Optimizing UPS Shipping Interface

UPS

UPS had redesigned their web site as part of a corporate re-branding effort and were preparing to launch the site globally. As part of the preparations to launch the site, usability was a primary concern to the UPS management.

Literally millions of people access UPS.com on a daily basis, so any small issue on the site can add up quickly into a customer support or satisfaction headache and that costs money. If there is one place where the rubber meets the road for the UPS brand, it is on their web site. UPS needed the site to be flawless and work intuitively every time. So, they contacted Matter.

Matter validated and made improvements to the design and usability of the site, based on user research. The key sections included the Shipping, Tracking and My UPS pages, where 80% of six million hits a day are directed. Matter created a usability study to understand how customers were likely to use the new sections and detect any issues in usability that would slow customers down or impede them from finding the information they needed quickly and reliably.

Key areas of focus were accessibility, legal requirements, and levels of security. Secondarily, we evaluated clarity of information presented by the site. We ensured internal UPS language was presented in an easily understandable form. We also analyzed information heirarchy, page layout, navigation, and icon usage.

Our study uncovered several areas where usability could be improved. Matter then quickly undertook user design sessions to inform a set of recommendations which were documented in an updated design, and then implemented by UPS for launch.

Matter was able to validate the parts of the UPS web site that worked well and highlight those areas that needed improvement. This work prevented customers from being confused or frustrated once the new site launched and greatly lowered customer support requirements. At the highest levels, our work prevented the new UPS branding initiative from being tarnished at the outset by something easily solvable with the right kind of user-centered focus.

The bottom line is that an inexpensive usability initiative protected millions of dollars spent in rebranding efforts and saved millions of dollars in customer support activities, plus promoted increased usage of the site resulting in increased revenues.

URL: http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/shipping/index.html