- Development
Date
August, 2021
Client
Shopping Mall
Category
Development
Location
Nairobi, Kenya
This project involved redesigning the website for a major shopping mall to enhance user experience, improve functionality, and strengthen its digital presence. The mall’s previous website was outdated and difficult to navigate, leading to reduced customer engagement and satisfaction. Our solution was a modern, mobile-responsive site featuring an interactive store directory, event calendar, real-time promotions, and easy booking for mall services. Through a user-centered design process backed by comprehensive research, we created a visually engaging and intuitive platform that increased visitor engagement, foot traffic, and sales. The new site also empowered mall management with an easy-to-use CMS for ongoing content updates. The project successfully met both the mall’s operational goals and the needs of its diverse shopper base.
Challenge
The shopping mall approached us with the challenge of modernizing its online presence. Their previous website was outdated, lacked essential features, and failed to provide an engaging shopping experience. Customers had difficulty navigating store directories, finding promotions, or booking services. The mall wanted a website that could represent its vibrant atmosphere, promote tenant stores, provide seamless shopping experiences, and act as a central hub for events and offers.
Solution
We designed and developed a dynamic, user-friendly website that offers a visually compelling representation of the mall's brand while improving functionality. The new website integrates interactive store directories, event calendars, real-time promotions, and loyalty programs to enhance the user experience. We made it mobile-responsive to cater to shoppers browsing on-the-go, ensuring ease of access to essential mall information, while also enabling the mall management team to update content easily.
Research
Our research phase included both qualitative and quantitative approaches to ensure we understood the mall's audience and the competitive landscape: Stakeholder Interviews: We collaborated closely with mall management, marketing teams, and tenants to understand their goals, pain points, and vision for the online platform. Audience Analysis: Through surveys and user feedback, we identified that customers primarily sought ease in finding stores, current sales, and event details. They also preferred a mobile-first approach for ease of use while shopping. Competitor Benchmarking: We reviewed other major shopping mall websites to understand best practices in store navigation, customer engagement, and features like online booking and event listings. User Journey Mapping: By creating personas of various shopper types (e.g., families, teenagers, tech-savvy shoppers), we mapped out their desired journeys and designed an experience that provided quick access to their needs.
Concept Design
With research insights in hand, our design focused on creating an immersive and user-centric website: Branding Integration: We ensured the website’s visual design reflected the mall's vibrant identity, using bright colors, engaging imagery, and an overall friendly aesthetic that felt welcoming to shoppers. Store Directory & Navigation: We designed an interactive, easy-to-use store directory, allowing users to filter by category, store name, or location within the mall. Event & Promotion Hub: The website featured a dynamic events section with a calendar, special offers, and exclusive deals. Shoppers could easily check out upcoming events, sales, and seasonal promotions. Mobile-First Design: We prioritized responsive design for shoppers using smartphones, optimizing the website to make it quick, intuitive, and visually appealing on all screen sizes. Interactive Features: We introduced features like virtual tours, maps of the mall, and the ability to book services (e.g., personal shopping assistants, parking, and events).
Implementation
Our implementation process focused on translating the design into a fully functional, high-performance website: Front-End Development: Using modern web technologies (HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript), we ensured the website was visually striking while maintaining high performance across devices. Back-End Development: We integrated a robust CMS (like WordPress or a custom CMS solution) that allowed mall management to update store listings, promotions, events, and news quickly. We also implemented an easy-to-manage content scheduling feature for promotions and events. Interactive Features: We developed the store directory and map functionality using JavaScript and location-based APIs, enabling shoppers to navigate the mall efficiently. Integrations: We integrated booking systems for services, a loyalty program, and promotional email sign-ups, ensuring seamless user engagement with ongoing mall activities. Testing & QA: Extensive testing was performed across devices and browsers to ensure the website was responsive, error-free, and optimized for user experience.
Our Process
Our approach to designing and developing the shopping mall website was structured yet flexible to meet evolving needs: Discovery & Strategy: We started by understanding the mall's goals, their target shoppers, and the technical constraints, which helped us develop a clear strategy. Design & Concepting: Our creative team developed wireframes and prototypes to visualize the user experience, incorporating feedback from the client to ensure the design was aligned with the mall’s objectives. Development: We built the website on a reliable CMS platform, ensuring it was easy to update, scalable, and user-friendly. Quality Assurance: Rigorous testing across different devices, operating systems, and browsers ensured the website provided an optimal experience for all users. Launch & Optimization: After launching the site, we provided ongoing support to monitor its performance and implement improvements based on user behavior and feedback.
Result Driven
The redesigned website delivered tangible results for both the mall’s management and its visitors: Improved Visitor Engagement: The user-friendly design and interactive features led to higher engagement, with visitors spending more time on the site exploring store directories, events, and promotions. Increased Foot Traffic: The integration of live promotions, events, and store locator tools resulted in increased foot traffic as shoppers were better informed and more likely to visit the mall for specific offers. Enhanced Customer Experience: Visitors appreciated the mobile-optimized site, particularly the ease of browsing and booking services such as parking and personal shopping. Boosted Sales & Revenue: With timely information about discounts and events, the mall saw a noticeable increase in sales and customer participation in promotional activities. Operational Efficiency: The client’s team now enjoys seamless website management through an easy-to-use CMS, reducing reliance on external vendors for content updates.