Identify Opportunities to Enhance Website Conversion Rates
UX Research
Duration
4 weeks
Role
User Research & Design
Collaboration
Strategy Lead Yaeji Kim
User Research & Design Sejin Hwang
Development & Data Joanne Kim
Marketing Jun Hwan
Yatsy experienced increased website traffic after rebranding, but conversion rates, especially the purchases remained flat.
To address this issue, we conducted unmoderated usability testing with five participants to understand how customers currently interact with the website and identify key areas for improvement in the redesign.
The results showed that users struggled to navigate the homepage to view multiple products. Additionally, the current product representation misaligned with customer expectations, resulting in missed conversion opportunities.
Recommendations included unifying brand identity in website design, ease homepage navigation, enhancing product shots to better capture and retain customer interest.
Project Background
To understand this gap and seek the research needs,
I reviewed Web Analytics and conducted UX Audit.
Web Analytics Findings
User acquisition data shows 73% of customers access the website using mobile device and 63.5% of customers enter from mobile-focused social media. This highlights the need to prioritize mobile optimization.
*Numbers and specific details have been fictionalized due to confidentiality.
On average, 70% of customers leave the website from the homepage, with 30% of those remaining dropping off at the collection pages. Only few customers remain until the product detail page and checkout. Out of different traffic data, homepage had the largest drop-off rate so it was crucial to review the homepage experience of customers.
UX Audit Findings
Research Planning
With primary data, I ran a discovery session with stakeholders to define the project needs.
Goal
Identify user behaviors and pain points in the mobile purchasing journey, focusing on homepage engagement, navigation, and checkout flow to enhance conversions.
Questions
1. What are the main reasons users drop off from the homepage?
2. How do users navigate from homepage to checkout?
3. How do users think about clarity and ease of the purchasing process on mobile?
4. What factors influence users to continue browsing and proceed to checkout?
User Research
Usability Testing
The main focus of the testing is to observe and analyze how real users navigate the mobile website while purchasing socks, identifying usability barriers, friction points, and areas for improvement.
Approach
1:1 unmoderated usability testing with 5 participants under target customer profile (45 mins). Evaluation and Interview followed.
Tasks
- Browse brand’s social media and move to brand homepage and browse again
- Start on the homepage and find a pair that fits your needs.
-
Review the product page and decide whether you want to buy it.
-
Add the socks to your cart and proceed to checkout. Complete the checkout process.
- Complete the system usability scale.
KPIs
- Task Success Rate
-
User Error Rate
- System Usability Scale
Virtual Usability Testing Session
SUS Evaluation on Interactive Board
Findings
Data was analyzed through affinity diagram.
Inconsistent Brand Identity Across Social Media and Website
Customers love the soft, girly, and playful aesthetic on Instagram, which sets an expectation for the brand. However, the website’s stark and modern look feels disconnected, creating a mismatch that reduces brand trust and weakens identity. “It’s kind of like different brands…” (P3)
Opportunity: Redesigning the website’s visual language, tone and product presentation to reflect Instagram’s playful identity can increase customer engagement.
Homepage Layout Limits Product Discovery
Users struggle to view multiple products at once because of the homepage layout, which displays items only by collection without a clear “View All” option. This forces users to take extra steps to browse, creating friction that increases bounce rates and reduces the likelihood of discovering more products. “The product images are too small, and I have to scroll sideways. I’d prefer to see everything on one page.” (P1)
Opportunity: Introduce a “View All Products” option for easier navigation and increase image size & grid layout for a clearer display of multiple products. This can increase browsing time, add-to-cart rates, and overall sales potential.
Homepage layout: two divisions
Lack of Styling Inspiration Reduces Purchase Intent
Customers rely on visual storytelling to imagine how products fit into their lifestyle, but the website does not provide model shots showing socks paired with outfits. Without this context, customers struggle to visualize the product in everyday wear, reducing purchase confidence. “I really liked the creator’s comment suggesting shoes to match with socks, but I want to see photos as well.” (P3)
Opportunity: Adding model shots showing sock + shoe + outfit pairings can enhance desirability and drive stronger purchase intent from customers.
Key Design Improvements
Homepage:
Improved Navigation & Brand Consistency
The new homepage eased the product discovery experience with a CTA button that allows users to view all products at once and filter options, eliminating the need to navigate between collections. To ensure brand consistency, the website’s color scheme and imagery now align with brand’s popular social media presence, creating a seamless experience from social media to the website.
Redesigned Homepage
Previous model shots
Lookbook: Enhancing Product Engagement
Previously, product shots focused only on socks, leaving customers uninterested as they were similar to photos shown on social media. The redesigned Lookbook includes full-body model shots with suggested outfits, helping customers visualize styling options, stay engaged longer, and increase purchase likelihood.
New Lookbook