TACKLE-IT: Usability Testing

Usability Error Rating Spreadsheet

A/B Testing & Results

The design included breakpoints for desktop, tablet, and mobile. If Variant A or Variant B outperformed the Control, we could motivate hotel owners to enhance their properties and guest services, as hotels would be listed by user ratings from highest to lowest. Here are some details of the test:

Test Duration: 35 days

Devices: desktop, tablet, and mobile (iPhone / Android)

Browsers: Edge, Chrome Firefox, and Safari

Platforms: five WHR brand and umbrella websites

Results

The TripAdvisor variant on desktop and tablet views won with a 5% lift in orders and 7% revenue increase. This translated to approximately $15 million / year in incremental digital growth revenue retention.

What’s Next?

After a successful A/B test with TripAdvisor ratings, the team received approval for a full SRP redesign to solve the issue of users lacking key information to choose hotels and book.

Earlier UX research I conducted showed that users preferred a side-by-side hotel list and map for easier comparison. I collaborated with another designer to draft the initial wireframes, while I created the high-fidelity prototypes, documented design files, and led the handoff meeting to developers.

Computer, tablet, and mobile mockup screens

Before launching the A/B test, I ran a usability test comparing the new design with the original to identify friction points, if any, and gather feedback. Results showed that 85% of users favored the new design. Check out some user feedback here.

This A/B test is scheduled to launch in the 4th quarter of 2024. A 3% increase in booking conversions with 5,000 daily visitors would make the test successful for an all-brands implementation.

Play to see a 2-minutes walk-through video of the new search results page design.

Summary & Key Learnings

Combining live website data from Analytics and user insights from UX research, I identified key improvement opportunities, where small tweaks led to significant financial gains.
An oversight in the mobile TripAdvisor ratings test caused a drop in bookings, delaying its release compared to desktop and tablet views. A follow-up A/B test has been scheduled to update the mobile sort-by dropdown menu later this year, ensuring the proper sorting strategy is applied.
For full-page redesigns like the search results page, careful functional planning is critical. UI elements like icons and font styles must align with WHR’s brand guidelines and design system. Learning from the TripAdvisor mobile oversight, I now prioritize multiple rounds of feedback from the UX team to ensure smooth test execution.

Judy Lee | UX & Product Design Lead | User Research

Austin, TX and beyond

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