My role: UX Designer
Duration: July 2023 - January 2024
Team: Kalyn (Design Team Lead), Keri (Marketing Manager)
Tools: Adobe XD, Wordpress, Balsamiq
Project Overview
KDG, based in Allentown, PA, is an IT consulting firm with nearly two decades of experience, providing services ranging from custom development to accounting. Over the years, their business approach has evolved to adapt to changing market dynamics.
Stakeholders recognized the need to improve their online presence and address common pain points, seeking a comprehensive design refresh to increase user engagement.
I was the main designer on this project and collaborated closely with my marketing manager and design manager to execute the redesign, aiming to deliver a solution that aligns with KDG's goals and resonates with their target audience.
Brand Guide
Given the CEO's particular attention to the website's appearance and visuals, we prioritized finalizing the overall look first. This involved creating a comprehensive brand guide and establishing the homepage's general aesthetic. This approach solidified the visual direction, allowing for the design of remaining pages without the need for extensive wireframing, as we could directly reference the initial homepage design.
Empathize
The initial step involved understanding our users through two methods: meetings with sales and marketing and a PageSense review of the current site.
Our sales team has direct communication with clients, offering valuable insights into our audience. This interaction provided a clearer understanding of the priorities in communicating information on our website. I identified two main pain points of new clients when they visited the KDG site:
Misaligned Expectations
Many potential lack a clear understanding of our value proposition, leading to misaligned expectations and wasted time, particularly when pricing is perceived as a barrier.
Lack of Clarity in KDG’s Consulting Mission
Potential clients may not fully grasp KDG's capacity for consulting excellence. KDG’s mission extends beyond providing services; they aim to advance the missions of our clients.
Web Analytics Review
I also examined PageSense, a web analytics tool set on the current KDG site since 2019. By analyzing heatmaps and user session recordings, I identified key areas for improvement.
Limited Engagement with Main Content
Users are bypassing crucial main content sections.
Lack of User Engagement
Half of the users drop off after the initial section, especially when navigating to explore blogs.
High Bounce Rate
The homepage was experiencing an average bounce rate of 60%.
User Personas
After gaining insights into our audience, I developed detailed user personas representing common demographic segments within our target audience.
Small Business Owner
Wants to simplify processes, make data-driven decisions, and get clear guidance from experts. They'll likely take their time deciding and look for proof of success before investing their money in a consulting company.
New Job-Seeker
A young professional who is eager to find a collaborative work environment and aspiring to join a reputable company they can be proud of. Additionally, they prioritize stability, especially in light of recent layoffs.
Marketing Professional
Aiming to enhance company audience growth, they seek a reliable partner like KDG to reinforce their own credibility with their superiors through wise choices in service providers.
Competitor Analysis
My marketing manager and I then conducted a thorough competitive analysis to evaluate the strategies employed by both local and non-local competitors. By analyzing their websites, we identified practices we wish to avoid and opportunities we can leverage to enhance our site.
This process not only provided inspiration for potential improvements but also deepened my understanding of the industry.
Build
Key Changes
After thoroughly understanding and defining our users, it was time to create mockups. I tackled one page at a time, starting with the homepage. Each choice I made was intentional, aligning with project goals. I collaborated closely with the design team lead to ensure my decisions made sense and incorporated her feedback.
Upon completion of each page, they underwent review and approval by the main stakeholder (CEO), and underwent iterations based on feedback.
Key Addition: Homepage Form
This is a form on the homepage that enables first-time visitors to find customized solutions. After filling out their industry and business needs, they receive suggestions for relevant pages.
Key Addition: Transparent Process Flows
On each service page, we illustrate our service engagement process, ensuring clarity for users and setting clear expectations.
Key Addition: Clear Pricing Breakdowns
Since each engagement for a service varies, we found it most effective to categorize pricing based on the type of engagement and provide examples of sample projects for transparency.
Building in WordPress
Once mockups were finalized and approved, we began constructing the website. Using WordPress with the Avada Builder, I created each page, utilizing global elements and reusable components to streamline development and facilitate future website maintenance.
With over 50 pages to build, I managed the project timeline effectively to ensure timely completion for the launch.
For any necessary custom CSS styles, I got help from my design manager. Additionally, our in-house KDG development team handled the creation of custom features like filters.
Website Launch
See the live website here!
After months of UX analysis, website building, and project managing, the site finally launched in late January 2023.
Spreading the Word
To ensure our clients and broader audience were informed, we sent out an email announcement detailing the new website and its features. Additionally, we used our social media platforms to spread the news of the new and improved KDG site.
Post-Launch Monitoring
It doesn't end with the launch! To ensure ongoing success, I implemented Zoho PageSense, a tool for tracking site metrics. I set up heatmaps, established specific goals, conducted funnel analyses, and recorded user sessions to identify areas of improvement.
Additionally, I performed SEO maintenance by using an SEO tool to monitor SEO and remediate errors, such as missing meta descriptions and page speed issues.
Marketing Materials
I lead the design of various marketing materials, ensuring that each visual element enhances KDG's aesthetic appeal. My responsibilities include crafting new whitepapers, social media graphics, slide decks, emails, and meticulously maintaining the brand guide.
Results (so far)
As of the time of writing this case study, the site has been live for four months. While we're still seeing traffic gradually increase, we've made significant improvements in both the average bounce rate and session duration. Additionally, the sales team has reported more 'quality' leads - leads who better understand what KDG offers and are more likely to become clients.
16% improvement in bounce rate
62% improvement in average session duration
Conclusion
This project marked my first major undertaking at KDG, and I am thrilled with the positive feedback received from stakeholders and my team. Throughout the process, I gained invaluable experience in effectively communicating with stakeholders and collaborating with various departments to ensure project success. I encountered some challenges along the way, such as time constraints and design limitations, but it provided valuable lessons in project planning and adaptability that I will apply in the future.
The initial redesign is complete, but the journey continues! As I keep a close eye on the site's performance, I am looking forward to seeing how the website will further evolve and the positive impact it will have on KDG's success.