What is friction in marketing?
Friction is anything that slows down, confuses, or discourages a person from completing an action, such as a long form, a slow page, an unclear button, or an unexpected cost. Reducing friction makes it easier for visitors to convert.
Last reviewed .
Common sources of friction
Friction can be about effort, like long forms or forced account creation. It can also be about clarity, such as vague wording, or about trust, like missing contact details or surprise fees.
Technical problems count too: slow loading, broken layouts on mobile, and error messages that don't explain what went wrong.
How to find friction
Session recordings, heatmaps, and funnel reports show where people hesitate or leave. Usability testing and customer feedback explain why.
Not all friction is bad
Some friction helps. Asking qualifying questions can filter out poor-fit leads, and a confirmation step can prevent costly mistakes. Remove friction that blocks good prospects, and keep friction that protects quality.
Common questions
What are examples of friction on a website?
Examples include long forms, required account creation, slow pages, confusing navigation, hidden pricing, and checkout steps that ask for too much.
How do you reduce friction?
Cut unnecessary steps and fields, make the next action obvious, speed up the page, and answer common questions where people need them. Test each change to confirm it helped.
Is friction the same as a bad user experience?
Friction is one part of user experience. A site can look good and still have friction at specific steps, such as the form or checkout.
How do you measure friction?
There's no single metric. Look at drop-off between funnel steps, form abandonment, exit rates, and time spent, then confirm with recordings or user testing.
Want help putting this to work?
Tell us where your marketing stands today, and we'll show you what to do first.