Increasing audience rates on C-suite learnings
Overview
Reboot Partners offers advisement services to fortune 1000 companies at the executive level. They provide consulting services directly to CEOs to help with scale in the digital space. One of their many initiatives includes exposing insights from the C-suite of some of the largest tech companies. They do this in the form of articles, video-format podcasts, and audio podcasts, which operate under the title Reboot Chronicles.
Role
UX Researcher
UX Researcher
Duration
2 Months
2 Months
Problem
Audience rates have fallen since Reboot Chronicles was hosted by a different company, and switched to being solely hosted by Reboot Partners
Audience rates have fallen since Reboot Chronicles was hosted by a different company, and switched to being solely hosted by Reboot Partners
Goal
Increasing audience rates of both viewership and listeners
Increasing audience rates of both viewership and listeners
Current state
Stakeholders would like to see Reboot Chronicles grow. Today, its articles, podcast episodes, and videos live on the same website where Reboot Partners showcase their consultant offerings and other projects.
Research
Plan
I conducted 7 user interview / moderated usability tests (1 pilot test), which allowed me to observe users' navigation processes in real time while receiving their verbal feedback on a limited budget. Since I began the interviews with general questions, I also gained insight into some of the participants daily habits around business podcasts.
I planned to get an accurate baseline on the wayfinding of the current site and gain insights from users who are looking for lessons from C-suites. I utilized Reboots social media following for recruitment and filtered out people who are in the UX field to maintain user objectivity. Then I planned to perform more usability tests on high-fidelity prototypes to see if we solved our problems with new designs.
I conducted 7 user interview / moderated usability tests (1 pilot test), which allowed me to observe users' navigation processes in real time while receiving their verbal feedback on a limited budget. Since I began the interviews with general questions, I also gained insight into some of the participants daily habits around business podcasts.
I planned to get an accurate baseline on the wayfinding of the current site and gain insights from users who are looking for lessons from C-suites. I utilized Reboots social media following for recruitment and filtered out people who are in the UX field to maintain user objectivity. Then I planned to perform more usability tests on high-fidelity prototypes to see if we solved our problems with new designs.
Moderators Guide
I designed a moderator guide with general probing questions and tasks. During the general probe, I allowed the conversations to develop and branch as a natural conversation does without rigidity. But having a moderator guide during the usability testing portion helped me walk participants through the same script so that my involvement wasn’t a drastically changing variable while getting through the tasks.
I designed a moderator guide with general probing questions and tasks. During the general probe, I allowed the conversations to develop and branch as a natural conversation does without rigidity. But having a moderator guide during the usability testing portion helped me walk participants through the same script so that my involvement wasn’t a drastically changing variable while getting through the tasks.
Interviews
For the actual interviews, I transferred my guide to a spreadsheet so that I could quickly log notes into each participant's column. This helped with the analysis later on so that I could compare horizontally across the interviews.
For the actual interviews, I transferred my guide to a spreadsheet so that I could quickly log notes into each participant's column. This helped with the analysis later on so that I could compare horizontally across the interviews.
Analysis
I reviewed information gathered through my research and identified patterns and pain points. I then recognized a pattern of Reboot Chronicles being overshadowed on the Reboot Partners' website—all six users were confused about how to find Reboot Chronicles if they were not clicking links they found on social media. Users believed the web presence of Reboot Chronicles was tied to social media channels.
Since the primary goal of rebootpartners.com is to gain leads on executive advisement, the goals of the articles and podcasts of Reboot Chronicles are overshadowed.
I reviewed information gathered through my research and identified patterns and pain points. I then recognized a pattern of Reboot Chronicles being overshadowed on the Reboot Partners' website—all six users were confused about how to find Reboot Chronicles if they were not clicking links they found on social media. Users believed the web presence of Reboot Chronicles was tied to social media channels.
Since the primary goal of rebootpartners.com is to gain leads on executive advisement, the goals of the articles and podcasts of Reboot Chronicles are overshadowed.
Convincing Stakeholders
I shared my key insights with stakeholders to advocate for Reboot Chronicles to have its own website to increase its web presence which would increase their audience's access to their podcast episodes, videos, and articles. With the finding that their audience wasn’t aware that Reboot Chronicles was hosted on the Reboot Partners website, the stakeholders were convinced that the podcast should have its own website.
Outcomes
Reboot Chronicles' website is currently in the works and designers are aware of the usability issues noted about the video access and working to address them. Production assistants are also working on a vertical format version to increase reach.
Design translation: Insight 1
A new website was created for Reboot Chronicles which has separate goals. This way the podcast can shine without being overshadowed by consulting goals.
A new website was created for Reboot Chronicles which has separate goals. This way the podcast can shine without being overshadowed by consulting goals.
Design translation: Insight 4
Each episode now has a detail page with video and audio format of the podcast. Beneath the playable media is the associated article.
Each episode now has a detail page with video and audio format of the podcast. Beneath the playable media is the associated article.
Design translation: Insight 5
Since some users mentioned TikTok, the production assistants started creating vertical format versions of the podcast that were easily digestible and fit into TikTok and Youtube Shorts to gain more impressions.
Since some users mentioned TikTok, the production assistants started creating vertical format versions of the podcast that were easily digestible and fit into TikTok and Youtube Shorts to gain more impressions.
Next Steps
I will run moderated usability tests on the high-fidelity prototype once the designer has finished their first version of the new website.
Next Project
Increasing customer satisfaction by reducing wait times