Improving User Engagement: A Case Study of the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy Website Redesign
The Importance of Information Architecture
Platform: Web
Role/Team: Lead UX Designer and WLEA Office Staff
Website: wleacademy.com
Company Overview
The Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy is a state-run training facility for law enforcement personnel that offers various courses and programs to prepare them for their roles. The academy values professionalism, integrity, accountability, and excellence in law enforcement training.
Project Summary
By addressing issues of poor organization and navigation on the Academy’s website, I was able to increase traffic and decrease office calls. This involved conducting user interviews and analytic analysis with office staff to identify user needs and pain points. Based on these insights, I restructured the navigation, improving the information architecture for a more organized and user-friendly website. Despite facing challenges such as limited user access and time constraints, I relied on analytical data and office staff feedback to achieve success. As a result of the redesign, website traffic increased by 45%, and office calls decreased, indicating the project was successful.
Problem
The Academy’s website suffers from poor organization and navigation system that results in users spending a considerable amount of time searching for information. This inefficiency in finding the desired information was leading to a decrease in website traffic and a rise in office calls, as users resorted to seeking assistance over the phone.
Solution
By conducting an analytic analysis and user interviews with the office staff. Through this process, I gained insights into the needs and pain points of the target audience. The pain points were related to the information structure of the website, the navigation, and a minor pain point of images and pages taking a long time to load. I rebuilt the navigation with multiple levels on the homepage, improving the information structure to make it easier for users to find the information they need. By using analytics to determine what pages and information were important to the users, I was able to provide a more cohesive and organized website that improved the user experience.
Challenges
No Access to Users
A major obstacle encountered during the redesign process was the unavailability of direct user feedback or user interviews. Instead, I had to depend on analytical data provided by Wix and feedback gathered from office staff’s phone interactions with users over time. These sources were crucial in helping me comprehend our users’ behaviors and identify the pain points they faced.
Tight time Constraints
Due to a tight time constraint, I had only 30 days from the start of the project to its launch. As a result, there was limited time available for iterations and user testing with office staff.
Results
Improving the navigation and organization of the website greatly improved the website traffic by 45%. The redesign removed many pain points of the website that we causing users not to visit the website and call the office for more information. We did not establish a metric to measure the number of website-related calls. Office staff did notice a large decrease in phone calls related to information that could be found on the website.
Discovery
Analytic Analysis
My objective was to gain insights into user behavior on our website and improve the user experience. To achieve this objective, I conducted an analytic analysis using Wix analytics. By examining data such as page views, duration of visits, and site sessions, I gained valuable information about user behavior on our website.
The analytic analysis revealed that the home page had a high bounce rate of 75%, which was unexpected given the website’s organization. However, further analysis showed that other pages on the site had lower bounce rates between 35–45%. This suggested that the information architecture and navigation of the site might not be optimized for users’ needs.
User Interviews
To gain a deeper understanding of our users’ needs and pain points, I conducted user interviews with the office staff who interacted with our users the most. Through a series of questions, I discovered that users were frequently calling the office staff for information they could not find on the website and that navigation and slow load times were common pain points.
Key takeaways from the interviews include:
- Of the 50 daily phone calls about the website, approximately half were related to information users were specifically avoiding having to look up on the website, and 10–15 calls were related to navigating the website or having technical difficulties.
- Pages took a long time to load, causing frustration for both the office staff and the users.
- The navigation was disorganized and not helpful in achieving users’ goals.
Based on the insights gained from the analytic analysis and user interviews, it became clear that the website’s information architecture, navigation, and loading times were causing pain points for both users and office staff. It was apparent that the site needed to be redesigned to better serve the needs of our users, and the data provided a roadmap for the necessary improvements.
Design
Site Mapping
To begin with, the first step in my process was to structure the website, which involved creating a new site map while also reviewing the existing one. I realized that our users were experiencing several issues due to pages being nested within other pages, making them difficult to locate without prior knowledge of the website’s layout. As a result, I focused on creating clear paths and connections that users could easily navigate.
For instance, if a user was looking for information on fitness standards for PT, they should be able to access that information directly, without having to navigate through a hover menu or visit multiple pages to find what they need. Therefore, my goal was to ensure that all the relevant information belonged in the same space and was easily accessible to users.
By analyzing the site’s analytics data, I was able to identify and eliminate any redundant or unpopular pages, thus creating more space on the site for important information. Overall, my efforts were aimed at creating a user-friendly site map that provides clear and easy access to information, without any confusion or complexity.
Wireframe
After building the site map, my next step was to create the foundation of the website, which involved designing wireframes. When creating wireframes, I take into account various factors, with the user’s needs and behavior being the primary focus. In this case, I recognized that our users were looking for information that was easily accessible and readily available.
