What is friction in CRO?

Friction in CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) refers to anything in a website or customer journey that makes it harder, slower, confusing, or less convenient for users to complete a desired action, such as making a purchase, submitting a form, requesting a quote, or creating an account.

Common sources of conversion friction include:

• Long or complicated forms
• Confusing navigation or unclear CTAs
• Slow page loading
• Unexpected costs or unclear pricing
• Limited payment or shipping options
• Poor mobile usability
• Unnecessary checkout steps
• Missing product information or specifications
• Technical errors or broken links
• Lack of relevant trust information

For example, if a B2B ecommerce website requires buyers to complete a lengthy form before requesting a quote, unnecessary fields may create friction and cause some users to abandon the process.

CRO teams identify friction using analytics, funnel analysis, session recordings, heatmaps, user feedback, usability testing, and customer-support data. They can then test changes such as simplifying forms, improving navigation, clarifying pricing, or reducing checkout steps.

The goal is to remove unnecessary friction while retaining information and safeguards that users genuinely need to make informed decisions.