Case Studies
Using Focus Groups to Build a Site that Works
THE CLIENT
Crowne Atlantic Properties, LLC understands the importance of an attractive business. As one of Central Florida?s premier business brokerages, their expertise lies in understanding businesses of all types and ensuring the best prices at closings. However, after taking a look at their own business, specifically their online presence, the principals realized that their website was not producing a sufficient amount of qualified leads. To change this, they contacted .Com Marketing with the task of not only improving the site?s layout, but optimizing its functionality.
THE CHALLENGE
After reviewing the site, .Com Marketing saw many opportunities for improvement. However, the first task was to help the client see their current site from the search engine?s perspective, as well as that of a potential client. By understanding where their current site fell short, .Com Marketing was able to enhance the site and dramatically improve the growing business brokerage?s online appeal.
Issues encountered from the old website included:
- No clearly defined paths to complete tasks
- Inefficient navigation
- Awkwardly placed home button
- Lack of design nuance a business of Crowne Atlantic's level deserved
- Ineffective use of the company?s logo and color palette
- Design did not adequately reflect the company?s offline image
- Use of stock imagery - .Com Marketing instead used pictures of their property and of the actual
principals
THE APPROACH
Com Marketing uses a three dimensional approach to web design. Taking into consideration the particular industry, as well as using best practices for search engine friendly web design, it is critical to engage the end user. We conducted observed usability testing where, based upon the target audience, consumers are selected to not only review the company?s website, but also three competitors? site as well. Based on the insight from the usability testing, .Com Marketing developed personas that closely resembled the four principal types of buyers and sellers, incorporating specific tasks that each type of client would be looking to achieve on a visit to the site. Tasks created reflected actual consumer feedback received during the observed usability sessions.
Page layouts were presented to Crowne Atlantic as wireframe models that reflected the key tasks that each type of buyer or seller would need to achieve. Similar to blueprints, a wireframe model is a visualization tool that allows for quick testing of the site design, how it works, and, most of all, helps create an informative visual for the client. The site mapping and wireframe modeling ensures that all tasks could be started from the home page and provides a checklist of usability priorities.
Wireframes were then "fleshed out" as fully functional designs that included new SEO copy for optimal organic or natural search engine visibility.
THE SUCCESS
Com Marketing delivered and launched a website that not only reflected the company's brand status, but took into consideration the importance of the end user's expectations for better engagement and conversion. In addition to its branding importance, Com Marketing also created a usable, persona-based, search engine-friendly website.
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