Background
Sample Store (SS) is the leading experiential marketing platform and have been delivering new experiences to the general public through "tryvertising". In a world exposed to infinite choices, consumers want simple and convenient ways to experience products & services before they decide to buy them. Here at Sample Store, we deliver this experience to you. We have given consumers the opportunity to experience products & services of more than 300 brands. And with a world-class mail delivery service delivering samples & products to your home, you can try & experience the latest samples & products at the comfort of your home.
Situation
The brief was "brief"; beautify the existing site and attract more brands/users to participate in this try-marketing. However, we took this chance to dig deeper and hope to streamline certain processes. Further understanding brought us to realise not all FREE samples result in higher redemption rates. SS had also engaged bloggers' to promote its concept and samples but the results were not promising. Additionally, SS have had quite a pool of existing members, but less than a fraction of them updates their profile. These information are extremely valuable as they provide beneficial insights and aids SS in attracting brand collaborations.
Homepage
Starting with the Homepage, the re-design called for more breathing space. Accessibility being the utmost concern; the introduction of icons, clear call-to-action buttons, quick view functions and mobile-friendly interfaces were put into consideration.
Now, products are being placed according to new, free and exclusive respectively instead of shouting all 'FREE'. Placement of brand ads are being laid out more cohesively in order to reduce the clutter, minimize the distraction from actual products and avoid getting jumbled up with user reviews. A separate panel at the side houses constructive reviews that are not only bloggers' but also members of the site. An additional tab also showcases popular/highly rated products from different categories.
Product Detail
The new layout gives more focus to the product itself, with standalone product shots instead of advertising graphics from collaborating brands. Additionally, as brands collaborate with SS, they come with a set of USPs and users will review the efficacy of these samples. From the initial limitation of 5, brands can upsell by adding more. Users then review these "tags" and check the most relevant, these results add up to prove the accuracy of these USPs.
Users are allowed to toggle between product information and statistics derived from user ratings. Given the nature of consumers, personal reviews are taken into consideration more than before and largely affect the sales of the product. These reviews are listed instead of being displayed in boxes, with users' credibility attached.
User Profile
Let's be honest, filling up the profile page is like getting hijacked by surveyors on the streets. It is a hassle and we are likely to ignore, even more so if it is being tucked away. Other than providing a carrot, we look into improving the dashboard and forms of the profile page itself to encourage more entries. The layout is being streamlined and user can access everything at a glance. User is no longer bombarded by brand advertisements on their dashboard, instead they are fed with news in relation to them, e.g, birthday offers, fav items in stock etc. Archievements are also made apparent with CTAs encouraging users to earn points. Profile fields are being broken up and made more straightfoward with visual aids instead of all boring check boxes.
