Information overload = overwhelmed and frustrated customers.
CertainTeed customers found it extremely difficult to find product information on the website, driving them to competitors or requiring them to meet with sales and support teams in a time-consuming fashion. This difficulty was not due to a lack of available information, but rather the reverse; the presence of massive amounts of detailed content on the site created information overload, and the added friction caused inefficiencies for users and the business alike.
Our user research revealed primary pain points and the severity of their impact on the customer experience. CertainTeed.com’s System Usability Scale Result Score was a D, with some of the main complaints being “wasted time and frustration about not finding needs quickly”, “frustration and confusion around the amount of distractions”, and “disappointment” related to there being no clear path for users.
We narrowed CertainTeed.com users into five primary archetypes. Though their roles are very different, we found they all had similar digital pain points and needs.
The primary customer challenges revealed through our user research were:
Wasted time. Difficulty finding what they need quickly.
Users were overwhelmed with the amount of information on one page. It was a distraction to have additional overview pages on the way to product pages and often left them confused and lacking confidence about next steps.
Frustration and confusion by the amount of distractions.
Users were disappointed when looking for something and it wasn’t what they expected. Designers looking for Revit files had several obstacles even after selecting the product. The inspiration gallery had small, hard to view photos but also contained blog articles and case studies that seemed unnecessary when users were searching for images. Search results were inaccurate and frustrating, often making the user start over. Filters didn’t apply relevance even after they had made the selection in the previous screen.
Disappointment
There was no clear path for the user. Homeowners thought the site was for Contractors; Contractors and Architects felt it was for Homeowners. Builders and Distributors didn’t find much value beyond a comparison tool. There needed to be a more distinct path for the users since they are often confused by commercial vs residential information. One of the biggest takeaways was that the Builders and Distributors either use their own site with CertainTeed’s product data on it or they use CertainTeed’s other secure websites.
Internal challenges to navigate
As with many large companies, the sheer number of stakeholders with varying priorities required a thoughtful approach to communications and recommendations. The JAKALA team worked closely with the core project team to develop extensive documentation that demonstrated how all stakeholders’ needs were being addressed. The final phase of the user research included multiple stakeholder presentations to build confidence and alignment with the proposed approach.
