Honest Conversations: On Neurodivergence & Ecommerce

In a previous article, we discussed design and content methods to make your website more accessible to neurodivergent (ND) users — folks with ADHD, Autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, Down syndrome, and more. Today, we will build on that and dive deeper into a specific area: ecommerce. This article isn’t intended to stop the wheels of capitalism. Rather, its intent is to share these ecommerce experiences from perspectives that may be new or unfamiliar to improve experiences for everyone. 

It’s obvious that a business’ financial success generally relies, at some point, on convincing people to spend money on its products or services. Designers and marketers understand human psychology and use their knowledge to shape experiences, get people to take specific actions, and make that sale. Like many things, this isn’t inherently wrong but rather a power we need to wield with care and consideration.

Scenario One: “I Want It Now”

Impulsivity is one of the biggest challenges many folks with ADHD face. Everyone is impulsive at times, but for many ADHDers, it’s a constant struggle as opposed to an occasional moment of fun. This often leads to more debt, more difficulty managing money and planning for the future, and much higher anxiety about finances than in the neurotypical population._1,2

While impulsivity is often seen as a hallmark of ADHD, executive dysfunction is also common to many neurodivergent conditions, as well as a recognized symptom of anxiety and depression. Executive dysfunction can inhibit decision-making, planning ahead, prioritization, working memory (why do I own so many water bottles?), and many other things required for sound financial management. There’s a reason ADHDers talk about the “ADHD tax.” 

The good news, though, is that there are many things ecommerce sites can do to help users who struggle with impulsivity and executive dysfunction, making the experience more fun, relaxing, and genuine for all their customers, which can build long-term trust and customer loyalty.  

Recommendation: Let Us Window-Shop (Without Pressure)

I was surprised to learn early in my ADHD journey that a very common trait amongst impulsive ADHDers is online window shopping. Many people have found that it helps curb out-of-control spending without throwing your laptop and smartphone into the ocean. Browsing and adding things to a cart often generates a lot of dopamine in itself, so we can get the good feelings of impulsive shopping without unsustainable spending. But there are ways this can trip someone up:

1. Checkouts that are too efficient. Since I was diagnosed with ADHD and became aware of how much it influences my online shopping habits, I’ll often start the checkout process because I know seeing a total cost with tax and shipping makes it more “real.” In addition, clear shipping times reiterate that I can’t actually have the thing right now. But sometimes, while playing checkout-chicken, there’s one less confirmation than I expect, and I make a purchase I didn’t intend to make. I usually won’t cancel — part of me really did want to hit “buy now” — but I will probably be scared off from browsing that site in the future. We usually try to remove friction from user experiences, but it can help users avoid errors. The lesson? Make sure your checkout process is conventional and expected. If you’ve removed typical steps in the process, make sure that is very clear to your users.  
2. Abandoned cart emails. I know I filled my cart and left; it’s basically a hobby. But I can’t afford to buy everything; it’s nothing personal. Please make these emails opt-out. Many users would prefer to curate emails from favorite companies rather than unsubscribe entirely if given the choice. 

Recommendation: Don’t Hide Prices

There’s a particular marketplace-style retailer that has a very frustrating checkout quirk. Because you can add things from various sellers to a single cart, you can’t immediately see shipping costs. But even when you start the checkout process for a single seller, you don’t even get an item total, much less with added shipping, until the very last page. 

Neurodivergent people often struggle more than the rest of the population with decision-making and impulsivity. Knowing the true cost of something is a vital part of controlling spending. For the benefit of all of your users, don’t obfuscate prices. Make everything clear and obvious, and show totals as soon as technically feasible. 

Scenario Two: “I Deserve It”

Recommendation: Be Judicious With “Treat Yourself” Language

Remember when I said I wouldn’t tell you not to do things that convert? Perhaps use them sparingly in this case. 

Regardless of how our brains work, we all seek out dopamine when we need a boost or want to reward ourselves. And that’s okay; I love a treat-yourself day! But consider the portion of users who struggle with impulse control or executive dysfunction. 