To address this, I designed a home screen with a two-layered navigation system. The top navigation bar would lead users to the “Main Pages,” which were identified as important by stakeholders. I agreed with this approach as I didn’t want to disrupt the users’ mental model of the site’s navigation.
The second layer of the navigation system centered around “title cards” that acted as buttons or links to frequently visited pages or phone call requested information. By providing quick access to this information, I anticipated a reduction in the number of phone calls office staff received for the same information. Furthermore, this design allowed for flexibility in rotating items based on demand or popularity.
While the main top navigation had the potential to change, any modifications would be subject to stakeholder approval. Ultimately, my wireframes were designed to prioritize the user’s experience, streamline navigation, and make essential information easily accessible.
Iteration & User Testing
After completing the initial wireframe, my next step was to begin iterating and testing the website. As the project timeline approached, I had to dive into designing the website directly on Wix, which was a new experience for me. Despite this, there were significant benefits to be had. I was able to test and iterate on the spot while simultaneously testing the website with the first wireframe.
To test the website, I created a script for my testers to follow, which was centered around the homepage. I designed the scripts with the users in mind since they were seeking quick access to information. The first iteration of the website was tested with the office staff and instructors at the academy. The testing script focused on evaluating the clarity of navigation and the ease of finding information.
The feedback from the first round of user testing indicated that while the navigation was less confusing, the main navigation felt useless. Some testers suggested that the body navigation should be the main navigation as that is where they felt it was intuitive to look. I incorporated the feedback from the first round of testing and made changes to the website for the second round of testing.
In the second round of testing, I switched the main navigation with the body navigation and used the same script. The results were different, as this group of testers felt that the main navigation should be a more “standard” menu bar. One instructor highlighted that the academy catered not just to police officers but also to the general public. This statement resonated with me and made me question who the target audience was and whether I was on the right path.
I didn’t have the time to start over, but I used the feedback from both rounds of user testing to create the final iteration of the website. I made the decision to create a “corporate” menu, based on what the stakeholders and the second group of testers had told me. It was essential that the mental model, especially the top main navigation, should remain “corporate” to enable anyone who came to the website to find the information they needed. I also designed a footer navigation that combined the first and second navigations to create a standard feeling.
Overall, the final iteration of the website was designed to cater to both police officers and the general public while maintaining a clear and less confusing navigation. The second navigation or the body navigation remained designed for quick access to information.
Results
The results of the website redesign were highly successful, with a significant improvement in website traffic and a decrease in phone calls related to information that could be found on the website. Specifically, website traffic increased by 45%, indicating that users were finding it easier to navigate and locate the information they needed. The redesign also addressed pain points related to the website’s organization and navigation system, resulting in a significant decrease in phone calls to the office related to these issues. While a metric was not established to measure the number of website-related calls, office staff reported a noticeable decrease in these types of calls. Overall, the website redesign successfully addressed the issues identified during the discovery phase and significantly improved the user experience, resulting in positive outcomes for both the users and the organization.
What was the end result?
While the website’s increased user-centeredness is notable, I believe its most significant outcome has been the introduction of UX principles to our academy, which has sparked a positive transformation in our mindset and approach to all aspects of our work.
How did the change affect the users?
The response to the website redesign was not what I had anticipated. Upon its publication, we received some harsh criticisms, the most notable being “We didn’t ask for this.” I was taken aback by this because I believed that the new design was tailored to their requirements and would help them achieve their objectives. This experience taught me that people are generally resistant to change, particularly in the law enforcement sector. However, after the first week, the majority of people became more receptive to the changes. Following the initial obstacle, we received overwhelmingly positive feedback. Although we did not track the number of phone calls, we noticed a decline in phone inquiries related to website-related queries or information. Additionally, we observed a 45% increase in website traffic, indicating that it was being utilized.
What did I learn through this process?
Throughout this process, I have gained several insights. I have realized that analytics can be a powerful tool when user feedback is not available. I have also learned the importance of interviewing everyone who interacts with users, including office staff. It was surprising to me that we gained valuable insight from them, and it made me realize that we don’t always need to go straight to the source for information.
What would I do differently?
For future website releases, I would implement a staged release plan and communicate changes through an email announcement to minimize the initial shock of a complete redesign. An introduction video would also be helpful to give users a guided tour of the new website. Additionally, during the testing phase, I would conduct A/B testing on various versions of the homepage to optimize its effectiveness, particularly in regard to the body menu. This would have been beneficial, as I developed and tested simultaneously, and A/B testing would have allowed for iteration and refinement of the website’s design.
