UX Research Report – Kelley Howell, UX Research Manager

LEAD CONVERSIONSIT’S ALL IN THE DETAIL PAGE

Introductory remarks Part of “Understanding Search

Experience” series Explore a portion of search experience What, how, and why users do what they

do Use quantitative and qualitative data

Goal for part 1 and part 2What Questions Close analysis of user patterns on detail page

What is our baseline understanding of how people use the page?

What do people do?

Why Questions Existing research Known cognitive abilities & limitations shape search behavior

Specific goals, needs, desires, values

All in the detail(s page) What’s our ultimate goal for our site? Marketplace: we drive consumer leads to

customers Do this by driving consumers to detail

page Do we have other goals? Important to keep in our goals in mind,

even while we study our users and their goals

What users do

Summary: A look of high level lead rates Focus on submitted leads and

engagement

Submitted Leads

Lead Rate - Last Month

Portal

Redacted

mDot

Redacted

Year over Year Lead Rate Redacted

mDot Lead Rate Redacted

FS Lead Rate – Last MonthPortal mDot

redacted

redacted

For Sale – Lead Rate Redacted

For Sale mDot- Lead rate Redacted

The following slides redacted: Avg Lead Rate Per Profile Type Average Rental Page Lead rate

May not be leads, but are indicators of user engagement and activity

Engagement

The following metrics were redacted:

The following slides redacted: Bounce rate, major pages Average Time on Page Avg Mortgage Calculator Usage Rate Sharing Links Avg Rate – Detail Page Sticky Header – Averaged Rates MyAccount Signups – portal and mobile -

Avg Rate

Redacted Top takeaways

Research lit – a backgrounder (and caveat)

Patterns of user behavior – a demo Describing and explaining user

behavior

Part 2:

Existing research Ground in existing body of research on how people search

Historically, tended to ignore behavior on content page

Seen as less important than search mechanics

Saw decision-making at detail page level as rational

Result? Viewed web as a place for brochures Or, likened them to department or

specialty stores Static flow diagrams to conceive of

search process Didn’t see content as place to influence

conversions

Mad men hangover Lackluster interest in detail page experience due to the stick-drive-convert model

Stick: build brand awarenessDrive: drive consumers to retailerConvert: cross fingers and hope customer chooses

Upshot of the hangover Tended to ignore development of an online equivalent to merchandising

Hangover: Home as hub approach Home as central hub

Categorize activities and departments to create secondary hubs

Design home page to drive consumers to those pages

Remedy: content-out approach Valuable content = core

Figure out where people are coming from

Use links along that path to get people to the content

Detail page: http://goo.gl/i41MQg

117 elements

Content Inventory: Item Page Region Business Need User Need Functionality Module Global or Local Nav

eCommerce & conversion optimization Growth of ecommerce sites End of internet-as-talking-dog era Rise of UX-as-differentiator Stick-drive-convert model in decline

Growing body of research on how to influence consumer behavior

Marketplace apps (web and phone) Marketplace – creates a platform for bringing buyers and sellers together

Search behavior can be different on marketplace sites than it is on eCommerce

eCommerce lessons don’t always translate

BUT! - still useful Avg cart abandonment rate: 65.23%

Avg conversion rate: 2.13%

The higher the average order value (AOV), lower the product page effectiveness rate

AOV < $50, effectiveness rate is 25%.

AOV > $2000, effectiveness rate is 4-5%

Remember: content is king Detail page is a type of content page Tended to think of detail page more like a

section in a department store In a marketplace, we don’t have control

over content Tended to think of content as reading

material By reconsidering them as content pages,

freer to consider design patterns in new ways

Understand what they are doing better and figuring out why they are doing it

User research

Summary of user research, 1 Follow all a similar pattern when first using

homes.com: verifying validity of results is primary goal

When familiar with the site, they don’t worry about verifying validity. They trust the site already.

Are annoyed by lead form CTAs (verbally); behaviorally, they use them

New users: Appear to use F pattern for quick skimming

Once engaged, use Z pattern for analyzing They do not see the string of data at the top of a

listing – price, beds, bath See photos, but expect more scannable information

on initial view

Summary of user research, 2 Homes.com is generic name; users suspicious that

it might not yield valid results (want information scent they can trust)

Users notice local agents, see as positive sign Users want to know about the area to which

they’re moving Users don’t notice map search when asked to

search in a specific area Users are sometimes confused by the contact

forms- lack of verbiage (contact)- Sometimes confused about variety of contact forms- Expect to see it lower on the page

How do we understand the user’s behavior?

