Consumer expectations are changing, with the environmental impact of products and services becoming a key part of people’s purchasing decisions. In a recent Kantar survey in Australia, 63% of respondents said they feel they can make a difference to the world around them through their choices and actions – indicating shoppers are looking for ways to do good.1
Internationally, Google’s user experience (UX) specialists have conducted extensive research into the sustainability measures people want to see along the path to purchase — and where the opportunities lie for brands. From reporting emissions to guiding shoppers towards greener choices, here are three key areas of focus to implement into your UX.
1. Communicate: Be clear, honest and transparent
Sustainability is a nuanced subject, and consumer loyalty can be won and lost in how honestly and openly you communicate your claims and initiatives. In our recent international Sustainability UX research – including participants in Australia and New Zealand – 41% of respondents said the information a brand shared on its sustainability efforts would affect their level of trust.
2. Educate: Inform and empower your users
The consistent growth in search interest around sustainability topics provides a clear indication that consumers have a strong desire to learn more — and take action.
Kantar research found that 67% of Australian consumers believe it’s companies and businesses responsibility to solve and tackle climate issues.4 Brands can engage with shoppers and win loyalty by using their UX to make these shifts easier.
This support and guidance needs to start in the upper funnel and move all the way through the customer journey, from homepages and newsletters to browsing and checkout, and even product repairs.
3. Drive digital sustainability
The risk of greenwashing also extends to the data infrastructure you’re using to share your sustainability messages. The energy needed to run mobile devices and wireless networks produces small amounts of carbon dioxide emissions, all of which can add up.
Once our research participants were informed of the scale of this issue, 90% said it was important or very important for the environment.6 And 87% said they would like brands to showcase how digitally sustainable they are.7
The aim is to make processes faster, greener, and more efficient by improving the source of energy used to power your website and assets, for example.
You can also use less energy in your website UX by lighting fewer pixels on a user’s screen through dark mode, compressing and optimising dynamic content like video (large file sizes require more energy for hosting and playback), and lazy loading, which ensures non-critical content only loads when people need it. Not only does this help reduce carbon emissions, but it also makes for a better user experience.
Taken from: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-aunz/future-of-marketing/creativity/sustainability-user-experience/