Website: Review, Recommendations & Redesign
About:
A review, recommendations and redesign to help the client, a mold testing company, create a more user friendly website and increase their own clientele satisfaction and ease.
Design Challenge:
On average, mold is not a everyday topic that a consumers is well versed in. The client is having trouble understanding their audience and conveying relevant information.
Project Goals:
1) Speak to customers to learn about their experience while using the website to find pain points.
2) Personally review the website and make recommendations
3) Redesign website prototype.
Design recommendations below.
Question: What was your personal experience while navigating the website?
Customer A:
"When I visited www.mycometrics.com I was frustrated to say the least. I knew I needed to order a test, but I could not figure out based on the website what the different tests were and which one to order. So, I ended up contacting their support team (who ended up explaining to me very clearly what tests were and which one that I needed). I am baffled why they didn't put the clear explanations into the test descriptions onto their website."
Customer B:
"The ordering process seems to be broken. After a few tries of figuring that out, I ended up calling in and paying over the phone to their accounting department."
Something these customers have in common is frustration caused by the website and resolved by great customer support. Fixing the pain points in the website could lower the number of calls into customer support, and in turn lowering the end cost for the company and increasing customer satisfaction.
Screenshots from the client's website:
Design Recommendations:
"Home" page:
Utilizing this space will decrease the visual congestion on the left side of the page.
Normally, using color to indicate hierarchy is good, but in this case is counterintuitive. The viewer is prompted to read the "why" its important to get this test before they know "what" this company is. Moving it under the "About Us" paragraph will help the flow of the text.
The hierarchy of the menu of pages is unproductive. The classic, "who, what, where, when and why" rule would help to understanding what order would help the customers get from point A to B faster and clearer. For example, the majority of people going to this site are people that want to oder a test, and that is the 6th item down.
There is no indication to what these are individually. Adding a link (on each line) to a page telling more about the individual test and/or a small paragraph saying a general explanation of what the test is for (in simple conversational language), who should be ordering it and how to order it. Perhaps adding a visual icon or color that represents each test aswell.
"News" page:
This information is no longer "new" (this screenshot was taken in Sept 2019). I would suggest changing the page's title to "Learn more".
The "Resources" page and this current page are trying to accomplish very similar tasks and could be combined into one page.
This page should be towards the bottom of the menu. It is for customers that are wanting additional information, but is not necessary in the main general information conveyed.
"Resources" page:
These are good links to have. I would suggest adding a small synopsis of what each link is about would help the viewer decided if which link is relevant for them to click.
"Download" page:
This is the type of information that should be on the main page near the list of Available services.
Not Clear what these forms are for, adding an explanation as to what and why the consumer should fill out these out is crucial.
"BioEZTM LIMS" page:
The everyday user does not know what, "BioEZTM LIMS" is. A small explanation as to what "BioEZTM LIMS" is would help clarify why a user should login.
"Ordering" page:
This page does not convey substantial information about the ordering process. For example, steps on how to place an order or the over all timeline of this process.
A complex way of saying what should be a 2-3 sentences.
It is unnecessary to have this as a separate page.
"Next Step" page (Continued from "Ordering" page):
This list of products is not clear. It does not match with the home or download page's list of products and does not tell the consumer what the difference between them are.
"Support" page:
The title "Support" could imply, "Customer Support" to the everyday consumer, adding the contact us information found on the "Home" page could ease the flow of the site.
Summary:
-
Understanding the importance of the hierarchy of information and the audience they are speaking to it crucial.
-
The order process is unclear and needs to be explicit.
-
Using conversational language can increase comprehension (especially when the topic is not in everyday conversation).
-
Using visuals of humans and house pets would help the customer connect with the topic subconsciously.
​​
By improving upon these pain points the amount of calls into customer service in regards to "level one" type questions should be reduce.
Want to see what I am currently working on?
I am implementing these design recommendations into a new website for the client.
Click to see an in progress website prototype...
These reviews are self initiated.