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Home
Case Studies
Why Adding Friction Improved Built for Mars' Conversion Rate by 25%
BFM+Exclusive

Why Adding Friction Improved Built for Mars' Conversion Rate by 25%

8 mins
about Built for Mars
Bfmyellow
  • Case study
Skills you'll build
  • The two "obvious" fixes that did nothing

  • Why you shouldn't always force an input

  • Why limiting the user's choices can be beneficial

Typically, designers want to remove as much friction as possible.

In plenty of case studies, I've counted clicks as a proxy for effort.

So if people are abandoning your sign-up flow, you should make it shorter, right?

Well, I added friction to mine, and conversions went up by around 25%.

Even more interestingly, the two "obvious" fixes that I attempted at first, did nothing.

Here's a behind-the-scenes look. Warts and all.

Case study

Profile photo. A circular headshot of a smiling young man with short tousled hair and round glasses, suitable as an author avatar or user profile picture. No interface elements are shown.

Written by Peter Ramsey

Consultant to 100+ companies

Part of:
Purchases & Subscriptions
Published: 30/06/2026
Last edited: 05/10/2026

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