Challenge: Redesigning the leads conversion path in the Ironhack website.
Ironhack’s website is the main tool for converting leads. Potential students are expected to follow an easy path: Click on an ever-present CTA, fill a form, and wait to be contacted about their preferred Bootcamp so that they can enroll.
Yet, it isn’t being as effective as expected. Though the website is receiving the visits they are hoping for, leads aren’t completing the path.
So what’s the holdup? Everything else the user needs to do before feeling ready to click that very crucial CTA.
To put things in perspective: During our analysis of the current Ironhack website, we timed users while they tried to find all the information they needed to click on the CTA. It took them an average of 3 minutes. Just about the same amount of time it would take you to sing along to any Spice Girl song.
Researching Bootcamp Students
To understand the problem we send out a survey to find out the main motivations for enrolling in UX/UI Design, Web Development, or Data Analytics Bootcamp.
We found a little over half were looking at Bootcamps as a way to update their skills.
Others were looking for a faster alternative to a 4-year traditional college program.
Most potential students found schools and Bootcamp programs through Google searches.
Just a little under half of all respondents had heard about Ironhack before thanks to alumni recommendations.
Furthermore, 69% of all respondents ended up enrolling in a Bootcamp, of those, 84% were Ironhack alumni. In the survey, they specifically reported finally deciding on Ironhack thanks to recommendations and financial aids possibilities.
Interviewing Ironhackers
To round up our user’s profile we interviewed 12 people. The group was comprised of current Ironhackers, alumni, and potential students that ended up going to a different school or not enrolling in any program at all.
From Ironhackers and alumni, we wanted to know their impressions. Would they be one of those recommending Ironhack to others?
From those who didn’t enroll, we wanted to know what had attracted them to Ironhack in the first place and what had sent them running to never look back.
What we heard over and over again from all the people we interviewed was that they were scared of the quality of the Bootcamp.
Users weren’t sure whether the school was worth the time, effort, and money. They were also hesitant about job possibilities once they finished the Bootcamp and whether they’d be ready and armed with all the knowledge required to enter the workforce as professionals.
Adding to their preoccupations were the negative opinions of some people online completely berating Bootcamps.
On the positive side, we confirmed something we had also felt as Ironhackers: There’s a very aspirational vibe to the Ironhack brand online.
Student after student mentioned being part of Ironhack felt like being part of a cult. Which, yes, sounds weird, but they were all quick to mention they meant it felt like joining a really big tight-knit community.
This was something they all positively valued, even the ones who didn’t enroll. It attracted them to the brand and made them seriously consider putting Ironhack in their top 3 options.
Understanding Their Research Process
After better understanding the mental models of our users and their associations with Ironhacks as a brand, we asked to see what their research process was like for choosing a Bootcamp.
We knew what our users needed to make a choice:
- Bootcamp general information: Price, curriculum, schedule.
- Social proof: Reviews from other people that would give them some insight as to what they could expect.
By the time users were ready to take the plunge all they needed to know was the price, financial aids options, the program, and the next starting date.
An Eye-Opening Task Analysis
With that knowledge, we asked 10 users to complete a task analysis on the current Ironhack website. They were asked to:
- Choose a Bootcamp
- Find the curriculum
- Find the schedule
- Find the price
The results were a definite sign we were in desperate need of a new user flow and revising the architecture information in general:
Out of the 10 users, 7 required an average of 3 minutes, 2 quit altogether at the 2 minutes mark, and only 1 found it within a minute of poking around the website.
They all mentioned it was a frustrating experience:
- They didn’t know where the information they were looking for
- They came across walls of text that were difficult to sort through
- The navigation from section to the section was overall confusing
All these issues resulted in heir trust in Ironhack as a serious institution suffering. Especially for users interested in updating their skills through the UX/UI Design Bootcamp.
The Profile of an Ironhacker
After all the research we were ready to define two user profiles for potential Ironhackers based on surveys, interviews, and information by the school.
Defining the Problem
By now, we knew people looking to enroll in a Bootcamp need to find reliable information to make a choice they feel comfortable with. To do that, we identified three issues we wanted to solve on the first sprint:
- Disorganized information: There’s too much info in each part of the web, but it’s not the info neither John nor Antonia expects.
- Walls of texts: Users were skimming the info and having trouble finding key points for decision making (like the part-time options, and study plan).
- Ironhack spirit: Users were missing the upbeat, fresh image they saw on social media and heard from alumni. Ironhack’s website made it seem colder and traditional, leaving them wondering whether they’d belong.
Finding a Solution
We already had access to Ironhack’s design system and brand style guide, so we started by double-checking the accessibility of the colors that were already in use. Then we held a brainstorming session.
After choosing three ideas and conducting a concept testing, we ended up with a series of solutions for both John and Antonia:
- Organizing the information: We decided to have a simplified sitemap and made a layout that was easier to follow and didn’t require the users to guess where they were navigating to and where they’d find the information they were looking for. They can see the price of the Bootcamp in just one click and immediately after they have financing options.
- To allow Antonia to see the information she needed as fast as she could, we simplified the copy. Now she can read exactly what the Bootcamp teaches, and what she could expect for each module.
- Since she doesn’t have any previous experience, we also added a short quiz that would guide her to the type of career opportunities she can look forward to after the Bootcamp.
- Thinking about John’s doubts when it comes to the results of the Bootcamp, we decided to let the work of Ironhackers speak for the brand. For that, we highlighted the section showcasing student’s projects that would be curated for the school. This way he can better gauge what kind of results he can get.
- On the more emotional side, we decided to bring to the web something Antonia and Jon were already using during their research: The student opinions. What both users do now, is a search on google, find Medium posts talking about Ironhack, and form an opinion. What we proposed is having a quote and a link to those posts right on the homepage to make the process easier for them.
- To top it all up, we also changed the copy. We summarized text, left only the most important information, got rid of the passive voice, and ultra-formal language used throughout the website, and changed it for a more friendly warm tone.
Testing & Results
We repeated the task analysis with 10 users. We showed them the prototype, and ask them to again choose a Bootcamp of their liking, and find part-time options, curriculum, and prices.
This time it took them one click and virtually no time to see the exact information they needed to make a decision.
The comments we got were overall positive:
“Seamless experience”
“It doesn’t feel like I’m making any effort at all”
“Easy to understand”
Next Steps
- Designing the mobile experience
- Revising all Spanish copy. Spanish speaking users from Latin America found the copy odd since is catering to the public in Spain
- Further highlighting the community aspect of Ironhack with videos of current and old students
Check out the prototype over at Behance
