J.J.Gandhi & Associates
Website and Client Portal Integration as an Internal Tool
Increased New Client conversion rate by 20%
Jan 2022 - Present
Overview
Team Make-up
Product Designer (My Role), Company Principal Associate, Software Engineer and Developer, UX Researcher
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Miro, Adobe Illustrator, UserZoom
Time line
6 months and on-going (client portal development)
My Role + Impact
Problem Statement
The business experienced a significant decline in new client acquisition and geographical outreach. Although the company remained profitable, the projected profits were lower due to the decrease in incoming clients. Additionally, existing clients expressed dissatisfaction with the ease of engaging with the firm to manage their pending cases efficiently.
Business Challenges
The Principal Associate and senior staff (stakeholders) engaged with us to address these issues, setting a goal to increase the rate of new client acquisition and achieve at least a 5-10% increase in user satisfaction among existing clients while managing their cases.
Business Goals
Our team developed a roadmap to achieve these goals by -
1. understanding both the user groups (existing and prospective clients) and their pain points,
2. improving their experience to engage with the firm by identifying solutions,
3. and measuring the impact of our actions to ensure we were on the right path.
If these business problems were not addressed with the correct strategies at the right time, the firm risked falling behind in a highly competitive law market that continually grows and adapts with increasing reliance on technology.
Roadmap to achieve the set business objectives
User Research
1. Competitive Analysis
We did a competitive analysis comparing website of in total 4 companies providing legal services, to understand market positioning and how are these companies leveraging technology to compete and provide user-satisfaction.
The goal was to gather insights on
1. value proposition they offer, 2. ease to navigate information, 3. user satisfaction for clients, 4. market position to bring in - new clients.
Some important insights gathered,
1. Along with strong visual language, and value propositions, were in the areas of content relevance and call-to-action elements, which helped users easily engage with the company.
2. One of the companies (Harvey Jacob Law) was leveraging digital platforms to engage with new clients, and providing personal login portals for existing clients. This is something that not many legal advisors are currently using or willing to invest resources in. They don’t see leveraging technology as a necessity for now, which could become a challenging situation later.
2. Surveys
Survey Questions was used as one of the methods to understand the target user group, emerged as a highly effective method for uncovering pain points and proved to be time-efficient.
The survey yielded expected results, highlighting known problem areas, and offered intriguing insights to enhance communication for both user groups. After collecting a total of 50 responses, we began analyzing the insights, with 30 originating from our existing clients and 20 from prospective new clients.
During office visits, we requested existing clients to complete the survey form, and we also shared the form with clients they may have conversed with.
The goal behind the questions was to improve the overall experience of current and prospective clients while engaging with the firm. The questions were based on to understand current experience of clients, what they would like to change in each stage of their legal proceeding and by what amount these changes were preferred by them.
Survey results and insights gathered
3. User Interviews
We conducted interviews with a total of 10 people, given the time constraints. These were divided into two broad categories: current clients and prospective clients, with 5 people from each group. Clear goals were established to determine what insights we wanted to extract from each group. This approach helped us stay focused and formulate questions that targeted the specific concerns of each user group.
4. User Personas
After interviewing 10 people and understanding their backgrounds and goals, we created user personas for two groups: existing clients and prospective clients. These personas were well-detailed, including the background, goals, and frustrations of each user group.
Through analysis and research, we identified several important user problems and frustrations:
the outdated methods for scheduling appointments and organizing documents, time constraints, lack of legal knowledge, and the dilemma and challenge in choosing a trustworthy company.
User Group - Existing Client
User Group - Prospective Client
5. User Stories
exploring what needs to be build
"As a current client, I want the law firm to provide convenient and responsive online communication channels, such as live chat or a dedicated client portal, so that I can easily engage with the firm and receive timely updates on my case."
"As a current client, I want the law firm to modernize its document sharing process for seamless interactions, so that I can efficiently manage my legal affairs."
"As a prospective new client, I want the law firm's online presence to be more visible and informative, so that I can easily assess its capabilities and reputation before considering engagement."
"As a prospective new client, I want the law firm to showcase its extensive legal expertise through a diverse online portfolio and prominently feature trust indicators, so that I can make informed decisions about its suitability for my legal needs."
"As a prospective new client, I aim for the law firm to upgrade its appointment and inquiry procedures, offering a secure online platform for a convenient and streamlined experience as I explore their services for the first time."
