A Heuristic Analysis - Part 2: Telstra.com.au Insights & Recomendations

Communication strategy 

The current communication strategy implemented on product pages on t.com is not effective in educating users about products. The use of confusing and jargon-heavy language, along with extensive marketing and sales terminology, gives the impression that the pages are solely optimized for SEO (Search Engine Optimizations) purposes. This approach fails to address the basic needs of users as outlined in the research collateral, and as a result, t.com does not speak the language of its users. 

The lack of clear and focused communication is problematic as it does not facilitate the user's ability to understand the benefits or differences between products. The Researcher, in particular, needs to justify the ROI (Return on Investment) to The Decision Maker, and t.com needs to help them achieve this by adopting a clear and focused tone of voice that provides answers to key questions: who, what, when, where, how, why? 

For instance, the use of the term "mobile" when referring to broadband connectivity can be confusing to users. While t.com and Telstra staff understand this term to refer to the portability of data connectivity, many users may associate it with mobile telephones or smartphones. A better term to use in this case would be "portable," which has a stronger information scent and acts as a better descriptor for the feature. However, user research is necessary to verify this hypothesis. 

Conversion 

The product pages on t.com often lack a clear path for conversion, which may be attributed to the custom pricing structure of many enterprise products. Unfortunately, this means that crucial product information, such as pricing and bundle options, is not readily available to users. As a result, visitors to the site must fill out an online contact form or speak with a sales representative to obtain this information. This not only creates an unnecessary obstacle for users but also slows down the sales process. 

Furthermore, some products on t.com are not explained thoroughly, making it difficult for users to understand how they work or how they are priced. The lack of transparency in pricing and product information makes it challenging for The Researcher to evaluate different options and present a clear ROI to The Decision Maker. In addition, t.com limits users' ability to browse devices available for leasing by requiring users to log in first. This can deter potential customers who want to research products before committing to creating an account. Overall, addressing these issues on t.com's product pages could greatly improve the user experience and ultimately lead to more conversions. 

Page layout 

To optimize the user experience on t.com, it is recommended to establish a consistent and formulaic structure for all parent and child pages across all business verticals. This will help users navigate through the site with ease and confidence, as they will know what to expect from each page. 

By implementing a clear and standardized layout, t.com can support pattern recognition, which will make it easier for users to find what they are looking for without relying heavily on memory recall. Additionally, this will establish a strong visual hierarchy and organization, making it simpler for users to understand the relationship between different pages and the overall site structure. 

With a formulaic structure, t.com can also ensure that all critical information is presented consistently across all pages. This will help avoid confusion and frustration among users and make it easier for them to make informed decisions. A standardized layout will help to create a seamless browsing experience and improve user satisfaction. 

Information architecture 

The IA (Information Architecture) of a website plays a crucial role in determining the user experience (UX), even though it is not visible on the UI (User Interface). A well-structured IA provides users with an intuitive way to navigate the website, making it easy for them to find the information they need. On the other hand, poor organization, structure, and taxonomy can create friction and confusion, resulting in a negative user experience. 

To ensure a good user experience, it is essential to establish consistent UI patterns and follow a tried-and-true IA structure. However, after mapping all product pages to the links found in the global navigation mega menu, it was revealed that two different IA structures were implemented across Business and Enterprise product vertices. Neither of these IA structures seems to be based on either a flat or deep model. Furthermore, some child pages don't link up in a way that would support intuitive wayfinding, indicating that there are missing parent nodes. 

This lack of consistency and organization may be due to a lack of quality control and proper oversight by website content publishers. Over time, the IA can fall into a state of disarray as pages are added and removed from the site, leaving gaps and errors. Broken links and missing sub-topic pages can create confusion for users and detract from the overall user experience. 

To improve the IA and ensure a better user experience, T.com should consider implementing a series of categories, each linked to its own landing page that gives users a section overview.

By doing this, users can easily understand the site's scope and find the information they need without feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, offering links directly to individual pages within a section should only be done in cases where the page is clearly identified as a sub-topic page. This will help users understand the site's hierarchy and reduce confusion. 

Navigation 

Flat vs Deep Information Architecture structure: NN/g

When evaluating a website's navigation, it's crucial to consider how different forms of navigation work together to create a cohesive wayfinding system. For large sites like t.com, local navigation can be instrumental in aiding users' orientation and exploration of content within a particular category. 

Local navigation is a type of navigation that's contextual to the user's current location on the site. To maximize its effectiveness, local navigation should always appear in the same place, function consistently across different pages, and adhere to a consistent design to support pattern recognition over memory recall. However, on t.com, local navigation only appears on some product pages and is often inconsistent in terms of its location and design. Examples of pages with inconsistent local navigation include Business-grade Fiber and Mobile Broadband (MBB). 

