WCA | Elevating website through SEO and human-centred design

WHISTLE CLEAN AUSTRALIA

Elevating a cleaning company’s website through SEO and human-centred design

May 2024

4 weeks design sprint

Client project

Team lead

Stakeholder management

Research

User interaction design

Figma

FigJam

Slack

PROBLEM

Current website struggles with search ranking and client conversion

Whistle Clean Australia (WCA) approached our team seeking to improve their website with a clear goal: consistently attract 2-3 new long-term clients each month.

WCA prides itself on a unique brand identity and values that prioritise its people and sustainability but the current website isn’t able to communicate these key differentiators. Combining this with the website's low ranking on Google searches, the acquisition of new clients each month has been inconsistent and less than ideal.

Recognising these limitations, the new WCA website needs to be not only discoverable on Google searches but also able to convert website visitors into clients.

“The homepage should be less overwhelming. It has so much information that I would need to take notes in my notebook, and makes me want to check another company”

-- Research participant commenting on the current website

APPROACH

Strategic workflow to deliver optimal user experience within 4 weeks

Refining the design

The "Our Services" section was moved higher on the page to improve service discoverability. 3 out of 4 participants expressed frustration when they couldn't find service offerings immediately.

Based on 2 out of 4 testers mentioning trust concerns, a Google logo was added to the review section to enhance credibility.

The Office Cleaning page was reorganised and simplified based on user feedback. 75% of users reported difficulty finding service pricing and details about office cleaning specific services such as window cleaning.

I divided our team of 11 designers into working groups based on strengths, focusing on research, branding, and design. Weekly goals and close collaboration with the client (through regular updates) ensured the project remained on track.

To understand user needs and WCA's vision, we conducted an initial website analysis, competitor review, and client interview. This data informed our design decisions and helped us quickly build low-fidelity prototypes for testing only within 3 days.

User research data was synthesised immediately after each usability test. This rapid iteration process allowed us to finalise the design and develop high-fidelity prototypes within just 2 days of completing the research.

50% Project Management

I collaborated with the client, set goal and delegated tasks, and made sure the team is on track

10% Coaching

Team’s growth is important so I set up a Figma Friday workshop and made myself available to up-skill the team in Figma when needed.

40% Designing

By having team members be the task owners, I provide support wherever needed most.

OUTCOME

Increased confidence in attracting new clients consistently

We delivered:

SEO and conversion-optimised website that received positive feedback during the usability tests. 100% of participants wanted to book the discovery call when testing the new designs.
New branding highlights WCA's commitment to sustainability, making the brand stand out in the crowded market.
Prototypes and design system streamlined the handover and development process for the client and developers.

“Whistle Clean Australia was fortunate to have such talented individuals contribute to our website. Special thanks to Joanne for her leadership and dedication in guiding the teams to success.”

-- Ivan, Founder & CEO, Whistle Clean Australia

WCA was excited to implement the proposed solutions into the development process within the next few months.

The project's success lays the groundwork for future improvements. High-fidelity prototypes will be further refined for optimal user experience, with a focus on mobile responsiveness to enhance SEO and user engagement. Post-launch conversion rates will be tracked using Google Analytics, informing data-driven decisions for ongoing website optimization.

REFLECTION

I’m grateful for the opportunity to refine my leadership skills through this project and for working with a passionate, talented team of people. It was challenging for me initially to trust team members with completing a task that they’re not confident with. However, I learned to move past the doubt and help them unblock any obstacles allowing them to produce high quality work that they’re proud of.

Without question Joanne would be an amazing asset to any team, is an incredibly capable practitioner, is ambitious, focuses on customer and stakeholder outcomes and works incredibly well within a team. It was an absolute pleasure working with Joanne and look forward to working with her in the future.

Thiru

Project Supervisor

Joanne was a delight to collaborate with, making the entire experience both productive and enjoyable.

Her exceptional leadership and project management skills ensured everything ran smoothly and on time, while her coaching provided valuable insights and growth opportunities for the team.

Hannie

Researcher, work on the same team

Joanne was the ultimate team lead for this website redesign project. Handling a team of 10, Joanne brought her positive attitude every day, starting meetings by acknowledging different members for their contributions. She effortlessly juggled client communication, project management, daily meetings, team morale, and her expert Figma skills, showcasing her remarkable versatility.

Lucas

Researcher & Figma animator, work on the same team

Joanne is calm, compassionate, and decisive, always listening to her team and taking actions that reflect our collective spirit.

On the technical side, she is exceptionally skilled at building a design system - it seems rare in the market but in my opinion, she does strike a perfect balance between user research (UX) and visual aesthetics (UI). Her eagerness to learn and continuously improve is truly inspiring.

Linh

UI designer, work on the same team

I greatly admire Joanne for her tireless dedication and willingness to support others. Her availability and responsiveness made her a go-to person for questions, quandaries, or problems, always making others feel valued and validated.

Without Joanne's leadership and contributions, the amazing final product we are all proud of would not have been possible. I would be delighted to work with Joanne again in any capacity in the future.

Nerida