WhiteBox Square Space Navigation Menu Effectiveness

9/9/2024

Scope

The primary goal of this UX research is to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of the current navigation menu on WhiteBox Handmade Art, Epoxy Artistry (squarespace.com). This is my personal business and my initial website design using the Squarespace website. A minimum of 10 participants will be measured.

Executive Summary

The aim is to identify pain points, understand user behavior, and gather actionable insights to enhance the navigational menu’s structure and functionality to optimize the user experience.

Methodologies:

Usability testing: Conduct a number of tests with past clients and target audience to observe in real-time user interactions, and understand their overall experience, frustrations and insights with the current navigation menu.
Analytics: Gather Google Analytics and Square Space analytics data for website term to actions such as CTR, bounce rate, time spent on pages, active users and impressions.
Survey: Distribute an online survey to collect quantitative data on user satisfaction, experience, and feedback.
Card Sorting: Gather data and insight on the navigation menu structure between items from user experience.

Goals

Assess the effectiveness of the current navigation menu and identify areas of improvement.

Aims:

Can users easily find key sections or products?

Identify pain points or barriers in the current navigation structure.

How does the current interface rate on usability with clients?

What would users like to see? Not see?

What did they expect to see? What did they expect to see but did not?

How would users structure the navigation menu?

Methodology

Research methods used are on a limited budget.

Methodologies:

Usability testing: Conduct a minimum of 10 tests with past clients and target audience to observe in real-time user interactions, and understand their overall experience, frustrations and insights with the current navigation menu. This information will provide me, as the business owner, insight to the user’s experience within my current website navigation menu.
Analytics: Gather Google Analytics and Square Space data for website term to actions such as CTR, bounce rate, time spent on pages, active users and impressions. This information will provide me, as the business owner, with insights into possible weak points within the current website navigation menu.
Survey: Distribute an online survey to a minimum of 10 users to collect quantitative data on user satisfaction, experience, and feedback. This information will provide me, as the business owner, with insight to the user’s opinion and open feedback regarding the navigation menu.
Card Sorting: Conduct a test with a minimum of 10 participants to evaluate the structure of the navigation menu from the user’s experience. This information will provide me, as the business owner, insight to user experience with the current menu structure and steps necessary to optimize this structure.

Participant Details

Target audience: Clients that are profiled to visit this website, view products and convert to sales.

Profile:

Demographics: 35-44 years old, All genders, Located within the United States

Psychographics: Interests include reading, food, social gatherings and shopping. Behaviors include being an active or online shopper, frequent social media user. Use of a laptop, tablet, desktop or mobile devices. Values quality service, unique/personalized options, and support locally at affordable prices.

Myself: As the moderator and business owner.

Schedule

Start on 9/9/24

9/9-9/23/24 Planning and Preparation (2weeks)-Action plan completed, Develop research questions to be used, research methods to be used and how to present the date

9/24-10/1/24 Recruiting (1week)- Define and locate ideal participants, recruit active participants

10/2-10/23/24 Design, Development and Data Collection (3weeks)- Layout research methods, how each will be carried out and assessed. Carry out these designs, collect and analyze the data.

10/24-10/31/24 Reporting and Presentation (1week)- create a detailed report of findings, insights, recommendations, present, get feedback and make necessary adjustments.

10/31- Reflection and Approval (repeat until approved)- Optimize where necessary, check for issues in the optimized version, update the final report, re-test if possible, present for approval.

Script

Background:

Which platform do you prefer to use when viewing a website?

How often do you shop online?

What items do you search for when shopping online?

What do you value most in an online shopping experience?

Initial:

When you first visit the website, what is your initial impression of the navigation menu?

How easy or difficult is it for you to locate key sections when you first land on the site?

Can you walk me through how you usually find (a specific feature) on a website?

Are there any specific areas of the navigation menu that you find confusing or frustrating?

How do you feel about the labels used in the navigation menu? Are they clear and descriptive enough?

Do you think the current menu structure effectively groups related items together? Why or why not?

How does the navigation experience differ between website and different devices such as mobile.

Did you encounter any issues with the navigation menu when using the site on any device?

What points on the page drew your attention?

What points on the page were less attractive?

What led you to buy an item or place an order or not to?

Were you able to accomplish the goals you had in seeking this website? What was your goal?

Do you feel it took you a normal time to navigate the website or longer?

Saria Brewer

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