ANS

Through extensive workshop activities with the ANS team, we were able to identify some key personas to target and develop user journeys for. We explored various influencing factors such as their job role, career goals and challenges, to build a clearer picture of what their pain-points around the current site may be and how we could overcome them.

Mega‑menus can appear overwhelming for some users, due to the sheer volume of information on display; however, one was necessary for the various user routes around the ANS site. Mapping out two clear routes through the navigation enabled us to cater for both SMB and enterprise audiences who would both be looking for different terminology whilst browsing ANS’s offering.

From our user persona research, we understood that while our enterprise audience often had a clear understanding of the specific service or product they required, our SMB audience typically lacked that level of in-depth knowledge. To address this, we displayed solutions and use cases directly within the navigation menu, enabling us to communicate ANS’s offering in a way that resonated with both audiences.

Given that the SMB offering was new, we needed to test our approach to meeting the needs of both SMB and enterprise users. Historically, ANS’s solution pages had been tailored to enterprise clients, so the challenge lay in balancing content and language to suit both audiences effectively. From our initial user testing, we found that 85% of the SMB users responded positively to the structure and tone of the navigation. A recurring comment was that they appreciated that “it didn’t assume I know what I’m looking for,” especially when compared to other websites that “dive straight into complex terminology and services.”

However, during testing of the user journey from the navigation through to the solution pages, we observed that 60% of SMB users dropped off. Instead of progressing to the 'Get in Touch' CTA, they navigated back to the homepage or the About page. Additional feedback revealed that although these users initially felt confident thanks to the language used in the navigation, this confidence diminished as they engaged with the solution pages. Common responses included: “I struggled to relate to the use cases provided” and “I wasn’t sure ANS would be right for us” - with some describing the content as “a bit too big or complex for what we do.”

In response to this feedback, we revisited the content strategy and structure of the solution pages. It became clear that users were missing essential trust signifiers, which prompted them to seek reassurance elsewhere on the site, particularly on the homepage and About page. We addressed this by embedding more trust elements directly into the solution pages, such as client logos, testimonials and customer stories. This allowed us to maintain the level of detail needed for enterprise users while also building credibility and relatability for SMB visitors, helping them to better understand ANS’s value proposition.

Following a final round of user testing, the updated solution pages received significantly improved feedback. 94% of SMB participants stated they believed ANS could effectively support their needs and expressed confidence in booking a call to explore how the company could help their business.

In addition to delivering a new and improved website that successfully translated their refreshed brand into the digital space, we created a comprehensive design system that ensured a seamless handoff to the development team and empowered the ANS team to maintain and expand their website throughout the company’s next transformative period.