Content design and UX writing for a small business website
This client started a small home inspection business and was building a website to advertise the business and its services. I conducted an inventory of all the copy on the website in the form of a copy deck where I suggested edits to voice & tone, grammar, and user flow.
Business constraint:
Billing/payment cannot occur before a phone conversation.
The Problem
There needs to be a phone call.
The business owner informed me this is how all home inspectors do things. This is because they need a conversation to work out all the nuances of the home—where all possible add-ons are explored and quantified before tallying up the bill.
The Solution
We can work with that. The business owner is a very cool and straightforward guy. That’s basically his whole brand. Getting the customer on the phone will work in his favor.
Our goal is to guide the user toward the phone call without stressing them out.
Proper information hierarchy, easy-to-locate contact information, and stress-free scheduling will be our goals here.
User journey
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Our target users are buying a home and they need an inspection. There are a number of local options available and most are more experienced.
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The target user searches for local home inspection businesses. ERO will need some decent SEO and some good reviews to really start showing up, but you’ve gotta start somewhere!
The home buyer finds ERO Inspections. “Look at all these five-star reviews!” they say giddily.
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It’s vital to give the user the information they need when they need it. The “Services” page needs to be simple enough for a non-expert to use. The “About” page needs to show that E. is trustworthy and an expert in his field. All while guiding the user to the “Contact” page.
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Users can choose to call ERO or fill out a form with their information, a message, and the best way to contact them.
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After a phone call detailing the specifics of the inspection, ERO can send an invoice and they can schedule a time for the home inspection.
The Copy Deck
Since this project was primarily copyediting and user flow suggestions, I made a copy deck containing all relevant UI copy on the ERO website. I proofread, made edits, and suggested copy and design changes where appropriate, which the client then implemented.
Results
The best data I currently have is that ERO is in business and getting work! The most crucial change from a user-experience perspective was the shift in tone from “Schedule” to “Check Availability.” This served to help alleviate user anxiety and keep users interested without using overly forceful, contractual, or obligatory language. Ultimately I would have liked to be more involved with the overall design, but I was brought on later in the process.