Case Study: Revamping the Website Design for Home&Garden Lawn Care Services

Overview

Home&Garden Lawn Care Services is a family-owned company with over 20 years of experience in offering top-notch lawn care and landscaping solutions. Despite its established brand, the company found itself lagging behind competitors when it came to digital presence. The existing website was outdated, slow to load, and not mobile-friendly, which impacted its ranking on search engines and inhibited the customer experience.

The primary objective of this case study is to evaluate the redesign process of Home&Garden’s website, focusing on its design elements, user experience, SEO, and post-launch metrics.

Challenges

1. Outdated UI/UX Design : The older design did not match Home&Garden’s modern and professional image.
2. Lack of Mobile Responsiveness : About 65% of Home&Garden’s target market used mobile devices to access its services.
3. SEO Concerns : The existing website was not optimized for search engines.
4. High Bounce Rate : The older website had a bounce rate of 70%, well above industry average.
5. Information Overload : The website contained too much text, confusing navigation, and was not user-friendly.

Solution

Phase 1: Research & Planning

1. Competitor Analysis : Reviewed competitor websites to identify industry standards and innovations.
2. Customer Feedback : Conducted interviews and surveys to collect customer input on desired features.
3. Sitemap and Wireframes : Developed a new sitemap and wireframes for more streamlined navigation and content layout.

Phase 2: Design & Development

1. Mood Board : Created a mood board to finalize design elements such as color schemes, typography, and imagery that align with the Home&Garden brand.
2. Prototyping : Developed a clickable prototype for client review and feedback.
3. SEO Optimization : Implemented on-page SEO strategies including keyword targeting, metadata, and alt text for images.
4. Mobile Responsiveness : Designed the website to be mobile-responsive using a mobile-first approach.
5. CMS Integration : Integrated the website with a content management system for easy updates.

Phase 3: Testing & Launch

1. QA and Testing : Conducted extensive tests on different devices and browsers.
2. Feedback Loop : Iterated based on client and user feedback.
3. Launch : After client approval, the new website was launched.
4. Training : Conducted training sessions for Home&Garden staff to update and manage the website.

Results

1. Website Traffic : A 35% increase in website visits within the first month of launch.
2. Bounce Rate : The bounce rate decreased to 40%, a significant drop from the previous 70%.
3. SEO Ranking : Improved Google search ranking for targeted keywords.
4. Customer Engagement : Average time spent on the website increased by 50%.
5. Mobile Traffic : Mobile user engagement increased by 70%.
6. Lead Conversion : A 20% increase in customer inquiries and quote requests from the website.

Conclusion

The website redesign was a resounding success and met all of Home&Garden’s objectives for modernization, user-friendliness, SEO, and business conversion metrics. The project stands as a testament to the power of well-planned and executed website design in elevating a company's digital presence and business performance.