How to Reduce Friction in Key Conversion Journeys – ASP Knowledge Base

Overview

Friction is anything that makes a user pause, hesitate, or abandon a journey. On an event website, friction often appears in places like registration paths, exhibitor enquiries, sponsorship pages, or package-selection flows.

Reducing friction means making it easier for users to understand what to do, what happens next, and how to complete the task successfully.

Common Sources of Friction

Typical friction points include:

unclear package differences
too many steps before the CTA
confusing wording
unnecessary pop-ups or overlays
poor mobile usability
missing feedback after actions

Each of these adds uncertainty and can lower conversion.

Review the Journey from the User’s Point of View

A useful way to assess friction is to step through the journey as if you were a first-time visitor and ask:

do I understand the offer quickly?
do I know what action to take next?
is the CTA obvious?
does anything interrupt or delay me?
do I get confirmation when I do something?

Use the Comparison Widget to Reduce Choice Friction

Where a journey includes multiple package options, choice friction often comes from having to compare offers manually. In ShowOff, the Comparison Widget can reduce that friction by putting options side by side in a single layout, with rows for features and columns for package types. It also supports highlighted options, pricing, and mobile-friendly stacking. For more detail, organisers can use the Comparison Widget support article.

Be Careful with Overlays

If you use overlays or pop-ups in ShowOff, make sure they support the journey rather than obstruct it. In many cases, a clear on-page message or embedded CTA will create less friction than a full overlay.

Summary

To reduce friction in ShowOff:

simplify key journeys
make the next step obvious
avoid unnecessary interruptions
use clear package comparison where needed
make it easy to move from comparison to action

If package choice is a sticking point, the Comparison Widget can help make the decision easier. See the support article for more.