Case Study: Goal Zero
Sr. UX & Digital Designer | 2013-2015
Problems Identified:
No UX ownership, resulting in poor site performance in virtually every metric.
No digital marketing ownership.
Problem 1
No UX ownership resulted in poor site performance in virtually every metric.
Upon arriving at Goal Zero, the website was suffering from a lack of ownership, leading to confusing product classification, a poor shopping & checkout experience, and a lack of mobile compatibility. This in turn caused low consumer education, high bounce rates, low conversion rates, and lost revenue.
The site didn’t have clear information on the front page (above the fold) communicating what they made or how it helped the consumer. The word “solar” appeared sporadically, but at a quick glance there was little motivation for diving deeper into the site. And, if a consumer did manage to find a product to buy, the checkout experience was a single long form, full of timeouts and poorly organized.
The “learning” section of the site was also cluttered and poorly organized. This section was of the utmost importance, since the average site visitor was still learning the basics of using our products for collecting energy, storing it, and using it to power their devices. If we couldn’t explain the process well ourselves, why would a customer trust us enough to make a purchase?
Solution
I began by reorganizing and renaming the product categories, making them as clear as possible for new visitors. I also created 2 shopping sections, allowing customers to browse by product family or by “use”. This was intended to capture as many shoppers’ preferences as possible, since (via testing) we learned our customers were split approximately in half by shopping preference.
I also revamped the “How it works” section, explaining the process in 3 simple steps (collect, store, and power). Below that, I addressed the 4 most common questions customers asked – all above the fold. These changes more efficiently educated our customers, increased their time on site, and improved our conversion and revenue.
Problem 2
No digital marketing ownership
Before my arrival, all digital marketing was done as an afterthought, usually by a print designer when they had free time. The lack of expertise in the digital space reflected poorly on the brand. The site and emails were inconsistent and lacked the touch that customers expected from such an innovative company.
Solution
I took ownership of all digital assets for the site and email campaigns.
I also saw a huge amount of potential to leverage all of the beautiful imagery being sent to us from around the world by both the dedicated Goal Zero sponsored explorers, as well as the organic mass of customers who were tagging us online with all of their adventures using Goal Zero products. Coupling that imagery with the inspiring story of the company’s founding, I knew the sky was the limit for turning the digital experience into something special.
I began by standardizing the logo treatment, color palettes, typography, photography style, and copy voice. By presenting a unified brand on the site and emails, their look, feel, and performance began to reflect the culture and innovation of the company. With the hiring of a dedicated E-commerce Manager to assist me, the performance of every metric of the website and email engagement grew exponentially.
Our efforts were well-rewarded when Goal Zero was purchased by NRG (ranked 133 on the Fortune 500), with the turnaround and success of the e-commerce department being a factor in the successful acquisition.
