ebook download - automatic download or button to download on confirmation page?

Question

I have a site at work that is offering a free ebook download after submitting a form. Right now the process is as follows:

1. Click the “download this ebook” button that takes you to the ebook description page.
2. Here, you get to a form to submit your email.
3. That directs you to a “thank you” page, where you can click the (real) download button and the download begins.

This seems like an excessive amount of clicks and I'm looking for a better solution if there is one. Would it be better to start the download automatically upon submission of the form, or is it okay to leave the button on the confirmation page? It's not an option to have the ebook ungated, but I want the process to be as user friendly as possible. There would be a fallback option to manually download the eBook on the confirmation page (for js-disabled browsers and whatnot), and there is also a link to the ebook on the email sent to the user

I personally would expect the download to start when I submit the form instead of having to click another button on another page, but I wanted to get some feedback on how to handle this. If this has already been answered please point me there! I couldn't find anything.

Thanks everyone!

Answer 1

It all depends on the context, and moreover, content accompanying your process. To create a user experience that works, take the following into account.

When a user clicks a button labeled 'download this ebook' they expect a download to start.

The same goes for the context surrounding the email form. You are best to introduce the user into why they are entering their email (in this case to download the ebook). Make sure you explain the benefits and serve the user what they expect

I would advice against using a seperate confirmation page if possible, as this tends to remove users from your site's experience. Especially when a simple thank you message can suffice.