When we think about friction in customer journeys, the instinct is often to remove it everywhere. But not all friction is created equal. Some blocks destroy experiences, others simply distract, and some are actually necessary to build trust and protect customers.
After 50 episodes of The Frictionless Experience, we’ve found it helpful to think about friction in three categories: stopping friction, distracting friction, and purposeful friction. Each plays a different role in shaping how customers interact with your brand.
Definition: Stopping friction is any barrier that prevents customers from moving forward at all.
Think of a broken checkout button, an error message with no explanation, or a payment form that refuses to accept the right credit card number. These are absolute dead ends.
Stopping friction is the most dangerous kind because it directly drives abandonment. A Forrester study once showed that 88% of online consumers who encounter a bad user experience are less likely to return. A single roadblock can undo months of acquisition spend and brand-building.
Examples of stopping friction:
Nakul Goyal of CARFAX emphasizes how critical functionality breakdowns in early product rollouts can paralyze customer trust—not only delaying adoption but eroding confidence entirely. These are the kinds of stops that kill momentum fast.
Takeaway: Stopping friction must be eliminated immediately. Customers rarely forgive experiences that block them from completing their goal.
Definition: Distracting friction doesn’t stop customers, but it slows them down, confuses them, or makes the journey less enjoyable.
This is the extra noise—features, pop-ups, or irrelevant steps—that creates drag. Customers may still convert, but the experience feels messy, and satisfaction (and loyalty) drops.
One guest on the podcast recalled a brand that added a music player to their website simply to increase “time on page.” The result? Higher hosting costs, slower load speeds, and more frustrated customers—without a single dollar of incremental revenue.
Examples of distracting friction:
Michael Hinshaw lays out how clutter—pop-ups, extraneous CTAs, or aggressive promotions—distract users from the main task. Every extra click can dilute clarity and dilute satisfaction.
Takeaway: Distracting friction is sneaky because it often comes from well-meaning teams who want to add features or metrics. But less is usually more. Simplify wherever possible.
Definition: Purposeful friction is intentional. It’s when you deliberately slow the customer down to create trust, prevent mistakes, or drive value.
In financial services, for example, instant transactions sometimes scare users. They worry something isn’t secure. Adding a confirmation screen or an extra authentication step reassures them. Similarly, requiring a password reset through multiple steps can protect against fraud, even if it feels slower.
Purposeful friction also has a role in commerce. Dunkin’ Donuts once experimented with auto-placing drive-thru orders. Customers could accept their “usual” with a single tap. It sounded convenient, but it cut out the chance for add-on sales like snacks or drinks. The brand eventually removed the feature to preserve upsell opportunities.
Examples of purposeful friction:
Bobbi Jo Allan unpacks situations where temporarily slowing a digital experience—a step like loan verification or identity confirmation—boosts user confidence and reduces risky behavior. It’s not about speed; it’s about assurance.
Takeaway: Purposeful friction builds trust, protects revenue, and can even create value. The key is to add it sparingly and explain why it exists.
The lesson is not to chase a mythical state of “zero friction.” Instead, aim for the right balance:
Brands that understand these three types of friction are better equipped to design experiences that are not only seamless but also safe, profitable, and trustworthy.