Key takeaways:

• Keep it to 5-10 choices

• Don’t use icons unless it is obvious *at a glance* what each one means and how it adds value

• Group similar choices

• Remove low traffic, low value links

Key takeaways:

• In DTC contexts, dropdowns are generally easier to use than type-ins

• There should always be a default choice (e.g. 1)

• In contexts where there’s a free shipping offer, highlighting this is recommended

Takeaways:

• Ensure both key motivations are covered: 1) having a specific time in mind, and 2) browsing a period of time to see what’s available.

• Enable browsing without resubmitting a form every time

• Don’t make someone select a time of day - just show them all availability for that day

Also some notes on the age and cookie agreements before entering the site.

Key Takeaways:

• Only request information that's absolutely required to complete the transaction (in this case signing up)

• Limit need for the sharing of personal info such as birth date

• Understand that additional information can always be collected later - the main goal right now is to convert the sign up!

Key Takeaways:

• Thoroughly test onboarding experience on mobile Avoid floating widgets that get in the way of the site experience

• Ensure the sequence of age verification and cookie acceptance is clean and clear, and don't force other popups on people who just went through that

• Focus on one promotion at a time, choosing the one that is most relevant to the current page and/or current user

More age verification tips here

Key takeaways:

• Limit text on the homepage

• Ensure calls to action are clear and high contrast

• Avoid elements that may cause performance issues

• Limit widgets and overlays that get in the way of using the website, especially on mobile

Winery website featured in this video is Danner Vineyards, https://www.dennervineyards.com.

Key Takeaways:

• If possible, choose Yes/No version over forcing people to specify a date.

• If date does need to be specified:

  • Typing is better than dropdowns.

  • Offer a single type-in field with input masking.

  • Ensure correct keypad (“tel”) is displayed and only numbers are allowed.

The website shown in this video is Chaddsford Winery, near Philadelphia.

Listen below.

Check out the video above for all the intricate detail.

Key takeaways:

• Group similar tasting experiences for ease of understanding

• Allow potential visitors to see all tasting visit options at once, then dive in to what is relevant to them (as opposed to forcing them to view all the options in detail before deciding).

• Though it’s ok to give some space to telling people why they should visit, don’t get in the way of the tasting details.

• When there are multiple locations, ensure there’s clarity in the menu.

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A key barrier to normalizing wine eCommerce — compared to general retail — is shipping cost. This is, of course, a particular challenge in wine due to the weight of many bottles (which is another reason for wineries to seek out lighter ones). Yet demand for online wine buying is here, accelerated by the pandemic. Consumers, however, have become so used to free shipping from Prime, etc. in their other online shopping, that tacking on extra 20% (or more) to any order is a non-starter. As such, we can no longer hide behind the excuse that it’s too expensive to absorb — without hemorrhaging potential customers. Digital success depends on a change in mindset.

If it is impossible to cover the cost completely, consider including some of the shipping cost in the item price. This might seem counter-intuitive, but research has shown that people are so opposed to paying for shipping that they often prefer a higher priced item with free shipping (especially if the total cost is the same).

A creative idea to offset this added cost for in-person shoppers would be to offer a discount for picking items up on site. Everyone loves a discount, and this will entice those who can to pick up safely at the winery or shop, saving everyone on shipping cost.

Speaking of discounts, instead of offering a case discount, consider savings based on shipping volume or a flat rate for cases. Consumers obviously already use case discounts to offset delivery fees, but being more overt about it can help address a known pain point and add clarity to sometimes-hidden shipping costs. (Of course, both a case discount and flat-rate shipping on cases is even better!)

Another way to tie shipping discounts to volume is to reward loyal customers. Sure, offering free shipping on a first order can convert prospects, but one-time buyers are not what anyone wants. Why not instead (or also) offer credits towards shipping for frequent buyers? For advanced shops, this could even be gamified, earning points to reduce shipping.

Clarity Throughout the Digital Journey

The other essential part of creating a positive customer experience around shipping is communicating any charges clearly and consistently during the digital journey. As much as consumers hate paying for shipping, last-minute hidden fees are an even bigger driver of abandonment during checkout. Thankfully, this can be easily avoided.

The best practice would be to provide shipping information on every single screen. This would most commonly work as a link in the footer and near the price on any product pages. At the very least, shipping costs should always be shown on the shopping cart. NEVER wait until after a customer has entered all their information to show them a shipping charge.

The following video gives a quick illustration of this issue in action:

Some commerce systems may require a full shipping address to calculate exact shipping costs, but don’t use this as an excuse to leave customers in the dark. If it truly is not possible to show the exact charge up front, give an estimated range or several examples instead (e.g. “a case typically costs $25–40 to ship, depending on address,” or, “to ship a case from Napa to Chicago costs $38.50”) to prevent surprises later. Longer-term, consider changing the way shipping is calculated so it is more transparent to online browsers.

Another major cause for customer frustration is not knowing which configurations are the most cost-efficient. Meaning, how does the shipping-cost-per-bottle change if I buy 4 or 8 bottles? 6 or 12? Instead of forcing customers to experiment with adding a variety of quantities to their order, or to give up entirely because the information is not easily accessible, just tell them! This can even be turned into marketing e.g. (“add 2 more bottles to save on shipping!”).

In sum, there’s no silver bullet to fix the shipping conundrum. But, by considering creative ways to absorb some of the cost, and communicating clearly at every step of the customer journey, these issues can be mitigated.

Mike Madaio is a wine writer as well as a user experience professional focused on eCommerce. Interested in further discussing your digital experience? Contact Mike here.