UX Case Study: Bitwood Build, Atlanta Residential Construction Services
Project Overview
Bitwood Build is a residential construction company based in Atlanta, providing a wide range of construction services including custom home building, renovation, and remodeling. The company aims to be the go-to choice for Atlanta residents seeking quality and reliability in home construction. However, Bitwood Build's current online presence does not effectively communicate the value of their services, nor does it provide a streamlined and intuitive user experience for potential customers.
This case study aims to overhaul their website, ensuring it accurately reflects their quality craftsmanship while simplifying the user journey to convert site visitors into leads. Additionally, the project focuses on building trust through testimonials, showcasing projects, and highlighting the company’s unique selling points.
The Product
The product is Bitwood Build’s official website, serving as the primary digital touchpoint for prospective clients. The website's main goal is to inform, engage, and convert site visitors into potential leads by showcasing previous projects, service details, and customer testimonials. The new design should make it easy for visitors to find relevant information, inquire about services, and feel confident in choosing Bitwood Build for their residential construction needs.
Project Duration
The estimated duration for this project is 2 months.
The Problem
Bitwood Build's current website has a number of challenges that hinder its effectiveness:
- Lack of clear navigation: Users find it difficult to locate specific services, which results in high bounce rates.
- Inadequate content: The site does not effectively showcase Bitwood Build’s expertise, past projects, or customer success stories.
- Outdated design: The website looks outdated and lacks the visual appeal necessary to captivate a modern audience.
- Low lead conversion: There is no clear call-to-action or intuitive contact process, leading to a low conversion rate from visitors to leads.
The Goal
The primary goal of this case study is to redesign Bitwood Build’s website to:
- Improve user experience and navigation.
- Effectively showcase past projects and client testimonials.
- Enhance content quality and visual appeal.
- Increase visitor engagement and lead conversion rates.
My Role
In this project, my role was that of a UX Designer. I led the user research, conceptualized the wireframes, designed the interface, conducted usability testing, and collaborated with developers to implement the final design.
Responsibility
My key responsibilities included:
- Conducting user research to understand pain points and needs.
- Creating wireframes and prototypes for new site layouts.
- Designing visually appealing and intuitive user interfaces.
- Conducting usability tests to gather feedback and iterate on designs.
- Ensuring the final design aligned with Bitwood Build’s brand identity.
- Collaborating with stakeholders and developers to implement the design.
Understanding the User
User Research
To gather data, I employed a variety of UX metrics:
- Surveys: Conducted surveys with the client to understand their expectations from a construction service website.
- Usability Testing: Analyzed how users interacted with the current website to identify pain points.
- Competitor Analysis: Studied competitors’ websites to understand industry standards and user preferences.
User Summary
Users are homeowners and potential homebuyers in the Atlanta area looking for reliable residential construction services. They value trust, quality craftsmanship, and transparency in the construction process. Most users are between the ages of 30-50, tech-savvy, and want a seamless online experience that makes it easy to research, compare, and contact construction companies.
Pain Points
- Difficulty finding relevant service information quickly.
- Lack of detailed project showcases or testimonials to build trust.
- Complicated contact forms that lead to user drop-off.
- Website aesthetics do not match the high-quality construction services being offered.
Personas
Name: Jessica Brooks
Age: 35
Occupation: Marketing Professional
Location: Atlanta, GA
Goals:
- Find a reliable construction company for a home renovation project.
- Easily view past projects and read customer reviews.
- Contact the company quickly to get a project quote.
Frustrations:
- Websites that are cluttered and hard to navigate.
- Lack of visuals showcasing past work.
- Complicated and lengthy contact processes.
Hobbies: Interior design, home improvement blogs, real estate trends.
Preferred Device: Desktop
Problem Statements
"Users need a way to easily access Bitwood Build’s services, view previous projects, and contact the company because the current website fails to build trust and provide a clear, engaging user experience."
User Journey Map
- Awareness: Users search for a reliable construction company in Atlanta.
- Exploration: They land on Bitwood Build’s homepage and browse service pages.
- Evaluation: Users look for evidence of quality, such as project galleries and testimonials.
- Decision: They seek a clear and easy way to contact the company for a quote or consultation.
- Conversion: Users fill out a simplified contact form or schedule a consultation.
User Flow
- Homepage: Introduction to Bitwood Build's services.
- Service Pages: Detailed service breakdown with visuals.
- Project Page: Project showcases with high-quality images.
- Testimonials: Real customer feedback for trust-building.
- Contact Page: Simplified and engaging contact form or call-to-action buttons.
What I Learned
This project highlighted the importance of user-centered design in transforming a business's online presence. The value of iterative testing and feedback became clear, as initial assumptions were challenged and improved through user research. It reinforced the power of a visually cohesive design that reflects a company’s brand values and the role of content in guiding user decisions.
