The Brief
Transforming an Online Mama Shop
Imagine rediscovering those colorful gem biscuits or round M&M chocolates from your childhood, now available online! Meet Nineties, your go-to online mama shop for all your favorite old-school snacks and festive treats.
During the COVID lockdowns, the importance of a robust online presence became glaringly clear. However, Nineties faced challenges with its e-commerce store not meeting expectations. Despite attracting a steady flow of visitors, few of them actually completed their purchases.
In face of this, their commitment is to:
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Preserve their brand's cherished “mama shop” charm
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Expand their customer base
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Boost sales
That's where I step in – to give their website a makeover, reviving the nostalgic snacking experience for customers like you.
Understanding Our Customers
What Do They Consider When Shopping for Snacks Online?
Before diving in, let's get a feel for how folks shop for snacks online. What catches their eye before they hit "Buy"? To uncover these insights, I chatted with ten snacks consumers to see what they look for when shopping online. This was one of the main concerns that came up frequently:
Reviews plays a significant role
Since they can't physically examine the products, they rely heavily on reviews to confirm if the items match their expectations from the description and photos.
Picture Chloe, a dedicated mom balancing her career and caring for her two young children. She's vigilant about their health and what they consume, especially knowing how vulnerable they can be to illnesses. With a packed schedule, she opts for online snack shopping in preparation for Chinese New Year. Her secret to selecting the safest and most delicious snacks? Trustworthy online reviews.
Therefore this forms one of my main strategies for helping customers to see through their purchases on the platform.
Solution #1
Implementing a Comprehensive Review System
On the current platform, customers are left in the dark without any reviews or ratings to guide their purchasing decisions.
To improve this, I recommend implementing a customer review and rating system. This empowers customers to share their genuine thoughts on products, adding a layer of trust and reliability for fellow shoppers. By enabling users to sort products based on ratings and filter reviews, we ensure they make informed purchasing decisions that align perfectly with their expectations.
User Feedback
1
Redesign the Process of Products Discovery
With the solutions implemented, I tested them out with five users to garner some feedback.
I noticed that many users skipped over the Snacks Personality Quiz section on the homepage when searching for new products.
Analysis
They tend to gravitate towards the "Shop All" option or the "Bestsellers" for product discovery. Taking a quiz isn’t their go-to method; many still prefer the thrill of browsing through all products to see what piques their interest.
Reiteration
1. To align with users' habits, I reorganized the homepage, showcasing featured snacks and bestsellers above the quiz for easier browsing of available snacks
2. I also added a "Discover" tab in the menu, offering them the choice of taking the personalized quiz or viewing bestsellers.
3. Additionally, a "Shop All" option under the "Food" tab improves navigation.
Solution #2
Introducing a Personalized Quiz
To enhance the experience of discovering new snacks, my proposal includes an engaging Snacks Personality Quiz.
This feature invites customers to take a fun quiz about their snack preferences and tastes. Upon completing the quiz, they'll receive a personalized snack recommendation. The element of surprise makes the experience thrilling, ensuring they discover snacks they'll love while adding an exciting twist to their shopping journey.
Reflection
Prioritizing User Habits in Design
This process taught me the importance of considering user habits in design.
While I hoped that a personalized quiz would spruce up the product discovery journey, many users still preferred their usual method of manually browsing through all products. Recognizing this through testing, I swiftly adapted and made the required tweaks.
Looking ahead, I'm committed to weaving user habits into my designs to create smoother and more enjoyable experiences for everyone involved.
Further Insights
Customers Find Joy in Uncovering New Things
In my interviews, I found out something fascinating: people actually like browsing through e-commerce platforms in their spare time. They enjoy the excitement of discovering new items that really speak to them.
Meet Evan, your everyday office worker. When boredom strikes at work, he often browses his favorite shopping sites, hunting for something new and exciting. Recently, he's grown tired of his usual snack stash and craves a change. But he wants to ensure his next snack choice hits the mark.
This intriguing revelation prompted my next strategy for drawing customers to the site.
2
Include More Suggestions at the End of the Quiz
Some users enjoyed taking the quiz but wanted more options to explore after completing it.
Analysis
Having just one suggested snack after the quiz might be too limiting, as some users may not like the recommendation. Some users enjoy having multiple options to choose from before deciding on their perfect snack.
Reiteration
To address this, I added a link to the bestsellers on the final quiz page, allowing users to explore more options.
Additionally, the product detail page for the recommended snack includes similar product suggestions to keep the discovery process exciting.
Understanding Our Customers
What Do They Consider When Shopping for Snacks Online?
Before diving in, let's get a feel for how folks shop for snacks online. What catches their eye before they hit "Buy"? To uncover these insights, I chatted with ten snacks consumers to see what they look for when shopping online. This was one of the main concerns that came up frequently:
Reviews plays a significant role
Since they can't physically examine the products, they rely heavily on reviews to confirm if the items match their expectations from the description and photos.
Picture Chloe, a dedicated mom balancing her career and caring for her two young children. She's vigilant about their health and what they consume, especially knowing how vulnerable they can be to illnesses. With a packed schedule, she opts for online snack shopping in preparation for Chinese New Year. Her secret to selecting the safest and most delicious snacks? Trustworthy online reviews.
Therefore this forms one of my main strategies for helping customers to see through their purchases on the platform.