MJ Creative Website

I own and operate a small business called MJ Creative. To promote my business, I created a website on Squarespace. After completing my User Experience Design certification from Google, I made many updates to the interface and the overall architecture of the website.

Visit the website here.

Iteration 1: Information

Initially I simply wanted a website. I didn't consider what the website would provide for my business or why a user would want to visit my website. It contained general information about my business with little concern for navigation or information architecture.

Iteration 2: Purpose

I wasn't seeing the user interaction that I wanted to see. I noticed traffic dropping off after users visited the home page. I reworked the page to present my work and artists front and center, hoping to encourage engagement. However, I had yet to consider the goal a user has when visiting my website. I was thinking of the business need, but not the user experience.

Iteration 3: Users

Only after completing my User Experience Certification from Google did I realize that I needed to focus on the user journey. How will they use my website? What are they trying to accomplish? How can I help them stay on the "happy path"?

I developed an information architecture and site web, put the important information up front, and focused on the user's goals. With every update, I could see users getting closer and closer to pressing the Checkout button with the site analytics tools.

Lessons Learned

As a business just starting out, it's critical to guide users on the path I want them to take. It doesn't matter how wonderful my products are if users give up before they can purchase them.

My first concern should be users. What do they want to do? What do I want them to do? Perfect colors and eye-catching graphics don't matter if a user can't navigate to where they want to be.

I'm still working on making the MJ Creative website the best it can be. I'm investing in better tools and taking the time to plan out my designs. I've discovered that taking the time to plan out a website well is worth it.