1800Flowers.com Enterprise
Product Discovery
Introduction:
In collaboration with the Director of Product Discovery, our objective was to enhance user engagement and boost conversion rates by addressing significant search functionality and navigation challenges. Users faced difficulties finding relevant products due to fragmented navigation systems and inconsistent search results, leading to frustration and increased cart abandonment. We aimed to create a cohesive, intuitive browsing experience that directly addressed these pain points, enabling users to explore confidently and efficiently.
Challenge:
The existing navigation and search structure resulted in disjointed user experiences, making it challenging for users to find related products seamlessly. This lack of cohesion often led to user frustration and cart abandonment, ultimately affecting overall engagement. Our challenge was to design a more intuitive browsing structure that would streamline product discovery and effectively guide users through the site.
Research & Analysis:
We began by analyzing user behavior and benchmarking against leading e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Wayfair, and Etsy. This research focused on understanding how these platforms leveraged personalization and dynamic content to improve navigation and search results. We identified key opportunities to reimagine our browsing experience by studying these best practices. Reviewing user interaction data allowed us to pinpoint specific pain points and make informed design decisions that supported a more seamless exploration process.
Design Process:
The design process was iterative and user-centered, focusing on solving the specific challenges identified through various approaches. The process involved the following key areas:
Navigation Variations: I explored several navigation models, ultimately implementing a parallel navigation structure that allowed users to explore related collections while maintaining their context within the browsing journey. This approach aimed to provide a more cohesive experience, enabling users to navigate without losing their sense of place. The implemented parallel navigation became the foundation of the redesigned experience, creating an organized and intuitive method for users to browse products.
Matching Categories and Blog Content in Search Results: I designed a feature to integrate matching categories and relevant blog content directly into search results pages as part of a strategic directive to elevate search functionality. This enhancement enriched the search experience by guiding users with contextually relevant pathways, encouraging exploration beyond their initial queries. By offering related product categories and insightful content, we ensured that users had the information and options to make more informed purchasing decisions. Leveraging components from the landing page design allowed us to maintain visual consistency and reinforce brand familiarity. Currently in development, this feature represents a significant investment in enhancing search relevance, deepening user engagement, and achieving key business objectives such as increased conversion rates and customer satisfaction.
Final matching collections & content design
Landing Page Strategy and Components: I collaborated with the Director of Product Discovery to define a landing page strategy that utilized reusable card components to enhance product discovery further. These components provided consistent, dynamic links to related collections and content, boosting user engagement and streamlining development efforts. The landing pages were designed to connect top-level categories with specific product groups, providing a logical flow that encouraged users to explore further.
Dynamic Matching Collections in Filters: I also designed a dynamic matching collections feature for integration within the filter functionality. Drawing inspiration from Amazon's personalization practices, this feature aimed to provide users with more relevant and personalized results during the product discovery process. While this feature is still in development, it reflects our commitment to delivering highly personalized and engaging user experiences.
Testing & Results:
We evaluated the impact of the redesigned navigation and filtering systems by tracking key performance indicators such as search-to-cart conversion rates and user engagement metrics. The introduction of parallel navigation, improved filters, and an optimized search results page increased user interaction, with users spending more time exploring and adding products to their carts. Early results demonstrated significant improvements in product discovery, resulting in a more seamless and intuitive browsing experience.
Conclusion & Next Steps:
The iterative process has laid a solid foundation for enhancing product discoverability and improving search functionality. These efforts are expected to continue driving user satisfaction and engagement, setting the stage for future enhancements that will further elevate the user experience.
Moving forward, we plan to extend these improvements across the entire site to continue enhancing product discovery. We will conduct additional A/B testing on landing page layouts to determine which formats drive the highest levels of engagement and exploration.
We will continue monitoring key metrics such as Conversion Rate, Average Order Value, Click-Through Rate, and Bounce Rate. Gathering qualitative user feedback will be crucial to refining our solutions and ensuring our enhancements align with user needs, ultimately delivering an engaging, seamless browsing experience.