Shipped
Improving Lead Generation Through Strategic UX Audit
04 Initial Hypothesis
By realigning content from Independent Living focus to Assisted Living/Memory Care focus and simplifying key conversion paths, families will find relevant information faster, complete inquiries more easily, and be more likely to schedule tours vs. leaving the site confused.
05 Primary and Secondary Research
Uncovering What Families Actually Need
Analytics Revealed the Gaps
90 days of data showed a clear conversion problem:
37,295 visitors but only 186 lead form completions
62.8% mobile users struggling with desktop-optimized design
1m 19s average session vs. 4m+ form completion time
Key insight:
High traffic + brief engagement + long form time = significant friction in the user journey.
Heuristic Audit Found the Friction Points
I systematically evaluated the site against usability principles and found critical barriers.
Phase 2
What I learned:
Information hunting: Users jumped between 4+ pages for basic care understanding
Decision paralysis: Vague descriptions prevented confident next steps
Trust erosion: Every friction point made families question Oaks' care quality
The breakthrough insight
Families weren't browsing casually—they arrived with specific care needs and urgent timelines. The site's generic approach was failing people in crisis moments.
Solution
Phase 1 Quick Wins
Immediate Impact Improvements
Scannable Content Strategy
Problem: Marketing fluff forced users to read instead of scan, creating friction during stressful care research.
Solutions Implemented
Replaced storytelling headings with scannable, keyword-rich alternatives
Updated vague CTAs to be action-oriented : "Communities" → "View our Communities"
Prioritized user-friendly language over brand storytelling
Impact: Reduced cognitive load and improved content comprehension for families under stress.
Navigation Improvements
Problem: Navigation inconsistency was breaking user mental models and hiding conversion opportunities.
Impact: Eliminated user confusion and improved accessibility compliance.
Solutions Implemented
Maintained navigation consistency across sticky and standard states
Styled the Contact CTA similar to the other primary buttons
Added dropdown indicators with clear arrow icons
Improved contrast ratios to meet WCAG accessibility standards
Before
After
Reduced Form Friction points
Problem: "Contact Us" and "Schedule a Tour" CTAs led to the same generic form, violating recognition vs recall heuristics and misleading users about intended actions.
Solutions Implemented
Separated tour scheduling from general contact forms
Reduced form fields from 12 to 6 essential fields using progressive disclosure
Added distinct form field states (hover, active, focus) with proper contrast
Added real-time validation to prevent errors and provide clear error correction
Mobile Experince optimization
Insight: 62% of our users were using the site from mobile.
Solutions Implemented
Standardized text sizing for better readability
Made buttons full-width, creating a larger touch target
Disabled distracting animations on mobile
Phase 2 Strategic Improvements
Deeper UX Transformation
Enhanced Care Level Communication
Strategic Innovation: Created decision-support framework rather than just informational content.
Solutions Implemented
Daily Life Scenarios: Concrete visualizations reduce abstract anxiety
Family Success Stories: Social proof reduces perceived risk
Anticipatory FAQ System: Proactive answers to unstated concerns
Floor Plans Redesign
Problem: Analytics revealed that floor plans were the most visited pages, but they only showed basic room types without the context families needed for informed decision-making.
Solutions Implemented
Added room-specific amenities and detailed specifications to help families visualize daily life
Indicated which care levels each room type serves with visual badges and descriptions with filters
Added dedicated sections showcasing safety measures and service features unique to each community
Moved gallery from hidden "Explore" section to prominent placement, making visual discovery effortless
Key Learning & Reflection
Strategic Insight
The biggest challenge wasn't visual design — it was information architecture. Families needed decision-making support, not brand storytelling. This shift in perspective guided every recommendation.
Collaboration Win
When stakeholders initially resisted simplifying the hero message (concerned about losing brand personality), I presented user testing clips showing real confusion. Seeing users struggle to understand "what Oaks actually does" made the business case clear. Sometimes user voices speak louder than designer opinions.
Process Evolution
I learned to balance analytical insights with emotional understanding. While Google Analytics showed the problem (low engagement), user testing revealed the why (information overwhelm during stressful decision-making). Both were essential for creating solutions that truly served families in need.