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Venue Finder - Conversation Design

Project Overview

Client: An online marketplace for global event venues

Role: Content Strategist / UX Writer / Conversation Designer

Problems/Goals: 

  • Rewrite the website using simple, conversational language, presenting the client as a leader in online event planning.

  • Build a scripted chatbot that helps customers choose a venue tailored to their preferences.

  • Write and design an email campaign that educates customers about common event planning problems and how the client solves them.

How I helped: 

  • Conducted user research

  • Conducted content audit

  • Created a content playbook

  • Conducted industry and competitor research

  • Created Information architecture/wireframes

  • Wrote and designed an email campaign 

  • Wrote and edited web copy and microcopy

  • Conversation design: chatbot persona, conversational flow, and scripts

Project Requirements:

Website Overhaul

Rewrite the web content with a personal tone that includes some direct language to highlight important features.

Write a new unique selling point (USP) on the website homepage.

Chatbot Script

Convert mundane event related questions into playful language that can be used in a scripted chatbot.

Use a question and response design to guide customers in choosing the right venue

Email Marketing Campaign 

Email 1 (1 day after sign up)

 Explain how to pick the right venue for any type of an event and how the client provides venues for a variety of events

 

Email 2 (3 days after sign up)

Explain common problems while choosing an event venue and how the client simplifies the issue.

 

Email 3 (5 days after sign up)

Explain event venue pricing and how the client gets them the best deal

Content Audit

Website Content

On conducting a content audit of the existing website, I found several typos, spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and inconsistencies in writing styles (ranging from professional to overly casual), and an ambiguous USP. Google Analytics & Hotjar data revealed the low engagement rate on the homepage.

Homepage-scroll 1.png

The headline copy is ambiguous and does not deliver a  USP

Event Venue Finder​

The client had gathered data from years of matching people's needs to event venues and developed an event venue finder. The website presented this data in a format that attempted to help customers choose the right event venue. However, customers abandoned the finder midway.

Frame 2.png

The user had to go through endless steps to find a list of suitable venues

Email Campaign 

Previously, the email drafts were a long series of paragraphs that lacked a personal touch and engaging language.

Research

User Interviews

I interviewed existing customers, and sent out surveys through Survey Monkey to learn about their needs and pain points.

The findings suggested that:

  • Customers experienced difficulty deciding on the best criteria to choose an event venue.

  • They were unaware that the website could recommend them a venue based on their unique preferences.

  • A major pain point for customers was that some venues oversell their capacity online. Customers were anxious that the venue may not be able to accommodate the actual number of guests. These anxieties were alleviated when customers were told that all venue listings on the website were verified.

  • The highest-priority for customers was understanding the website's policy that outlines what happens if a venue is not the right fit. They were pleased to hear that the website encourages customers to connect with them within 24 hours to be eligible for a full refund under their guest refund policy. 

Review and Testimonial Mining

I analyzed over hundreds of reviews on ProductReview to learn about customer frustrations and objections. I also analyzed reviews for competitors so I could understand how to position the client as the most preferred choice.

Competitor Analysis

The client has built a solid reputation on trust, listening to customers, keeping prices low and not using gimmicky sales tactics. However, new innovative brands found ways to simplify the experience of selecting a venue by conveniently bundling vendors and offering discounts.

Proposal / Recommendations

I developed a strategy to help the client level the playing field and gain an advantage over their competitors. 

Creating an online experience with clear, helpful instructions, and contextual information to help customers make decisions based on their needs could draw more clients.

 

Website Copywriting

Write SEO-optimized web copy with a personal and friendly tone.

The client's event venue finder consisted of several steps that was developed over many years. However, my research revealed that customers were not aware of how the finder could provide personalized solutions.I needed to study the finder and identify the most important steps to present to customers in a clear and focused USP on the website homepage.

Scripted Chatbot

The client's event venue finder data could be converted into dialogue for a chatbot/conversational interface that guides customers using plain language. For this, I could develop the chatbot persona, flow, and scripts, then the internal development team would code the chatbot into the client's website.

Email Marketing 

Research shows that over half of all emails are opened on mobile devices – short, concise emails perform best. A short 3-part email campaign could be built around a storytelling format that educates customers about how the event venue finder could solve common event planning problems.

Content Development

 

Website Copywriting

The user research highlighted the main offering that needed to be presented in a simple language. The research also informed the type of language to be used in describing the steps. After several rounds of testing & editing, I was able to write the offering concisely in one sentence. I used Figma to design the new USP in a high-fidelity wireframe.

Homepage-scroll 4.png

Clearly worded USP & steps

Scripted Chatbot – Conversation Design

As a first step to building a scripted chatbot, I created a question and response flowchart to make the venue finder data easier to visualize. The steps in the flowchart/event venue finder help customers choose a venue based on their budget and other preferences

Chatbot flowchart

Chatbot Response Flowchart

Then, I created a chatbot persona based on the brand personality, brand voice and insights distilled from user interviews. The interviews enabled me to empathise with the users and understand their pain points, needs, motivations and the language they use.

Finally, I started working on the chatbot script that introduces customers to the event venue finder and helps them choose the right venue. I deliberately formatted the chatbot scripts in a way that allows the web developer to understand it easily as well. The main things that a chatbot would do were:

1. Introduce itself as an assistant

 

2. Tell the user how it can help them

 

3. Apologize when it can't do something

 

4. Create a followup flow

5. Thank the user/Acknowledge gratitude

6. End the conversation

Finally, I provided the chatbot flowchart and scripts to the web developer who coded the chatbot into the client website.

Email Marketing Campaign

 

I created a template to format the 3-part email campaign.

Each email included:

  • A subject line

  • Greeting

  • Headline

  • Event venue finding problem

  • Solution

  • Sign-off

  • Signature

  • Call-to-action (CTA) button that linked to the chatbot.

A/B Testing

Results of A/B testing (using Optimizely & Google Analytics) the new website pages against the old ones show that visitors who enter from the new homepage stay on the website longer and view more pages.

Key Learnings:

  • Websites are never truly finished. They need constant analysis, iteration, and ideas to optimize results.

  • Importance of user testing cannot be emphasised enough

  • It is necessary to define a voice at the beginning of the project to maintain consistency throughout the product

If you'd like me to work on your website, chatbot, email marketing and more, feel free to drop me a line.

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