Revolutionizing Ark.no's User Experience: Driving a 300% Conversion Rate Increase through Strategic UX Design and CRO

Ark.no is Norwayโ€™s largest online book store, offering a wide range of products to the Norwegian market. With annual sales of more than 1 billion Norwegian Kroner, Ark.no sought to improve their websiteโ€™s user experience and increase their conversion rate.

Project Objectives

The primary objectives of this project were to enhance the online shopping experience for Ark.no's customers, increase the conversion rate through optimized UX design, and facilitate collaboration between various departments within the company, such as sales, marketing, design, and SEO specialists.

What was the goal of the project with Ark.no?

Ark.no, Norway's largest online store, faced a critical challenge in the form of a low conversion rate despite substantial sales figures. This issue prompted the company to explore solutions that would enhance user engagement and improve conversions on their website.
Low Conversion Rates
Failing Customer Expectations
Unattractive Product Presentation
Complicated Shopping Experience
  • Rune from Ark.no
    Rune Aas
    Product Owner
    "Despite consistently good results, we recognized that parts of ark.no were increasingly failing to meet the expectations of customers. Instead of carrying out a lengthy and time-consuming redesign process for the entire online store, we decided to tackle the product pages first, as we reckoned it was natural to prioritize first.

    For us, it was important to present the entire product range in a much more attractive way, especially for products other than books - while making the shopping experience on the product pages as smooth and simple as possible."

Low Conversion Rate

Despite impressive sales figures, Ark.no was struggling with a relatively low conversion rate. This prompted the company to seek assistance in identifying and addressing the key issues that were hindering user engagement and conversions on their website.

Difficulty in Finding and Exploring Products

One of the main challenges faced by Ark.no was the difficulty users experienced when trying to find and explore products on their site. The company wanted to create a more seamless and enjoyable browsing experience for their customers, encouraging them to discover new products and make purchases without having to leave the current page.

Areas for Improvement

In addition to the primary challenges mentioned above, our team also identified several other areas that required attention and improvement, such as navigation, content flow, and overall design aesthetics. These areas were crucial to the success of the project, as they directly impacted user experience and conversion rates.
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300% Increase in
Conversion Rate

The results of the project were highly impressive, with a 300% increase in Ark.no's conversion rate. Resulting in hundreds of millions in increased revenue. 
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Enhanced Customer Experience

The redesign of Ark.no's website resulted in a significantly enhanced customer experience, making it easier and more enjoyable for users to browse and shop for products.
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Successful Team Collaboration

Our team collaborated closely with Ark.no's content marketing team to ensure that the redesigned website met the needs of customers seeking high-quality, multi-platform content.

Users and Audience

Ark.no's primary focus is on the Norwegian market, catering to online shoppers seeking a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience. Understanding the unique preferences and expectations of this target audience was essential for the project's success. Gaining valuable customer insights through observation, interaction, and data-driven tools played a crucial role in shaping the design decisions to enhance user engagement and satisfaction.

Norwegian Market

Ark.no caters to the Norwegian market, making it essential to understand the unique preferences and expectations of this specific audience. This understanding was crucial in designing a user experience that resonated with the target users and encouraged them to engage with the website.

Online Shoppers

The primary users of Ark.no's website are online shoppers seeking a convenient and enjoyable shopping experience for books, games, and family activities. These users expect a user-friendly interface, easy navigation, and a visually appealing design that showcases the wide range of products offered by Ark.no.

Customer Insights

Gaining valuable insights into the browsing and shopping habits of Ark.no's customers was a critical aspect of the project. Through observation and interaction with shoppers, as well as the implementation of various tools such as Hotjar, our team was able to identify areas of improvement and make data-driven design decisions.

Before

After

Roles and Responsibilities

In this project, I served as the senior UX lead, CRO specialist and project manager, responsible for identifying improvement areas and crafting a user experience that addressed Ark.no's challenges. My role also involved conversion rate optimization tasks and closely collaborating with Ark.no's internal teams to gain valuable insights and ensure the UX design effectively met the company's needs.

My Role as the Senior UX Lead

As the senior UX lead on this project, I was responsible for conducting the UX/CRO audit, identifying key areas for improvement, and designing the user experience to address the challenges faced by Ark.no. This involved collaborating closely with the company's sales, marketing, design, and SEO teams.

Conversion Rate Optimization

In addition to my UX design responsibilities, I also played a pivotal role in the conversion rate optimization (CRO) process. This included conducting A/B tests on landing pages, adjusting the website's color scheme, and working on various other elements that contributed to a better user experience and increased conversion rates.

