Product Experience Refresh

Consumer Reports

BUSINESS OBJECTIVE

The primary goal was to update outdated product templates to enhance user experience, increase conversion rates, reduce templates and duplication, improve internal linking, and improve SEO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, showcasing Consumer Reports expertise and value proposition before the paywall, thus encouraging conversions.

Role: Associate UX Director

Team: Senior UX- Mike Pick, Mike Stermer, and Whitney Baumann, UXR Lauren Kiesel

Improve internal linking to stay within the product experience

BRAINSTORMING 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

  • Pros and Cons sections.

  • "Complete Your Kitchen" feature.

  • "How We Test" content.

  • Best Icons, Energy Guide, Repair/Replace guidance.

Additional Positive Feedback: "Differences between fridge types" cards

Feedback for improvement

  • Redaction design could be better, though “progressive disclosure” of info makes sense.

  • Membership CTA messaging doesn’t seem to engage enough.

  • The hero banner may be a bit too much.

Redaction design could be better, Membership CTA messaging doesn’t seem to engage enough.

QUANTITIVE 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.

Previous
Previous

Design Systems