Merit America is a nonprofit organization that helps low-wage workers transition into higher-paying careers by providing them with technical skills training, career coaching, and job placement support. Merit America came to FWD looking to make some improvements to their website.
Merit America
Website
Identifying key improvements
After auditing their navigation, we identified several quick wins to enhance the user experience. We recommended elevating key content that was previously hidden in the footer or embedded within blog posts, into the main navigation. Additionally, we suggested updating the primary CTA from “Find your career track” to “Apply Now,” which resulted in a significant increase in click-through rate (CTR).
One of the main focuses for the project was updating their blog. We identified some key changes to improve the user experience:
- Reduce categories
- Create hierarchy within categories
- Only use 3 tags max per article
- Make sure content is tagged to the most relevant categories
- Pull out Press Releases
- Add content to categories that support user goals
We created wireframes for various sections of the website, applying best practices and testing different approaches to find the most effective solution.
Outcome
Takeaways
We built a strong relationship with the client, who very happy with the results they saw. Through small but thoughtful changes, we achieved significant improvements.
Results
After implementing the changes, blog views rose by 76.1%, and average engagement time on blog pages increased by 64.7%. Additionally, the updated navigation and CTAs led to a 3.21% boost in conversion rates.
My Role
UX & Art Direction
The Team
Tashi Scott UI Designer
Emmet Gustafson Account Director
Jamara Haymore-Carr Project Manager
Matt Lima Developer