Collaboration with Ark.no's Team

A crucial aspect of this project was the close collaboration with Ark.no's internal teams. This collaboration enabled our team to gain valuable insights into the company's objectives, challenges, and target audience, allowing us to create a UX design that effectively addressed their needs.

Scope and Constraints

The project's scope and constraints called for a focused approach to prioritize crucial product pages in the UX redesign process while adhering to time constraints and maintaining the website's existing functionality. Balancing these factors was essential to ensure efficient delivery and the preservation of the website's core features.

Prioritizing Product Pages

Given the significance of product pages in driving conversions, our team decided to prioritize these pages in the UX redesign process. By focusing on these pages, we aimed to create a more engaging and seamless browsing experience for users, ultimately leading to increased conversions.

Time Constraints

The project was subject to time constraints, making it imperative for our team to work efficiently and deliver results within the stipulated time frame. This required effective communication and coordination among team members, as well as the ability to make quick and informed decisions.

Maintaining Website Functionality

While redesigning the website's UX, our team had to ensure that the existing functionality was not compromised. This constraint required striking a balance between enhancing the website's aesthetics and user experience while preserving its core functionality.

Before

After

Process and What I Did

The project to improve Ark.no's user experience and conversion rate involved a systematic approach encompassing various stages. Our team executed a comprehensive UX/CRO audit, conducted A/B testing on landing pages, redesigned the website's navigation and content flow, revamped campaign and theme pages, enhanced the filter UI, simplified the checkout process, and made strategic color scheme adjustments. Data-driven insights drove these efforts and close collaboration with Ark.no's internal teams, ultimately contributing to significantly improved user experience and increased conversions.

UX/CRO Audit

The first step in the project was conducting a comprehensive UX/CRO audit to identify areas of improvement. This audit involved analyzing the current website design, navigation, content flow, and other elements that play a crucial role in user experience and conversion rates.

To execute the comprehensive UX/CRO audit, our team first collected data on user behavior, website performance, and conversion rates. This involved using various tools such as Google Analytics, Hotjar, and user surveys to gather insights into user interactions and pain points. Based on the data collected, we analyzed the current website design, navigation, content flow, and other elements that played a crucial role in user experience and conversion rates. This analysis enabled us to identify the primary areas of improvement and develop a strategic plan to address them.

A/B Testing Landing Pages

To optimize the website's conversion rate, our team conducted A/B tests on various landing pages. This allowed us to compare different design elements and layouts, ultimately helping us identify the most effective solutions for increasing conversions.

To conduct A/B testing on various landing pages, our team first created multiple design variations with different layouts, call-to-action buttons, and content placements. We then used tools like Optimizely and Google Optimize to test these variations on a segment of the website's traffic, collecting data on user engagement, bounce rates, and conversion rates. After analyzing the results, we identified the most effective design elements and layouts and implemented them on the website to increase conversions.

Improved Navigation and Content Flow

A key aspect of the project involved redesigning the website's navigation and content flow to make it easier for users to find and explore products. This included creating content flows that encouraged users to discover new products, and adding an improved filter UI for seamless product search.

To redesign the website's navigation and content flow, our team first analyzed user behavior data to understand how users interacted with the site and where they encountered difficulties. We then developed a new site architecture and navigation structure, incorporating features like mega menus, breadcrumbs, and clear category labels to make it easier for users to find and explore products. Additionally, we created content flows that encouraged users to discover new products by showcasing related items and personalized recommendations.

Before

After

Redesigning Campaign and Theme Pages

Our team also worked on redesigning Ark.no's campaign and theme pages to create a better user experience and optimize them for SEO. This redesign aimed to provide users with more engaging and informative content, ultimately driving increased engagement and conversions.

In redesigning Ark.no's campaign and theme pages, our team focused on creating a more engaging and informative user experience while optimizing the pages for SEO. We developed new page layouts that showcased featured products and promotions, incorporated rich media like images and videos, and used clear headings and subheadings to improve content organization. We also collaborated with Ark.no's SEO specialists to ensure that the redesigned pages were optimized for search engines, improving their visibility and driving more organic traffic to the site.

Enhanced Filter UI

To make it easier for users to search and find products, our team designed an enhanced filter UI. This improved interface allowed users to quickly and easily filter products based on various categories and attributes, making the browsing experience more seamless and enjoyable.

To design the enhanced filter UI, our team first conducted user research to understand the most common product attributes and categories that users searched for when browsing the site. Based on these insights, we developed a new filtering system that allowed users to quickly and easily filter products based on various categories and attributes, such as price, color, size, and customer ratings. We also improved the visual design of the filter UI, making it more intuitive and user-friendly.

