Web analytics and an expert review increase the use of the company website

The background

D&B Germany offers information on more than 4.5 million German enterprises and approximate 150 million enterprises worldwide. At www.dnbgermany.de, potential customers get information on the three core divisions of Risk Management, Sales & Marketing and Supply Management as well on the company.

The starting point

Despite a website relaunch, the number of site visitors and the use of the contents did not meet the expectations of D&B Germany. The first indications on potential weaknesses could be gained by web analytics data: The abandonment rate on the start page was higher than average. On the start page, the users hardly clicked on the teasers of the core divisions. Potential causes: The start page had a very high information density. It was partly difficult to establish a border between the different content elements and to identify focal points. The information structure was very complex and the descriptions of the individual navigation items were not always obvious. Additionally, the visual design was rather unattractive and did not meet the high standards of D&B Germany.

The objectives

Based on web analytics data, UID was assigned to reveal the reasons for the unsatisfactory usage of the start page and to develop appropriate measures. The objective of the start page was to guide the users further into the website with its extensive contents. As a complete redesign was not the primary objective, the optimizations should be based on the existing design and contents.

The procedure

For the user experience analysis of the website, UID relied on a combination of web analytics and qualitative expert review: First, the user experience experts of UID analyzed the available web analytics data, which revealed first approaches to the subsequent heuristic evaluation of the website. The UID experts first examined whether the website met established usability and design guidelines. In a cognitive walkthrough, they put themselves in the positions of typical website users and went through representative use scenarios. One of these roles: a business analyst looking for someone offering business data, company information, and the appropriate tools. The solution for the defined weaknesses, which was developed by the UID team, was an improved page layout and a refreshed design.

The result

• The new D&B Germany website better meets the user requirements as regards the visual design as well as the structure. The new navigation architecture is clearly structured and intuitive. Unnecessary levels were removed, categories were named uniquely, and the core divisions were directly embedded in the main navigation.
• The start page of D&B Germany now appears well structured: The different contents are now visually separated and emphasize the important focal points. Mainly, the three core divisions are now clearly noticeable.
• The screen design was revised taking the corporate identity of D&B Germany into consideration: By creating a slight gradient of the corporate design colors yellow and blue, the design gets a fresh an premium character.

The users responded very positively – as proven by the web analytics data regarding the site visits, duration of sessions, and clicking behavior.

Links for further information

• Web Solutions at UID
• Customer: D&B Germany

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