PetSmart

UX Strategy - Ecommerce

Role: Strategy Lead | Deliverables: Stakeholder interviews, primary research analysis, persona enrichment, ecommerce audits, user behaviors, user needs, current/ideal state journeys, optimization opportunities, vision statement, UX/design principles

Results: Opportunities for optimizing PetSmart’s ecommerce experience estimated to deliver $150 million revenue in year one

Challenge: PetSmart’s ecommerce experience was lagging competitors. It was not ready to meet the needs of its increasingly digital customers, and it was losing millions of dollars in revenue due to fall out across purchase journeys.

Strategic Approach: I broke the project into three phases: (1) define the current state, (2) identify the ideal state and (3) design new experiences.

Phase 1: Define the current state of PetSmart’s ecommerce experience
I conduced 15 stakeholder interviews, analyzed/synthesized 200+ pages of research, enriched existing personas with new insights and audited current site/app experiences for PetSmart, competitors and best-in-class retailers. Work samples:

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Phase 2: Identify PetSmart’s ideal state ecommerce experience
I led the creation of current and ideal state journeys for PetSmart’s ecommerce experience. The former highlighted behaviors and friction points at each phase; the latter identified ways to close the gap between current and ideal state. We identified more than 100 opportunities for removing friction from existing experiences and delighting customers by creating new ones. Work samples:

Phase 3: Design new experiences
I set the strategic foundation for the design phase by defining the vision statement and design principles. I then collaborated with the design team to create optimized ecommerce experiences to remove friction and develop new experiences to delight customers. Work samples:

Remove Friction: Product Page

Old Product Page
Lacked design structure, failing to show any product information above the fold as focus was on a confusing block of shipping options

New Product Page
Clean layout with clear hierarchy that prioritized product information above the fold and greatly simplified shipping options

New Experience: Pet Registry
A new pet is like a new child for PetSmart customers, so we created a digital registry. New pet parents could populate the registry with desired products, including a curated starter kit and staff recommendations. They could then share the registry with family and friends via email.

Pet Registry

Pet Registry Email