Summary

Customers are not interacting with the product selector and are confused by the topic-first approach, likely because the current design asks them to make a significant decision from a single section of the page. To address this, we need to shift to a product-first approach, making product selection the main focus. Encouraging customers to sign in will allow us to show them the products they own and provide more relevant content.

The bottom line is to enhance the user experience, we should make product pages front and center, and once a customer selects a product, show them a set of topics specific to that product.

Qualitative Research

Our customer research revealed that most users start with the marketing site, while others use external resources like Google, YouTube, blogs, and tutorials. We should add a 'Get Started' section on the marketing site to direct users to our support site. The product selector was often overlooked due to its lack of visibility and clarity. Customers also struggled to find specific products using the topic-first approach. For the Contact Us section, most users didn’t scroll down to it and preferred finding contact links or phone numbers in the navigation. Some suggested a floating action button (FAB) for quick access to chat, contact, or a digital assistant. These findings highlight the need to improve the visibility and user-friendliness of key sections.

Verbatums

“It’s not obvious, when I select a card, if I will be taken to an article or a page.”
– Kimberly C.

“It doesn't make a ton of sense to be honest. Like, I mean, it just, it doesn't call to me to like click ... like as I like look over like topics. Okay. But it's going to just still be like clicking through to get to another thing to get to another thing.”
– Ximena A.

“I don't know if finding a way to break it out a little bit more in design to draw attention. Cause then maybe I will click carousel, but I didn't notice it. I don't know why I didn't scroll down the screen.”
– Matt H.

Internal support is essential

Both qualitative and quantitative data clearly indicate that the user experience for out-of-product help is subpar, and customers are not engaging with the product selector. Fortunately, we have strong internal support from key stakeholders involved with the product support site. It's incredibly encouraging to see that other employees share the same passion for enhancing the customer experience.

Adopting a product-first approach will provide much-needed clarity. By allowing customers to first select a product from a dedicated product page and then choose a relevant topic, we can offer a cleaner, more consistent flow. Everyone is aligned with this strategy and recognizes it as a crucial step forward.

This change will have a significant impact on our bottom line. When customers can easily find the information they need, there will be fewer escalations, lower call rates, and substantial cost savings.

Competitive Analysis

I conducted a competitive analysis of several support websites compared to QuickBooks. Most companies prominently feature their products on the support homepage, often using logos or icons for easy recognition. For instance, Microsoft, Atlassian, Adobe, and Google use logos, while Apple uses icons, and Samsung groups products by type.

Clear navigation is also a common theme. Many companies provide a direct way to browse all products, such as Dell's button under the search bar, and Intel and Cisco's use of product categories. These practices enhance user experience and can be valuable for improving our own support website. None use a topic first approach.