PROJECT Goals

The goals of the project were to increase registration and conversion, and improve the number of deals made through the site.

HYPOTHESIS

In our initial testing, we found that users really liked the information provided by the site, and thought the service (once they understood it) would be helpful.

RESEARCH

ANALYSIS

We reviewed competitors websites to have a better understanding of how those sites communicated with users.

Brand Map 

 CarLingo aims to be helpful straightforward and easy to use, and with the reputation as a trustworthy source of up-to-date information. When reviewing the current website, we determined which areas could be improved to communicate the brand goals better.

WHAT USERS ARE SAYING

In our initial testing, some users were confused about what service was being offered.

Exit analysis

Using Google Analytics, we looked at where users were spending time on the site and where they were exiting the site. This information helped us to determine where the sign in options might be better placed to reach users prior to their exit.

Original Site Map

We also looked closely at the navigation of the site to determine if improvements could be made. The original site actually consisted of two sites that each had its own purpose. The main part of the site used for searching for cars and saving deals was one section, and the information about the company and the helpful resources were another section. They were similar, but not exactly the same, and this contributed to the confusion for users. It also wasn't as easy as it could be to get to the resource information, so we wanted to provide easier access to that section.

trends and best practices

 We researched trends and best practices to help with our design, particularly for call-to-action buttons, chat features and sign-in options.

SURVEY RESULTS

Our user research and interviews consisted of surveys, both in person and online, and testing of various design ideas in person.

PERSONAS

Based on our user surveys and interviews, we came up with three personas for typical car buyers, and the types of people that would find CarLingo's services useful – the seasoned buyer, the planner, and the urgent buyer. Our task flows and prototype were based on the urgent buyer profile.

USER JOURNEY

The urgent buyer's journey begins because of a car accident, and she will need to purchase a car quickly.

OPPORTUNITY MAP

Based on the urgent buyer’s journey, we developed an opportunity map of tasks the user would complete, how they would interact with CarLingo and what opportunities we had to improve those interactions.

NEW SITE MAP

The new site map incorporates all of the requirements in a way that provides easier access to the different parts our users might need.

annotated wireframes

Using Axure, we built wireframes for all pages that required changes, and provided annotations on all suggested changes for the client.

testing notes

Extensive testing of the prototype helped us streamline the process and work out where to add opportunities to register, and to make sure we were correctly communicating the value of the services provided.

what happens next?

Our testing also showed  that there were more opportunities to communicate how the process worked once the buyer had saved a car or deal online, and how they would move forward to actual purchase. We included notes and recommendations for these improvements in our wireframes, also.

Prototype

A clickable prototype is available here.
http://only49.axshare.com

Tools Used

Axure, PhotoShop, Sketch

next steps

Our recommendations for moving forward with improvements were provided in a presentation to the stakeholder, and a full research document that included the wireframes, prototype and testing notes. The experience of working with CarLingo was rewarding and we are looking forward to updates on changes incorporated and analytics showing the results of those changes.