To create a better user experience on t.com, it's crucial to prioritize offering simple and consistent page design, clear navigation, and an information architecture that places things where users expect to find them. By doing so, users will have a better browsing experience and will be more likely to return to the site in the future. 

Site map 

The use of a site map as a visual representation of the information space is a well-established usability principle. By offering users an overview of the site's areas in one view, site maps supplement primary and secondary navigation features on a website. The main benefit of a site map is that it provides users with a clear understanding of the site's hierarchy and where they can go. A well-designed site map can include multiple levels of hierarchy without becoming overwhelming for users. 

Unfortunately, the site map on t.com falls short in several ways. It does not offer an overview of site areas across business and enterprise pages, and some of the key product landing pages are not linked to the site map. Additionally, the site map's limited accessibility and visibility make it challenging for users to locate the information they need. Moreover, the links in the site map do not match those in the global navigation, causing further confusion for users. 

To improve the user experience on t.com, it is essential to design a site map that provides an overview of all site areas and links to important landing pages. The site map should also be easy to find and navigate. By offering a well-designed site map, users will have a better understanding of the site's information architecture, allowing them to navigate more efficiently and effectively. 

Product comparison 

When it comes to enterprise and business products on Telstra's website, it's crucial to make sure that potential customers are able to differentiate between the various products and services. This is especially important when there are multiple products within the same category that might appear to be similar at first glance. 

To avoid decision paralysis and encourage sales, Telstra should provide clear and concise information about the key differences between their products. This could involve using comparison tools or charts to illustrate differences in features, pricing, and other important factors. 

It's also important for Telstra to ensure that their product lines are well-defined and streamlined so that customers aren't overwhelmed with too many options that all seem similar. By simplifying their product lines and making the differences between products clear and easy to understand, Telstra can help alleviate customer fears about making the wrong purchase and encourage them to make a confident decision to buy. 

Help and documentation 

The "FAQ (Frequently asked questions)" section on t.com is a helpful resource for users to quickly find answers to common questions about the product. However, this section is not available for all products on the website. Additionally, the placement of the FAQ section varies across product pages, which goes against the principles of consistency and layout. 

While the "Contact Us" section is useful for users to reach out to Telstra for additional help, a more comprehensive set of resources such as user guides, tutorials, and videos would benefit users by providing them with the tools to recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors. These resources can also serve as valuable references for users, allowing them to get the most out of their products and services. 

Conclusion 

When users visit a website for the first time, they typically allocate minimal time, so it is essential for t.com to quickly convince them that the site is worthwhile. However, several design flaws prevent this, including unclear communication strategies, dysfunctional information architecture, poor navigational structures, inconsistent page layouts, and a lack of clear product differentiation. These issues make it difficult for users to find the information they need and can result in low conversion rates. 

In addition, t.com's call to action (CTA) may not be effective, as the contact form does not always lead to a follow-up from a sales representative (reported by Telstra staff), which can lead to frustration and disengagement. These usability issues are persistent and widespread, making it difficult for users to overcome them, which can lead to a negative perception of the brand. 

To address this, Telstra should prioritize fixing these usability issues to improve user experience and increase conversions. This can be achieved by conducting user testing, analyzing website analytics, and implementing best practices in website design and usability. 

Interim UX solution 

Future research and discovery activities 

To further enhance the user experience on t.com, it is important for future research to expand the scope beyond enterprise and business products, and consider additional UX heuristics that were not included in this report. These heuristics include: 

• Accessibility: It is important to ensure that the site meets accessibility standards, allowing users with disabilities to easily access and use the site. This can be achieved through implementing accessibility features such as alternative text for images, easy-to-use keyboard navigation, and providing text-to-speech options. 

• Visibility of system status: Users should always be kept informed about what is happening on the site through appropriate feedback within a reasonable time. This includes providing loading indicators, progress bars, and other visual cues that indicate when actions are being taken or completed. 

• User control and freedom: Users should have control over the system functions and be able to easily exit unwanted states without having to go through extended dialogues. This can be achieved by providing clear navigation, undo and redo options, and clearly marked exit buttons. 

• Error prevention: Preventing errors from occurring in the first place is better than providing good error messages. This can be achieved through careful design, eliminating error-prone conditions, or providing confirmation options before users commit to an action. 

• Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors: Error messages should be clear, and concise, and provide actionable solutions to users. They should be expressed in plain language, avoid using codes, and provide specific guidance on how to resolve the issue. 

By assessing these UX heuristics in future research, Telstra can further improve the user experience on t.com and increase customer satisfaction and engagement with its enterprise and business products. The recommendations made in this report should be used as a starting point, and further research and analysis should be conducted to identify additional areas for improvement.