SUMMARY
Gartner, a leading technology research and advisory firm, enlisted me as a User Researcher to enhance the user experience of their GetApp website.

One of the leading software comparators on the market.

YEAR

2019

ROLE

user researcher

CONTRIBUTION

USER RESEARCH · INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
INTERACTION DESIGN

TOOLS

HOTJAR · GOOGLE ANALYTICS
INTERVIEWS · DOVETAIL · USER PERSONAS

THE GOAL
My objective was clear – to boost user engagement and performance through thoughtful microinteractions.
the challange

GetApp was facing a puzzling predicament. While new users were flocking to the site, far too few were returning. 

As we delved into the issue, we discovered our primary users were non-tech savvy individuals desperately searching for the perfect software solution.

They relied heavily on user reviews, meticulously comparing options.

However, unclear category structures and confusing site interactions were undermining their experience.
the PROCESS

Drawing upon a robust toolkit of research methods, we set out to uncover the root of the problem. 

Heatmap analysis from Hotjar and in-depth user data from Google Analytics provided a quantitative foundation.

But the true insights emerged through direct engagement – interviews and usability testing with real GetApp users.

The research revealed three critical findings

  • Proof badges, intended to build trust, were falling short of their mark.

  • The hierarchy of the product results list lacked clarity and intuition.

  • Call-to-action buttons suffered from poor visual contrast, causing confusion.

Armed with these insights, I crafted a series of recommendations.

  • Make the Navigation editable for logged-in users so they could customize the navigation hierarchy

  • Introducing a completely different category of badges to differentiate paid clients as well as incorporating trusted external source badges.

  • Use more tooltips along the site to reinforce engagement with more microinteractions
     
  • Refining the color hierarchy of the product results.
the outcome

As a contracted consultant, my role concluded with the presentation of the research findings and proposed solutions.

While I did not witness the final implementation, I am confident that our evidence-based recommendations hold the potential to transform the GetApp user experience.

By addressing the core issues we uncovered, GetApp can cultivate a clearer, more engaging interface that guides non-tech savvy users to their ideal software solutions.

This, in turn, could drive increased user retention and, ultimately, business success.

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