Overview
Proj Name: Scumco & Sons Site Migration
Platform Mobile and Web Browser
Key Performance Metric: Conversion Rate, Site Traffic
Methodology: User Interviews, Hueristic Evaluation
Role: UX/UI Design
In early 2020, Nick S. of Scumco and Sons expressed interest in improving the performance of their sites during migration to Shopify. Scumco and Sons are based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is well known in the skateboarding community. Though their products can be found in skate shops internationally, Nick found their online presence to be lackluster. By developing a more user-friendly website, Nick aimed to establish Scumco and Son’s global online presence.
Scumco & Sons
The Problem
Nick had mentioned frequent correspondence from potential customers about the availability of certain products that were no longer available, and users drop off from the home page before making it to the online store.
It was at this point I developed user personas to better understand this and other pain points users were experiencing.
Heuristic Evaluation
I decided to first conduct a heuristic evaluation of the site. This paired with user feedback Nick had received would add some clarity to the problems of the current page and how they could be solved in the migration to a new platform. The evaluation agreed with many of the points Nick had brought up in our previous meeting.
At this point, I developed user personas to better understand the pain points users were experiencing.
The User
Through research and workshops with the Stakeholders I was able to generate three user personas we would refer to throughout the development process of the new site.
The first users would be followers of Scum Co & Sons videos and content either through social media, the skateboarding community or through media published on platforms like "Thrasher Magazine". They would be familiar with the brand and looking to provide support through viewing the website or making purchases online.
Persona two may or may not be in the skateboarding community but are aware of the retail items Scum Co sells. This would bring them to the website in search of purchasing more of their clothing.
The third persona is likely a parent or friend who is looking for a gift for someone who skateboards. While they themselves may not identify with the skateboarding community they are shopping for someone who is.
User Journey
After conducting user interviews and research I was able to confirm the page organization and abundance of content was creating pain points for those looking to make a purchase.
I also generated a user journey to better illustrate a typical experience on the website.
After conducting user interviews, I was able to confirm the page organization and abundance of content was creating pain points for those looking to make a purchase.
Solution
I mapped out the web page’s architecture and noticed many pages could be consolidated and more clearly labeled. A large portion of the pages including the homepage was being used for image galleries of archived products that were no longer available. I consolidated the archived product image galleries from three pages to one, which would feature the most recent media. Additionally, I removed the homepage directing users directly to the shop, shortening the user flow to check out. By consolidating the media pages to only feature updated media and applying a shorter user flow to the site, the user should convert at a higher rate.
I also focused on the labeling of the pages in the navigation bar. By consolidating the pages of archived products to one page and titling it "Archive" it would clearly communicate the products are not currently available.
Results
The site was launched on Jan 29, 2020 and had a great reception. For the purpose of evaluating the user experience, I compared the KPI from February 2020 with February 2019.
Compared to the same months in 2019, the site saw traffic more than double with 649 visitors to the site. The improvements to the user experience also resulted in an increased conversion rate of .70%. Nick was very satisfied with the performance of the new site and the increased user base.
In the event that my services are needed to continue improving the client’s site, I would further develop site traffic from backlinks to raise further awareness about Scumco & Sons in the skateboard community. The alterations I was able to execute garnered great results and I look forward to further developing the user experience for skate companies and their patrons.
