UOL HOST – Web hosting services and domains

Project

https://uolhost.uol.com.br/

Background

UOL Host is one of the largest web hosting companies in Brazil. They offer a complete portfolio for online businesses like website hosting, cloud services, e-commerce solutions, communication resources, and domains, among others.

Challenges

Our team had two main challenges. The first one was to build a clear communication that non-technical customers who would like to have just a domain and a website could easily understand. The communication should also be appropriate for technical customers, like programmers, developers, and IT managers who want to subscribe to cloud services, databases, or be web hosting resellers.

The second main challenge was to offer an easy-to-use control panel where clients could manage their services without specialised support. Once again, the control panel should be easy for the customer with no technical skills so they could build their websites by themselves. At the same time, it should offer more sophisticated resources for IT managers and developers.

Goals

• Increase the number of customers and retain them by building an effective website for UOL Host that informs and sells the products and services for different kinds of users.
  
• Develop a control panel that organises all the services in one place. Also, build each service managing panel accordingly to different users’ profiles.

Work process

At UOL HOST, the projects were developed using Agile methods and processes. We continuously tested and improved the website and control panel through a constant user research process.

Among the main methods and tools, we performed several A/B tests to identify the best solutions for information architecture, navigation, communication, and labels, measuring immediate sales and following the users’ lifecycle after subscription to understand retention. We also worked closely with customer support to better understand users’ struggles.

Other methods used during development:

• User interviewing: I performed regular user interviews to understand their daily routine, challenges, needs, and aspirations.
• Card sorting: I performed card sorting sessions to test and elaborate labels and navigation to investigate the most suitable communication.
• Usability tests: recurring sessions to capture usability problems.

My role

UX designer and design lead.

As a UX designer, I had the opportunity to develop work for several products at UOL HOST, like the web hosting service, domain registration, and cloud services, among others. I developed and designed prototypes and was responsible for investigating users’ needs by planning and doing user research. I worked with the marketing team to plan and execute A/B tests.

As a team lead, I was responsible for working together with the other designers in the team, guiding, promoting design critiques, and improving work processes.

Outcomes

I worked with UOL Host projects for four years. When we started, the company had an outdated website with non-congruent communication and unclear information architecture. The control panel also had confusing navigation, with heavy use of technical language, which was not accessible to all the users.

During the period, we could improve communication through a continuous experience of user research and A/B tests.

The design work collaborated to modernise the platform, unifying different services and improving communication and usability.

As an outcome, the new structure and navigation offered much clearer information that improved the service quality. Much that was developed at that time is still on the current website.