Friction
Friction slows users by creating confusion, extra effort, or hesitation; unintentional friction harms experience, while intentional friction can protect against mistakes. Reducing or managing friction improves conversions, retention, and overall UX.
In physics, friction is resistance that slows movement. Online, friction is any point in an experience where a user might hesitate, get confused, or entirely give up. The cause of friction is anything that slows a user down, creates confusion, or makes them work harder then they should to complete a task. In regards to UX, friction is often mentioned as something to avoid at all costs; the cause of poor conversions, low retention, and other issues.
As a reminder, your proximity to your own website and business makes it harder for you to identify friction yourself. Your customers may experience friction at points that seem completely intuitive to you—it’s important to keep that in mind when evaluating your website or a user flow for friction points.
Is friction always bad?
No—despite the overwhelming emphasis on reducing clicks and removing friction, friction is not always a bad thing—only unintentional friction is.