SITE REDESIGN | VA LOAN CAPTAIN: PATRIOT PROGRAM
Empowering low-tech Realtors to acquire new leads
WHAT IS IT: The Patriot Program understands veterans and their home buying needs, and for a subscription fee offers tools and templates to help Realtors market themselves to veterans.
PROJECT TERMS: Freelance, working with a trio UX/UI design team
MY ROLE:
UX Designer;
Information Architect &
Content Strategy Lead;
Project Manager
The Challenge: Realtors need to feel confident using the Patriot Program tools to reach new veteran leads and manage client acquisition campaigns
original Patriot Program toolkit
Understand the realtor and her motivations in subscribing to the Patriot Program via user research
Help the realtor to understand all resources available through information architecture
Increase realtor's proficiency in creating marketing campaigns through content strategy
Boost realtor's confidence and leads = increased value & ROI of the Patriot Program subscription
User Research: Our user Betty is a licensed Realtor motivated by acquiring new leads
PERSONA
54 y/o Realtor with limited knowledge of digital marketing
PAIN POINTS: what site tools are available, how to use them
GOAL: ROI by acquiring more veteran leads
TOOLS USED
User interviews with current site users, realtors, and
military home buyersContextual inquiry with current site users
Published statistical reports
Competitive analysis
Empathy maps
Content Strategy: Realtors want to learn social media marketing; headlines incentivize action
91% of Realtors use social media, but only 9% use it to market their business (NAR, 2016)
68% want to learn more about Facebook (NAR, 2016)
92% use email, 90% phone to contact (Buffini, 2014)
14.1% links in opened emails get clicked (Placester, 2015)
TURN RESEARCH INTO CONTENT
Prioritize social media marketing
Goal-oriented headlines emphasize value for Betty
Clear incentives followed by simple buttons encourage Betty to take action
Information Architecture: Site structure streamlined to highlight essential tools available
SITE MAP REDESIGN
Organize pages by action to emphasize how using the tools can personally help Betty get more leads
Cut 8 pages to streamline navigation
ACTION ORIENTED SITE
Hierarchy of tools driven by research and utility: priority on "promote my website" to encourage realtors to reach new audiences and acquire new leads
All tools are available from the home page and
persistent side navigation
Heuristics: New copy and visual design to create a consistent, easy experience
Visibility of System Status: Providing Betty with an interactive step-by-step so she knows where she is in the process
Error Prevention: Providing sample content so Betty knows exactly how to market her website without room for error
Consistent language: Using familiar realtor lingo and consistent wording to give Betty a sense of ownership and understanding
Final Deliverable: A website designed to help Betty feel confident in her capabilities acquiring and managing new leads
