A NEW B2B E-COMMERCE SITE
FOR CREATIVE TECH - PART 1
CUSTOMER
Creative Tech - Dubai
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Creative Tech is a company that sells food packaging, containers and smart food bags for restaurants, hotels and cloud kitchens. Although they have an e-commerce site that generates almost 1% of their revenue, the company currently relies primarily on face-to-face sales by visiting customers.
PROBLEM STATMENT
The current website is outdated, failing to generate revenue and falling short in keeping up with the rapidly growing e-commerce market in the UAE. A redesign is urgently needed to address these issues and revitalize the platform, aligning it with current industry trends and user expectations for enhanced financial performance and sustained competitiveness.
GOAL
- Increase company sales
- Improve customer experience
- Design an e-commerce site that helps B2B customers to buy or reorder Creative Tech products.
- Consistent UX across all platforms and devices.
CHALLENGES
The challenges in this project are the differences between the Swedish & Dubai market, adapting the design to the unique culture and background of the target group in Dubai, and dealing with low UX maturity within the company.
ROLE
UX Designer freelancer
5 MINS READ
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Integrated "Design Thinking" methods to create user-centred solutions.
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Raised the company's UX maturity by promoting the importance of good UX/UI design for a superior user experience.
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Design a competitive and successful e-commerce website.
TL;DR
I conducted User research to understand user preferences and needs. It was evident that users highly value specific features like recommendations, diverse payment options, order tracking, and B2B logins. In addition, there is a strong appreciation for onboarding support, efficient search functions, and clear product details. Also, security concerns and integration capabilities are crucial factors. However, users face several challenges such as slow site performance, order issues, and irrelevant policies. Their mounting frustration is caused by inaccurate inventory, limited product information and sudden cancellations. Timely delivery and effective communication are crucial in this context. It is worth noting that the frequency of online ordering differs, and some still prefer traditional methods. These findings highlight the importance of key factors such as seamless user experiences, prompt deliveries, product suitability, security, comprehensive information, responsive customer support, diverse payment methods and transparent policies. It is crucial to bridge the gap between online and traditional ordering experiences.
In my endeavor to enhance the user experience of my project, i employed a comprehensive research approach. By utilizing a combination of user interviews, competitive analysis and leveraging secondary resources such as VISA's market study report, I aimed to holistically comprehend user behaviors, preferences, and pain points. Additionally, I integrated insights from the Baymard Institute's extensive research to augment our understanding of user needs. This multifaceted strategy allowed me to enrich our UX research by fusing both qualitative and quantitative data. Through user interviews, I gained valuable personal insights into user journeys and pain points, while the secondary resources provided broader industry context and trends. This approach ensures a robust foundation for project decisions and recommendations, helping me effectively address user concerns and craft a more user-centric solution.
RESEARCH STRATEGY
If the e-commerce website is redesigned to meet the current standards and shopping preferences of the target audience in the Dubai market, the online purchasing behavior of the target audience will improve.
HYPOTHESES 1
If the e-commerce website provides a good and user-friendly shopping experience that meets the needs and challenges of the target audience, the overall satisfaction and engagement of the target audience with the website will increase, leading to a higher likelihood of repeat purchases
HYPOTHESIS 2
RESEARCH RESULTS
USER NEEDS
Recommendations
Various payment options
Order tracking
B2B logins
Onboarding support
Efficient search functions
Clear product details
Security issues
Integration possibilities
CHALLENGES
Slow website performance
Order problem
Incorrect inventory
Limited product information
Sudden cancellations
interest in traditional purchasing methods
IMPORTANT FACTORS
Seamless user experiences
Fast deliveries
Product Suitability
Security
Comprehensive information
Good customer support
Various payment methods
Transparent policies
OF THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT THE CART WITHOUT PURCHASING
62%
Tried again after a while
35%
Bought from another website
34%
bought from a store
32%
Dropped the idea to buy
LEFT THE CART BECAUSE
58%
- Error on the website.
- Delayed authentication (user does not get access to his account after trying to log in).
"VISA" REPORT OUTCOMES
Kickoff meeting
To start the research phase, I organized a stakeholder kickoff meeting. This meeting gave me the opportunity to discuss with the company's CEO and gather important insights related to the project. The main purpose of the meeting was to gather comprehensive information that would contribute to formulating a solid research plan.