Put user research in context

Search basics – a review Users Not just new to

domain and technology in general

New to our site

Verify, then trust – search results How our users behave1. Perform search2. Search results: skim and seek information

scent (e.g., search terms, pictures, etc.)3. Relevancy threshold – when results seem

valid and worth investigating further4. Back to top5. Begin second skim

Verify, then trust – detail page A neophyte to our search will continue a

verification process, Is verifying that it’s worth investigating

detail pages Repeats a similar process to SRP

verification Scans for information scent to know if on

right track

Verify, then trust – detail page (cont’d)1. Quick up and down scan of 1 or more

page2. Verifying information scent on detail

page3. If scent is still relevant, will either go

back to beginning of SRP to search in earnest OR remain on detail, go back to top and reexamine page.

Information scent trumps accuracy Users always look for clues to see if they’re

on right track Too few or too many results aren’t an

obstacle Number of clicks isn’t a problem People stop searching when information

scent is weak Blocker: strong scent that isn’t verified

(distrusts results)

Thrill of the search?“Search results don’t have to bring you to the final page. They have to bring you to the page with even better information.” – Jared Spool

For many users, this sense of getting closer and closer, more and more information, can produce a thrill of anticipation that is, in and of itself, rewarding.

Patterns of lookingGuttenberg DiagramF pattern Z pattern Zig zag Z patternGolden Triangle

Gutenberg Diagram: How people scan text heavy blocks Belief that designs

that work with this pattern can leverage natural reading “gravity” patterns

F pattern

F patternJakob Nielsen:“Eyetracking visualizations show that users often read Web pages in an F-shaped pattern: two horizontal stripes followed by a vertical stripe.”

People don’t’ read every word First two paragraphs get most attention Scan first few words of first 2 paragraphs, then drop off

ExamplesLA Times - http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-na-congress-immigration-hearing-20141202-story.htmlTime.com -http://time.com/3613795/detroit-hit-by-massive-power-outage/

Z Pattern

Z Pattern People use it on less reading heavy text Point #1 (launch point - branding) Point #2: scans through to way point

landing Center: fallow Point #3: fallow waypoint Point #4: eye comes to rest

Examples

Zig Zag: Z pattern variation

Conclusion

In sum…1. Detail pages are content pages2. Design from content out 3. There are well-known patterns people

use to search and engage with results, including content pages

4. So far, our consumers tend to behave as expected

5. Feedback from user testing – worth investigating

Strategies for addressing user search patterns on our content (detail) page

Next up

To help users validate results: Leave information scent: trigger words,

images Create information hierarchy of most

important trigger words

F pattern solutions Tends to be used on content heavy sites User scans in vertical line DOWN left side

of page Looks for key words and points of interest Gravitates to images and first few words

of first two paragraphs When they find something interesting,

they read horizontally

Optimizing F pattern scanning Work with the F pattern Force user to stop and slow down –

come technique in rhetorical writing Use eyecatching deign -- a break that

forces people out of the pattern of looking

Provide visually interesting elements that can people people scanning toward engagement

Best Practices1.Background: separate background to

keep the user's sight within your framework

2.Point #1: prime location for important content, especially for branding.

3.Point #2: Place next attention grabbing CTA

4.Center of page: slideshow, video, large image. Use to break up top and bottom sections

Best Practices1.Point #3: optimize this line with

thumbnails, icons, trail to lead people to final CTA

2.Point #4: Primary CTA because it’s where user’s eye comes to rest

3. Z pattern can be repeated across page4. Can extend the Z Pattern throughout the

Z PatternGood for simple designHelps organize key elementsUsed for good storytelling, to follow path of Z

Working with Z pattern content  Complex content that needs to be read

won’t help people skim the information better

Z pattern can bring order and make it easier to skim over information displayed in chunks.

Z Pattern Examples

What’s next? Once user is on the page and we’ve

optimized for F or Z pattern scanning, what’s next?

We have a lot of information, how do we keep user interested with next level of information scent?

How do we know what they are looking for?

How do we organize the information optimally?

Balance general and narrow interests of all users?

Click icon to add picture

For more research-based insights about Redacted users, check out the UX insights portal: http://insights.redacted.com

Thoughts? Questions?