Product Experience - Design Refresh & Optimization
Business Objective
The primary goal was to update outdated product templates to enhance the user experience, increase conversion rates, reduce template duplication, improve internal linking, and improve SEO performance. The project aimed to create a more cohesive structure that would guide customers in choosing the best product for them, showcase Consumer Reports’ expertise and value proposition before the paywall, and encourage conversions.
Role: Associate Director Product UX
Organization: Consumer Reports (CR)
Team: Senior UX- Mike Pick, Mike Stermer, Whitney Baumann, Fareeza Baranoski, UXR Lauren Kiesel
Focus: Product redesign to improve user experience, findability, conversion, and SEO.
Improve internal linking to stay within the product experienceBrainstorming Workshop
UX team and Product Team
Picked 5 different Product categories and mapped Jobs to Be Done and Consumer Reports Differentiators
Created 6-Ups to explore opportunities
UX and Product Team Brainstorming Workshop
UXR Study- Qualitative
Unmoderated Interviews/ Usability Walkthroughs
10 non-members, 5 members
Stimuli Refrigerator Product Experience 2023 Non-Member View | Member View
Key Findings
Users found the experience fresh, modern, and supportive in achieving their goals.
Most Loved/Helpful Features
FAQ / Buying Guide
"Find the Best for You" selector process
Most Loved/Helpful Features:FAQ / Buying Guide
Additional Positive Feedback: "Differences between fridge types" cards
Redaction design could be better, Membership CTA messaging doesn’t seem to engage enough.Quantitative Results
6/1/23 - 7/20/23
Refrigerator Product Category Performance:
Refrigerator category visits saw a +22% YOY increase.
Orders participation increased by +17% YOY.
Overview Template:
Positive lifts in traffic and orders post-launch compared to pre-launch daily averages.
SEO traffic to the Overview page increased by +10% post-launch.
Mobile Performance:
Mobile order participation surged by +30% YOY.
Traffic Sources:
Almost all traffic sources increased YOY, with SEO traffic up by +18% YOY.
Content Engagement:
Articles became the top template for visits and orders, contributing 34% of visits and 32% of orders.
The Refrigerator selector tool had an 84% completion rate.
"How We Test" page received ~1K visits, with 601 video views and an 85% video completion rate.
LEFT: Old Product Experience RIGHT: New Product Experience Conclusion
The Product Experience Refresh project successfully met its business objectives by significantly enhancing the user experience, improving conversion rates, and SEO performance. The strategic updates to product templates and the introduction of new features were well-received by users, as reflected in both qualitative feedback and quantitative metrics. This case study demonstrates the value of user-centered design in driving business success.
New Experience has rolled out to some of our more popular categories- Mattresses, Dishwashers, Hybrid EVs, Vacuum Cleaners, TVs, Refridgerators, and more to come.