For those whose brains inhibit planning, thinking ahead, and remembering the recent past — ND brains are incredibly adept at forgetting anything outside the current moment — those emails are tough to ignore. So use them judiciously. If your marketing strategy leans too far or too often into not-so-subtle pressures to buy, many will simply unsubscribe rather than fight with their brain every time they open their inbox.

Scenario Three: Time’s Running Out

Only two left! Going fast! Limited edition! As a collector of various things (as many neurodivergent people are, as well as those with compulsive shopping behaviors), I’m well-acquainted with these sorts of warnings and appeals. I have a truly one-of-a-kind Godzilla figure, and you can bet I whipped out my credit card for that. However, similar to the previous section, using these sorts of tactics with too heavy a hand can be harmful to those who struggle to make sound financial decisions and who tend, for better or worse, to live in the moment. 

Recommendation: Clearly Communicate Scarcity and Urgency

1. If something is limited, tell me what that means. Only 10 will ever exist? Or only 10,000? 
2. Avoid frantic stock alerts. Be informative but chill. Instead of “going fast!” which just stresses someone out without providing context, say “2 left in this size.” 
3. Be clear about sales and other limited-time events. Leaving people in the dark is stressful. “This is your absolute last chance to get this deal!” might work, but it’s just not very nice. Communicate the date a deal expires and its conditions. 

Recommendation: Never Create a False Sense of Urgency or Scarcity

This should go without saying, but it is never right or kind to create a sense of urgency or scarcity when there isn’t one. Never tell your customers “only 6 left” if there are boxes full in your warehouse or advertise a “once-in-a-lifetime” discount that is actually the product’s suggested retail price, available year-round.  

Scenario Four: Object Permanence, Or “I Signed Up for What?”

We’re all familiar with the subscription trope of that gym membership you paid diligently for a few years yet only got a solid two months’ value out of. Imagine that, but a week after signing up, you forget you did so, and for all intents and purposes, the gym no longer exists. 

Weak object permanence and working memory are common struggles for neurodivergent people, which means subscriptions are difficult. Luckily, there are things businesses can do to make the process more accessible to those prone to… 

Sorry, I got distracted. 

Recommendation: Be Communicative & Kind With Subscriptions

1. Avoid the auto charge at the end of a free trial. This is one concept that I hope to see catch on, but at the time of this writing, the only time I’ve experienced this kindness was when signing up for services aimed at and/or developed by neurodivergent people. If you have a good product that fills a need, you can lean less on human fallibility. 
2. If you do auto-charge, be very clear from the start, providing as much information as possible. Inform your customer of the exact date and time (or as close as possible) that they’ll be charged at the time of sign-up, then send a reminder a day or two beforehand. That allows someone to set a calendar reminder to cancel their free trial, and assuming that doesn’t work (because much of the time, it won’t), they’ll still get a reminder of the upcoming charge. 
3. With any auto-payment system of subscription, inform the user before every charge. Every charge. And I don’t mean “it’s under your account settings in the app;” I mean by email and/or text (let your customers choose).

The reality is that automatic payments can be a huge blessing for neurodivergent folks prone to forgetting everything and anything. But only if we fully understand what we’re opting in to and are consistently reminded of charges — which also reminds us that your thing exists! That brings me to my last bit of advice regarding subscriptions.

Recommendation: Check In on Subscribers

If you have access to usage data and know someone hasn’t logged in or interacted with something in a long time, reach out to them. Maybe they don’t know how to use it, or maybe they ran into a frustrating bug and forgot to email tech support. You might get some good user feedback, and you’ll definitely earn their appreciation. And yes, this check-in should provide an easy avenue to unsubscribe or turn off auto-payments. No business should rely on people unknowingly paying for something they don’t use. 

These check-ins don’t need to be so direct, either. They can simply be helpful marketing emails just for subscribers. I’m subscribed to a course that sends emails related to the content, so while I often slack off on the course, I never forget that I’m paying for it — unlike the software I just canceled after 2 ½ years of not touching it. At least it was cheaper than a gym membership.