Research plan
The research plan began by formulating a problem formulation based on what stakeholders described during the start-up meeting and this problem formulation is:
“ The current website is not user-friendly, lacks informative content and does not effectively represent the company's products and mission. The users, especially those working in purchasing departments, may have limited experience in buying online and encounter difficulties in navigating the website, understanding the product range and placing orders online. "
After the problem formulation, it was time to formulate research goals and two hypotheses. The research objective helped me decide which research method I needed to carry out. While the hypotheses helped me formulate research questions and get closer to the project goal.
RESEARCH
I conducted User research to understand user preferences and needs. It was evident that users highly value specific features like recommendations, diverse payment options, order tracking, and B2B logins. In addition, there is a strong appreciation for onboarding support, efficient search functions, and clear product details. Also, security concerns and integration capabilities are crucial factors. However, users face several challenges such as slow site performance, order issues, and irrelevant policies. Their mounting frustration is caused by inaccurate inventory, limited product information and sudden cancellations. Timely delivery and effective communication are crucial in this context. It is worth noting that the frequency of online ordering differs, and some still prefer traditional methods. These findings highlight the importance of key factors such as seamless user experiences, prompt deliveries, product suitability, security, comprehensive information, responsive customer support, diverse payment methods and transparent policies. It is crucial to bridge the gap between online and traditional ordering experiences.
After a comprehensive understanding of the project's goals, stakeholder goals and the target group's needs and pain points, it was time to outline the most important websites. The websites I focused on were the following: Start page, B2B registration, Log in, Product list, Product page, Bulk order and reorder page. The wireframe effectively presented the visual hierarchy and illustrated the placement and prioritization of key elements. Which resulted in a representation of the design that featured the key element on each page.
WIRE FRAMING
I conducted User research to understand user preferences and needs. It was evident that users highly value specific features like recommendations, diverse payment options, order tracking, and B2B logins. In addition, there is a strong appreciation for onboarding support, efficient search functions, and clear product details. Also, security concerns and integration capabilities are crucial factors. However, users face several challenges such as slow site performance, order issues, and irrelevant policies. Their mounting frustration is caused by inaccurate inventory, limited product information and sudden cancellations. Timely delivery and effective communication are crucial in this context. It is worth noting that the frequency of online ordering differs, and some still prefer traditional methods. These findings highlight the importance of key factors such as seamless user experiences, prompt deliveries, product suitability, security, comprehensive information, responsive customer support, diverse payment methods and transparent policies. It is crucial to bridge the gap between online and traditional ordering experiences.
In the first phase of this case study, I delved into the initial stages of the UX design process, outlining the problem statement, research methodologies, and early ideation. Part 1 sets the foundation for the comprehensive approach taken toward solving user challenges. Stay tuned for part 2, where I'll be excited to showcase this project through a high-fidelity prototype. Additionally, I'll be presenting a detailed style guide and design system that underpin the project's visual and interactive aspects. Part 2 will also highlight the outcomes of the project, shedding light on the user-centric solutions achieved and the overall impact on the intended audience.
NEXT STEP
TRADITIONAL BUYER
"I prefer doing business in person rather than relying on ordering online
CHARACTERISTIC
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Technically challenged
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Security conscious
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Prefer a F2F communication
DRIVING FORCES
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Product quality
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Secure website
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24/7 customer service
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Simple website
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Extra price
PURPOSE OF USE
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First-time user exploration
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Find new products
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Try ordering
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Negotiate contracts
CHALLENGES
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Time Limits
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Do not want to change their buying behavior
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Build trust with the website
EXPERIENCED BUYER
"I can order goods both in the traditional way and online"
CHARACTERISTIC
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Technically
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Comfortable with automation
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Dare to try and order
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Used to ordering online
DRIVING FORCES
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Time efficiency
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Cost savings
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Flexibility of ordering online
PURPOSE OF USE
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Order products
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Compare price
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Repurchase
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Pre-order
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Contact customer service
CHALLENGES
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Integration with existing systems
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Security and privacy issues
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Not enough information about products
TYPES OF BEHAVIOR