6. User flow
finding opportunities in the current user flow to improve the product
At this stage, we critically analyzed the current user flow for both user groups by examining each step in their respective journeys. This was a crucial part of our research, as it allowed us to identify not only the points where frustrations and challenges were encountered but also opportunities within these gaps to create an optimal user journey.
Current User flow of an existing client
Current User flow of a prospective new client
7. Affinity Mapping
Organizing Ideas + Top Findings + Action Items
Ideation - Wireframes Phase 1
Website Interface
Before
After
Explore the Website here
Post Usability Test : Exploring Ideas through Storyboards
As seen after gathering insights from the usability test, we received important feedback regarding the need to improve the overall user experience when engaging with the firm, particularly in areas like appointment scheduling, meeting arrangements, and document sharing.
In response to this feedback, we brainstormed ideas and decided to introduce an individual client login portal on the website. Here are some of the ideas and features we discussed. We were then in the process of prioritizing which features to work on first and which to include as part of the broader goal.
Prioritizing Insights and Iterations after brainstorming ideas
We developed a roadmap based on the ideas we discussed and solutions presented. The goal was to create a seamless and efficient user experience, focusing on key functionalities that will enhance the overall service. Here’s a breakdown of potential features and a phased approach for implementation:
Ideation - Wireframes for Phase 1: MVP
Phase 1 - Client Portal MVP Prototypes
We introduced the most important change for the MVP: a client portal feature. We implemented individual login features for every existing client to upload documents, provide a centralized document overview, manage appointments, and track the progress of their pending cases. This step aimed to address client frustrations with time-consuming appointments and meetings, cumbersome document sharing methods, and overall process complaints while engaging with the firm.
Interface of the Client Portal after navigating from the website
Dashboard Interface providing all necessary information needed to organize their tasks. The next step to add in the dashboard is also to track the case status to indicate progress made.
Appointment Schedule page providing information about upcoming appointments along with clear cues to schedule next appointment.
1. On-boarding process
A streamlined onboarding process where users can create an account, fill in personal information, and be guided to the home page.
Users are greeted with an intuitive home page featuring cards that provide direct access to essential sections like document management, appointment scheduling, messaging, and the dashboard.
This design ensures a seamless introduction to the portal, helping clients quickly familiarize themselves with the platform and efficiently navigate to their desired destination.
2. Revamped Appointment Booking Process
A comprehensive appointment scheduling system that can be accessed via the top navigation bar, home page cards, or dashboard.
Clients can view upcoming and past appointments, and easily schedule new ones. These appointments can be added to a calendar, emailed, or sent to their phone. A drawer menu is always available to assist in navigation.
This feature is designed to simplify and streamline the appointment process, making it easier for clients to manage their schedules and stay organized.
3. Centralized Document Management
A centralized document management system that provides clients with complete control over their documents.
Using the left drawer, clients can navigate to a page where they can manage, view, download, delete, and sort documents according to their preferences. A button at the top allows for easy document uploads, which can be shared with the team for further action.
This feature is essential for enhancing efficiency, allowing clients to handle their documents in one centralized space, saving time and ensuring better organization.
Usability Test -2
Following the implementation of iterations based on insights from Usability Test -1 and working on document specification with the dev team , we proceeded to Usability Test -2 with the MVP (Minimal Viable Product) Insights from Usability Test -2 and considerations for the next steps include:
1. Personalized Dashboard: Developing a customized dashboard for users to have a tailored overview of their interactions and activities.
2. Active Blogs with Insights and Legal Articles: Introducing dynamic and informative blogs that provide insights and legal articles to keep users engaged and informed.
3. Chat Bots: Incorporating chat bots to facilitate instant communication and support, enhancing user engagement and interaction.
Business Results
Prioritizing tasks and addressing user problems first have propelled us significantly in our journey. Rebranding and launching the website as our initial step proved to enhance our competitive market position. Key impacts observed include:
1. Increased inquiries from new clients, including our first international queries.
2. A 6% increase in website conversion rates.
3. A 20% rise in new client conversion rates compared to returning clients.
4. Existing clients reported improved ease in communication.
5. A 27% increase in unique visitors.
UX Results
Feedback from the usability test of the MVP confirmed several key findings:
New clients can now easily send inquiry messages, attracting international clients.
Document uploading and individual client log-ins save significant time and facilitate hassle-free management.
Existing clients can easily navigate back to the portal to track progress in their case proceedings at any time.
These insights underscore the effectiveness of our UX improvements in enhancing user experience and meeting client needs effectively.