Simplifying the Checkout Process

Another important aspect of the project was simplifying the checkout process by eliminating unnecessary steps. This redesign aimed to make the checkout process more straightforward and user-friendly, ultimately leading to increased conversions.

To simplify the checkout process, our team first analyzed the existing process to identify any unnecessary steps or barriers that could lead users to abandon their purchases. Based on this analysis, we streamlined the process by reducing the number of steps required, removing redundant information fields, and incorporating features like guest checkout and auto-fill options for returning customers. Additionally, we redesigned the checkout interface to make it more visually appealing and easier to navigate, further enhancing the user experience.

Color Scheme Adjustments

Our team also made adjustments to the website's color scheme to reduce distractions and create a more visually appealing design. These changes played a crucial role in enhancing the overall user experience and driving increased engagement and conversions.

To make the necessary color scheme adjustments, our team first conducted a visual audit of the existing website design to identify areas where the color palette could cause distractions or negatively impact user engagement. Based on this analysis, we developed a new color scheme that enhanced the visual appeal of the site while maintaining brand consistency. We then applied the new color scheme across the website, ensuring it was strategically used to draw attention to key elements like call-to-action buttons and product highlights, ultimately contributing to an improved user experience and increased conversions.

Methods used on the Ark.no project

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UX/CRO Audit

A comprehensive UX/CRO audit was conducted to analyze the current state of the website and identify areas for improvement. This audit involved examining the website's design, navigation, content flow, and other elements that contributed to user experience and conversion rates.
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A/B Testing

To optimize the website's conversion rate, A/B testing was conducted on various landing pages. This method allowed the team to compare different design elements and layouts to identify the most effective solutions for increasing conversions.
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Insights and Research

Gaining valuable insights into the browsing and shopping habits of Ark.no's customers was crucial for the project's success. This involved observing and interacting with shoppers, as well as using tools like Hotjar to gather data on user behavior and preferences.
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Collaborative Design Process

The project involved close collaboration between the UX design team and Ark.no's internal teams, such as sales, marketing, design, and SEO specialists. This collaborative approach allowed for a better understanding of the company's objectives, challenges, and target audience, enabling the team to create a UX design that effectively addressed their needs.
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Iterative Design and Feedback

Throughout the project, the design team worked in an iterative manner, continually refining the website's design based on feedback from Ark.no's team and data gathered from user testing. This approach helped to ensure that the final design effectively addressed the identified issues and delivered an improved user experience that drove increased engagement and conversions.

Outcomes and Lessons

The Ark.no project yielded remarkable results, including a 300% increase in conversion rates and a significantly enhanced customer experience. Key lessons learned during this project included the importance of customer insights in UX design, successful collaboration with content marketing teams, and balancing design appeal with conversion optimization. These insights played a crucial role in achieving the project's objectives and driving positive outcomes for Ark.no.
  • Rune from Ark.no
    Rune Aas
    Product Owner
    "They understood the issue quickly, and solved the challenge in a good way that both took care of our need for an appealing design to appeal to all target groups while still thinking about conversion. The end result was very satisfactory and we were able not only facilitate function but also be able present books far better than before by creating something fresh new with features like grids and product-specific layouts."

An increase of conversion rates of 300%, resulting in millions added to the bottom line

๐Ÿš€

300% Increase in
Conversion Rate

The results of the project were highly impressive, with a 300% increase in Ark.no's conversion rate. Resulting in hundreds of millions in increased revenue. 
๐Ÿง‘๐Ÿปโ€๐ŸŽจ

Enhanced Customer Experience

The redesign of Ark.no's website resulted in a significantly enhanced customer experience, making it easier and more enjoyable for users to browse and shop for products.
๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

Successful Team Collaboration

Our team collaborated closely with Ark.no's content marketing team to ensure that the redesigned website met the needs of customers seeking high-quality, multi-platform content.
๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป

Positive Feedback from Ark.no

The project received positive feedback from Ark.no, with the company expressing satisfaction with the improved design and user experience. The collaboration between our team and Ark.no's internal teams played a crucial role in achieving this success.
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Importance of Customer Insights

One of the key lessons learned from the project was the importance of incorporating customer insights into the UX design process. By understanding the browsing and shopping habits of Ark.no's customers, our team was able to make informed design decisions that effectively addressed their needs and preferences.
๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

Successful Team Collaboration

Our team collaborated closely with Ark.no's content marketing team to ensure that the redesigned website met the needs of customers seeking high-quality, multi-platform content.
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