Our proposal process used to slow things down. After a good discovery call, we'd send over a detailed PDF with scope, pricing, timelines, and all the necessary information. It looked professional, but it was too much. Clients would go quiet, not because they weren't interested, but because they didn't have the time or energy to read through all of it.
So we scrapped all that and started sending one clean link to a simple web page. Just the essentials: what we're doing, how much it costs, how long it'll take, and how to get started. No downloads, no scrolling through 10 pages of fluff.
The difference was obvious. Clients replied quicker, asked fewer questions, and decisions came faster. A few even said it was the clearest proposal they'd seen. We didn't change our offer. We just removed the friction. That small change made everything smoother and helped us close deals faster.

Lord Robert Newborough · Answer

We found that our customers struggled with finding the right products on our website due to a cluttered navigation system. To address this, we restructured our product categories and introduced smart search filters along with personalized recommendations.
This reduced friction in the shopping journey and led to a notable 15% increase in product discovery. Customers were able to find what they were looking for more quickly, leading to higher conversion rates and improved customer satisfaction.

Steven Manifold · Answer

One of the biggest points of friction in SaaS onboarding is usually the moment you ask for a credit card. It signals commitment, often before the user has had a chance to see and experience the value of the product.
We decided to test removing that barrier. Instead of offering a "first month free" after capturing payment details, we introduced a true 30-day free trial. No card required. Users could explore B2B Planr without making a decision, and at the end of the trial, access was locked until they chose to upgrade. The impact was immediate. We saw a significant increase in trial signups (50% more).
The next step in the customer journey is to reduce the friction from trial-to-paid. By the time the 30 days were up, we needed to ensure users had already experienced the benefits fully. Without the impending credit card charge, we found users were actually using the product less, or at least less urgently than if their billing was approaching fast. We shifted to providing guidance and support to enable users to create strategic plans, enter data, and share documents with their teams. It was at that point that the thought of losing progress became a more natural incentive to continue - the fear of losing work, rather than the fear of being billed.
It worked because it aligned with how trust is built. We didn't try to shortcut the relationship. We let the product speak for itself and gave users space to decide on their own terms. Reducing friction isn't just about usability. It's about removing psychological barriers and making decisions easier. If you believe in your product, let people try it properly.

Martin Weidemann · Answer

A single line of JavaScript that cut our checkout abandonment rate in half, and no one on the team saw it coming.
We were working with a high-priced service, and the conversion rates dropped to almost zero on the last step: the payment page. Landing pages, retargeting, and even one-on-one sales calls had all been improved. Still, about 45% of users left before they finished checking out. After recording sessions for a whole week, we noticed a pattern: people were hesitant not because of the price, but because they weren't sure. They didn't know what would happen *after* they paid. There was no time frame for confirmation and no mention of what to do next.
We added a small script that made a message appear above the last "Pay Now" button that said, "Secure your spot now. In ten minutes, you'll get a WhatsApp message with your personalized itinerary." That's all.
The results were surprisingly positive. Within 72 hours, the cart abandonment rate dropped from 45% to 21%. We didn't offer a discount. We didn't completely change the UX. We simply eliminated confusion.
It taught me more than just CRO strategies. People don't leave because they don't like the way things are going; they leave because they don't know what to expect. Trust increases if you address *that*. I now include this kind of reassuring message at every stage where emotions are stronger than logic.

Reducing Customer Friction: 12 Stories From The Trenches

Reducing Customer Friction: 12 Stories From The Trenches

Streamline Onboarding with Live GTM Sessions

Simplify Checkout Process for Increased Sales

Enhance Customer Confidence with Measurement Tools

Bridge Marketing-Sales Gap with Story-Centric Content

Optimize Cart Abandonment Recovery Strategies

Improve Recruitment Process with Structured Intake

Revamp Onboarding with Personalized Support

Accelerate Investor Offers through Self-Serve Options

Simplify Proposals for Faster Client Decisions

Restructure Navigation to Boost Product Discovery

Remove Barriers with True Free Trials

Reduce Checkout Hesitation with Clear Expectations

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