Overview
Starting in May I embarked on a project to address a gap in the German market: the lack of a reliable online platform for connecting homeowners with reputable tree services. Despite the growing demand for tree care services, the online presence of many providers was fragmented and often lacked essential information.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Project Scale
Primary Stakeholder
Florian Gallwitz
Maximilian Weimann
Tools Used
Pen & Paper / Figma / Elementor / Meet / WordPress / Lyssna
Design process
In this Review you’ll find out about the idea, developement and results of this project.
Structure:
- Overview
- Goals and Challenges
- Research Phase
- Prototyping
- Implementation and Results
- Lessons Learned & Future Directions
Goals & Challenges
The primary objective of Baumdienst Deutschland was to create an online platform that would:
- Streamline the process of finding and hiring qualified tree services
- Provide homeowners with valuable information and resources
- Generate leads for local tree service providers
However, the project faced several challenges:
- Limited budget: No funding was available for paid advertising or marketing campaigns.
- Lack of content: We had no existing materials to showcase the work of tree service providers.
- Google My Business limitations: Our Google My Business accounts were suspended, hindering our visibility in many areas.
Prototyping
low Fidelity Prototypes
Research Phase
To understand the needs and preferences of potential users, we conducted in-depth research. This included:
User interviews
- Gathering insights into homeowners‘ experiences with tree services.
Market Analysis
- Identifying key factors that influence consumers‘ decisions when choosing a tree service.
- Analyzing competitor strategies, content and potentials
58%
of people say, they had bad expericences when hiring tree services
74%
costs were higher than expected
Frustrations when searching for craftsmen:
- Lack of cost transparency. Prices sometimes don’t seem reasonable
- Craftsmen are not skilled enough
Top 3 needs
simplicity: Users would like to have a platform what provides reliable information and compares prices.
online availability: users appreciate websites that are modern and easy to use (most tree-service websites are outdated).
solution for emergencies: people need reliable services when urgend problems occour.
Statistics
From 2017 to 2018 the number of accidents of in private gardening and landscaping work increased by 56%(!). People need more education about this kind of work.
76%
say they found different/contrary information when searching about tree cutting
68%
have difficulties in finding employers and have hired inexperienced people
Keyword Research
- Determining the most relevant search terms to optimize our online presence.
- The keyword analysis yield, that there is actually not much competition for organic traffic, compared to other industries:
Image 1.1. keyword research/Google sheets (data from: https://mangools.com/)
Implementation and Results
Despite the challenges, we successfully launched Baumdienst Deutschland. Our initial focus was on driving organic traffic through search engine optimization (SEO). By targeting relevant keywords and ensuring a mobile-friendly experience, we were able to generate our first leads within the first month of launch.
Based on our findings, we developed three whitepapers to provide valuable information on tree care, regulations, and safety guidelines.
Design Documentation
Key achievements
- Organic traffic growth: Our website saw a steady increase in organic traffic from search engines.
- Lead generation: We successfully generated five leads in September alone, indicating a promising start.
- Positive user feedback: Initial feedback from homeowners was positive, highlighting the platform’s ease of use and helpful information.
Image 1.2. organic search performance insights for baumdienst-deutschland.de (Source: https://search.google.com/)
Image 1.3. page speed insights for baumdienst-deutschland.de (Source: https://pagespeed.web.dev/)
Lessons Learned and Future Directions
What went well?
We had great participants for user interviews, including several home owners with trees in their gardens and also 2 tree services who explained common problems, clients tell them.
What didn't go well?
Market analysis could have been better. The branch is not too big and not very digital, so we had to rely on few sources.
What could be improved?
Right now, we just serve basic needs, including information for people that want to cut trees at home and help, finding services.
Through this project, I gained valuable insights into the importance of:
- Targeted research: Understanding the specific needs and pain points of your target audience is crucial.
- Effective SEO: Optimizing your website for search engines is essential for driving organic traffic.
- Content marketing: Providing valuable and informative content can attract and engage users.
Moving forward, I plan to further refine Baumdienst Deutschland by:
- Expanding our content: Creating additional resources and guides on tree care and regulations.
- Building partnerships: Collaborating with the tree services we give our leads to, to increase visibility.