HEMMINGS
Optimized Hemmings’ seller ad flow and landing pages, driving double-digit increases in engagement and purchases.
Service
Experience Design
My Role
UX Lead
OVERVIEW
Hemmings, a leader in vintage car sales, saw declining seller ad sales after platform changes. This project streamlined ad creation, reducing confusion and improving onboarding, enabling vintage car sellers to showcase and sell their cars more effectively.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Hemmings’ recent platform changes caused a decline in ad sales, impacting revenue. How might we optimize the onboarding and checkout process to serve sellers better and boost ad creation sales?
DESIGN APPROACH
I guided design strategy at Hemmings, collaborating with the CRO director and user researcher to refine user flows and dashboard functionality. I produced wireframes, A/B tests, and prototypes and worked closely with engineering for seamless implementation, boosting engagement and conversion rates and aligning with business goals.
PROBLEM:
Recent changes to Hemmings' seller ad creation platform led to a drop in ad sales, prompting the need to optimize the onboarding and checkout experience. My focus was on streamlining these critical touchpoints to improve seller conversions.
RESEARCH:
I gathered research by questioning the CRO and research lead on the team and by asking targeted questions during client calls, gaining qualitative insights into site visitors’ pain points from the consideration stage onward.
Below were some findings based on the user interview feedback (Qualitative Findings):
Some sellers were unclear about the recommended level of detail and ideal number of images.
Confusion surrounded word count limits for Silver (35 words) and Gold (75 words) listings.
Many were unaware that Hemmings reviews and approves ads, which can reduce seller anxiety about errors.
There was potential to streamline Hemmings’ ad creation process by clarifying word count limits, guiding sellers on optimal descriptions and images, and highlighting Hemmings’ review process as a supportive service. Providing concise prompts and visual cues can help sellers craft compelling, succinct ads while reducing confusion and anxiety.
USERS AND AUDIENCE
Name: Daniel
Age: 40–45 years old
Gender: Male
Location: Suburban or semi-rural area with space for a garage
Marital Status: Married or in a long-term relationship
Children: Possibly older children, if any
Occupation: Mid-to-senior level professional (Business, Finance, Tech) or small business owner
Income Level: $90K–$150K per year
Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
Lifestyle & Behaviors
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Owns or is actively looking to own a vintage/classic car
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Enthusiastic about attending car shows and classic auto events
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Values having ample garage space or workshop for restoring and maintaining vehicles
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Actively researches rare parts, market trends, and pricing for vintage cars
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Appreciates a sense of community through local clubs, forums, or online vintage car groups
SCOPE AND CONSTRAINTS
The project aimed to swiftly optimize the entire ad user journey—from search to conversion—amid declining ad sales while preserving the existing user experience. Over 5 months, the team held weekly calls and sprints to audit Hemmings’ platform, propose tests, design landing pages, and run A/B experiments. Improvements were prioritized by impact, cost, and effort, culminating in actionable CRO recommendations.
Next step was to improve the flow and address the issues stated by the users during user research.
IDEATION AND PROTOTYPING
Based on the research and user pain points, I revised the Information flow and worked on the wireframes and final prototypes for testing.
INFORMATION FLOW
I created a clear user flow that walks customers from the homepage to final confirmation, ensuring each stage—like selecting a package, prepping paperwork, and entering vehicle info—is straightforward and efficient.
WIREFRAMES
TESTING AND IMPLIMENTATION OF FINAL DESIGNS
1. Clear Comparison Chart for Seller Ad Creation Packages
Hypothesis: A concise, organized comparison chart helps users quickly understand Ad Creation package differences, reducing confusion and aiding informed decisions.
Design Strategy: The chart aligns with user expectations by grouping details logically, enabling quick comparisons without memorizing package details.
Comparison Chart Variations
2. Onboarding Checklist Highlighting Required Paperwork
Hypothesis: Adding a checklist at the start of onboarding will ensure users are prepared with necessary documents, reducing mid-process interruptions and enhancing completion rates.
Design Strategy: A checklist was introduced upfront, outlining required paperwork and information, which helps users avoid errors and frustration from missing materials.
Onboarding Checklist
3. Redesign Vehicle Form Page
Hypothesis: Moving the vehicle description to a prominent spot makes crucial information more accessible and enhances decision-making efficiency, while a consistent, streamlined form layout reduces confusion and errors for more intuitive navigation.
Design Strategy: I redesigned the vehicle form to standardize fields, labels, and layout, creating a familiar, clean interface. The vehicle description now occupies a highly visible area, improving content accessibility and easing navigation. This streamlined approach reduces errors, confusion, and distractions.
4. Progress Indicator for Enhanced Navigation
Hypothesis: Adding a progress indicator will improve user control and understanding of workflow stages, supporting better task management.
Design Strategy: A progress indicator was added to clearly show users their advancement through each stage, helping them manage their tasks and make informed choices about continuing or pausing.
Vehicle Form Section Redesign
5. Homepage Pop-up for Seller Ad Creation Flow
Hypothesis: Directing users to the ad creation flow via a homepage pop-up will reduce cognitive load and provide more precise guidance for completing key tasks.
Design Strategy: The homepage pop-up was designed to highlight the ad creation flow, helping users focus on the primary task without distractions.
RESULTS
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Increased User Engagement: Hemmings saw a substantial 37% increase in users navigating to the seller ad creation flow from the home page, indicating improved user engagement.
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Enhanced Checkout Completion: Refining the comparison flow and positioning the checkout process after key ad creation information led to a notable 15% lift in completed checkouts.
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Improved Progression and Completion Rates: Comparing different advertising options resulted in a significant 25% increase in users progressing to the next steps (checkout & contact) and a concurrent 21% rise in completed checkouts.
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Optimized Vehicle Description Placement: Moving the vehicle description to a prominent location on the landing page resulted in a significant 27% increase in completed checkouts.
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Consistent Positive Impact: Ongoing enhancements, such as the onboarding checklist, demonstrated a steady positive effect, achieving a 7.9% lift in completed checkouts.
Disclaimer: The current website may differ from the designs shown, as it was updated after the completion of this project.
