2019
Role
Product Designer, Visual Designer,
Marketing designer
Tools
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Google Analytics, SimilarWeb,
Google Tag Manager, Html/CSS, Tilda
Methods
Competitors Analysis, User Research, Hi-fi wireframing, Usability testing, User Interviews, Observation, Visual Design, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research
Overview
Kushetka.Shop is a manufacturer and online store specializing in furniture for beauty and health professionals, with a focus on folding couches. We aimed to revamp website to establish a more effective sale channel. The previous site suffered from low conversion rates, complicated navigation, and a cumbersome checkout process.
Business Goals
Business primary objective was to display their wide range of products and increase online sales through website. To measure the success of the new conversion rate and average order value were set as their key performance indicators.
It's important to mention that the client chose not to set up online payment processing on their website. Instead, they preferred to confirm orders via phone or messenger and handle payments through a third-party service provider.
One step checkout process.
Main Problems
After analyzing the existing website, conducting user research, and consulting with stakeholders, we identified the following main problems:
The availability of different product variants and options were not properly shown
Conversion rate for leads was low (from 0.6% to 1.2% depending of traffic source)
Unsatisfactory user experience on mobile and tablet devices.
Website did not disclose the benefits of the company and products
Inconsistent branding
Market research insights
Full market research text
Prior to initiating the design process, I compiled a list of both direct and indirect competitors for my client. The distinction between these categories is based on specific criteria: direct competitors produce and sell similar products, maintain individual websites, and are recognized manufacturers with reputation and reviews. On the other hand, non-direct competitors include sellers on marketplaces who resell similar products, dropshipping sellers, and vendors offering inexpensive, no-name products. After analyzing the usability of direct competitors' websites and going through the entire customer journey, I identified the following shortcomings to consider when creating my client's website: 1. Poor optimization for mobile devices. 2. Outdated visual appearence. 3. Limited opportunities for placing orders—not all competitors had a shopping cart, and the availability of consultation was unclear. Indirect competitors selling on marketplaces had a couple of noticeable features: 1. The marketplaces offered a smooth ordering experience. 2. However, they lacked detailed product descriptions, usually limited to basic text and a table of characteristics. After analyzing competitors' websites with the assistance of SimilarWeb, it became evident that the majority heavily depend on paid traffic from search engines and organic search traffic, while overlooking social network traffic. This presents a significant opportunity for my client. Taking these insights into consideration, the decision was made to distinguish from competitors by providing a more comprehensive product presentation, showcasing detailed advantages, fostering user trust, and ensuring a convenient and predictable ordering process on the website as well as providing great mobile expirience.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Direct Competitor Shortcomings: Identified issues such as poor mobile optimization, outdated visual appearance, and limited order placement options among direct competitors.
Indirect Competitor Features: Highlighted the smooth ordering experience on marketplaces but noted the lack of detailed product descriptions.
Traffic Analysis: According to SimilarWeb data I found that competitors heavily rely on search engine and organic traffic, leaving an untapped opportunity for social network traffic.
Strategic Decision: Chose to stand out by offering a comprehensive product presentation, detailed advantages, building user trust, and ensuring a convenient ordering process, with a focus on an excellent mobile experience.
User research insights
User Research goals and methods
My primary goal was to identify what aspects of the couches were most crucial to users and prioritize this information in the website information architecture. To gather user insights, I employed various methods. This involved conducting user interviews, consulting with the business owner, and compiling comments and reviews from Google Maps, Facebook, and Instagram related to direct competitors. Furthermore, upon analyzing product sales, it was evident that the audience comprises a 60/40 ratio of men to women, with purchases made for both professional work (75%) and personal use (25%). Also I get insight from business owner that approx. 65% of order consist of 1 item. Additionally, the business owner's analysis factored in the main professions of the clients, noting a descending order of massage therapists, cosmetologists, hair removal specialists, and eyebrow specialists. In the end of research I went with this conclusions. I place them in order from most important to less important:
Drivers
Light weight and transportability of the product
Affordable pricing.
Ability to choose color
Easy to unfold
Weight Supported
Durability and warranty
Barriers
The height or width of the product will not be convenient
Unstable construction
Uncomfortable for prolonged sessions.
With these insights in mind, I structured the page and information to effectively highlight the benefits of the couches, aligning them with these crucial drivers.
Defining website concept
Full concept text
After analyzing and identifying the main client categories, we decided to create separate sections for specific specialists (e.g., massage specialists), highlighting the unique benefits they receive from our couches. This approach enables personalized advertising and guides users of different professions to pages tailored to their specific needs, complemented by specialized visuals. I also incorporated interactive elements to accentuate the key benefits of the manufacturer's products and the company as a whole. The information architecture of the product pages was crafted for a swift presentation of essential product information and benefits, aimed at influencing purchase decisions. Given the absence of a style guide or brand book, I drew my primary visual inspiration from the client's chameleon logo, a well-known symbol in the market representing a diverse range of product colors the manufacturer offers. With this in mind, I integrated jungle elements and patterns into the design, intending to use them in future design materials. The client approved, and we proceeded.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Create specialized sections for different professional categories.
Incorporate interactive elements to highlight key benefits.
Optimize product pages for efficient information presentation.
Focus on influencing purchase decisions through rational information delivery.
Draw design inspiration from the client's chameleon logo.
Pages structures examples
Main page Hero section
In the hero section of the main page, I consolidated all the key benefits of the client's flagship product. Additionally, I introduced an interactive element for a wow effect—an engaging GIF showcasing the unfolding process of the couch.
1
Determining the starting price and revealing the meaning of a personalized approach in production
2
Buttons block from where user can instantly proceed to catalogue or trigger a video-review of the couches
3
Main bullet points block. This block of discloses the main benefits of the product
4
GIF with unfolding coach.
Product page
1
Title and color picker
2
In the buttons block, I prioritize placing the [BUY NOW] button first. This decision is based on research that suggests new clients are often eager to purchase a single item.
3
Main benefits of couches
Product page
In this section, the main benefits are described in a more detailed manner.
1
Benefit №1. Important numbers highlighted
2
Benefit №2. Important numbers highlighted
Results
Following the strategic implementation of insights we get during research stages the perfomance of website appears to be satisfactory.
User interviews and observations via Hotjar indicate that the updated online shop is user-friendly, making navigation and purchases straightforward.
In the initial months after launching the new website, Google Analytics metrics demonstrate a significant increase in the conversion rate.
Conversion rate grew by 65%
A responsible website was created with easy navigation and a user-friendly structure
My future contribution in project
The continued enhancement of the website was based on metrics, ongoing feedback from the sales department, and insights gathered from Hotjar. Simultaneously, I consistently monitor product metrics through Google Analytics.
Beyond website development, my involvement extended to active participation in marketing activities. This included the creation of numerous static and video banners for advertising campaigns.
Also I collaborated with developers to address various requirements for future development.
Additionally, I collaborated with Google PPC specialists to gather their feedback on the website's performance from their perspective and provided them with the necessary marketing materials for successful advertising campaigns and participate in creation and validation of marketing hypothesis.
