Michael Geovanni Design
The Opportunity
but often require assistance in design and enhancing customer experience. I aimed to address this challenge by understanding the behaviors of local, small-business, online customers and implementing improvements within a two-week sprint to benefit both the customers and the business, The Backyard Bird Feeder.
Many small businesses rely on third-party platforms for e-commerce,
“The early bird gets the worm, but the late bird doesn’t even get the late worm.” - Charles M. Shultz, American Cartoonist
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Gathering Research
Research began by interviewing users of small business, e-commerce sites. I needed to learn their behaviors and habits. After the interview, I created an affinity map of all the gathered information. Some patterns and key insights began to take flight.
100%
- users interviewed return to the same website to repurchase the same products
- users want a quick experience from finding item through checkout
- users will return if the website is easy to navigate
Like a Duck to Water
Building a Persona
With the key insights feathering my nest, Robyn was created to better understand the target audience of the Backyard Bird Feeder.
Robyn
Goals
- supporting businesses in her community
- easily find what she’s looking for online
Frustrations
- wasting time looking for items she buys regularly
- purchasing from larger chain stores because their websites are easier to use
Needs
- easy to navigate website
- quick reordering of frequently bought items
- fast search through checkout process
Vice-President of HOA
Retired
“I shop at small businesses because I like supporting my community.”
Problem Statement
Robyn would like to support small businesses, but finds their websites more challenging to navigate compared to larger, national online chains.
How Might We...
- Provide quicker access to frequently purchased items?
- Minimize time from search to checkout?
- Make the online shopping experience less stressful and more convenient.
Fight or Flight?
A Competitive Market Analysis
To understand the viability of a DIY app extension for the Home Depot, first, I had to look at some direct and indirect competitors.
Backyard Bird Feeder
Visable Search Bar
That Pet Place
Chewy
Petco
Quick Reorder
Cart Quick View
Easily Found Phone Number
A segment of competitive analysis that addresses Robyn's desire for quick reordering of commonly purchased items.
Taking Flight
A Retrospective Journey Map
In order to understand the pain points of the current website, I needed a journey map of how a current user might feel navigating backyardbirdfeeder.com. But first, I had to examine the current website.
- No website navigation
- All inventory lives under one tab
- No clear way to re-order
- No visible contact information
Key Observations
The current website homepage as of 6/1/2023
Scenario: Finding a product, adding it to cart, and checking out
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A journey map of user's interactions with current website
It's for the Birds
Updating a complicated user flow
To better address Robyn's needs, the flow of the website had to be simplified.
The current website user flow
A proposed website user flow
To follow-up on the idea of quick reordering, I looked at some top online stores. Amazon.com and Nike.com both use a repurchase button... but how could I use this as inspiration for Robyn and the Backyard Bird Feeder?
A Little Bird Told Me
Usability Testing and Improvements
Usability tests were conducted to make sure Robyn's needs were being met.
Updates
- Added "My Order History" button
- Added inventory categories to homepage through a card sort
- Kept font and icons minimal
Usability Testing Takeaways
Would users intuitively click on "My Order History" button for reordering?
- minimal design didn't convey button
- placement next to search was confusing
First Lo-Fi Prototype Redesign
Usability Testing Redesign
This version tested with no errors
- made "My Order History" look like a button
- placed button next to other clickable icons
Lo-Fi Prototype Redesign after testing
Not a Swan Song
Current Prototype Rendering
Current hi-fi prototype addresses Robyn's needs of quick reordering, easily found products through categories on homepage, and a quick checkout process.
Current hi-fi prototype
Like a Bird on the Wing
Next Steps
To support small businesses relying on third-party e-commerce platforms, I studied the online customer behaviors in local small-business communities. In two-weeks, I implemented targeted improvements for enhanced customer experience by addressing the needs of fast reordering, easy to navigate site, and quicker user experience.
Some follow-up tasks include:
- Conduct further research to help create more personas and user flows
- Create an "About Us" or "Our Story" section
- Look into a mobile version