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MNHQ

Home page update

18 replies

JustineMumsnet · 03/05/2016 15:39

Hello all,
The eagle-eyed amongst you may notice a change to the home page. We've updated it to be more in line with the look already introduced on our events pages and on Talk. It's not the finished article - we are planning more tweaks over the coming days and weeks to make it clearer/ neater/ generally more useful. Please do let us know what you think and in particular any thoughts/issues/improvements you'd like to see.
Many thanks

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MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 03/05/2016 23:34

@Seeline

Is it just me - I can't see the MN logo on the front page at all. I still haven't got one on the Talk pages either.

The site is now responsive - ie it is one version that recognises the device a uses to access it and renders accordingly - and it was tough to keep the logo at a small (ie mobile size) as it just looks like a wee spider. But we are working on including the logo in a number of additional places - primarily in the drop down menu but elsewhere too. If you have the app you'll notice it's in the intro page. We are definitely not binning it - just working through the possibilities.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 03/05/2016 23:36

@cozietoesie

One extra that might be useful - but I don't know if it's even technically possible - would (for me) be the inclusion of a 'My Favourite Topics' within the Topics section as there is in the app. (I find myself using that almost all the time when I'm using the app.)

Thanks for that - we are keen to intro more personalisation - favourites and saved stuff - so will make sure topics gets included in the discussion.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 03/05/2016 23:40

@DarrenHardysDrongo

Just came onto Site Stuff to rant about MN messing about with the site again! Using a laptop it now takes about 300 clicks to find the Talk page.

It shouldn't do - you should be able to access Talk home page from the very top block (the discussions of the day link in top left corner) but that appears to be caput at the moment. We'll fix pronto. But you can also get to Topics, Active discussions and Threads I'm on or from the top "Active" box on the rhs of the desktop site?

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 03/05/2016 23:45

@arandomname

WTF have you done to the home page?

I get that it's "mobile first" design, and haven't seen it on a mobile, maybe it looks better than it does on the laptop I'm using.

But - sliders are bad! I know everyone uses them, but that is a trend that's seen it's day. What is your web designer thinking? Seriously no one looks at them.

Go have a look at the research on this. Users simply ignore sliders. You might get some clicks on the first one, if you're lucky, but forget the rest of the images you've so carefully chosen, no one will even look at them.

I like the design of new boxes linking to content from the home page, but they're hidden below the fold - if I wasn't exploring it thinking WTF I simply wouldn't have seen them. As a MN user the old page was great because I could see at a glance what the new topics were - lots of them, not just the top one on the slider.

Also being able to see the menu at first glance is important on desktop as gives you an idea of what the site is about.

You've effectively hidden the content, I expect far fewer new users will find Talk.

And you've made it very busy indeed. With the addition of the ad in the background, I feel like I'm being assaulted with visual overload, but no idea where to go really.

There's a huge picture of Mr Maker on the home page. If I came here for the first time I would think this was a site trying to sell me stuff, and patronising me as a mum. I would have no idea it was a thriving discussion forum.

What's happened to your daily threads that used to appear with active? Is that's what's on the slider now? Oh, it is, isn't it.

I'll eat my hat if the conversion rate for anything other than the top slide tanks, compared to the click-throughs you used to get with the "discussions of the day"

I use "discussions of the day" (did it used to be called "threads of the day" or have I imagined that?) almost every time I come on the site (several times a day. ) Or I did. I'm not going to watch a slider change to see the content now, I just won't bother. I'll go straight to active. But it's a shame, I did like that feature.

If it was me I'd improve it by getting rid of the slider completely, move the boxes below up a bit. Put the menu back, and do something with discussions of the day so you can see them, in a list.

Do you do usability testing for Mumsnet changes?

Thanks for that feedback - yes we do a lot of testing and obviously all this stuff is debated and at great length by our design/ux peeps. Ultimately though, as said, everything is a work in progress and we'll see what the stats say re use, and optimise from there as that's really the only way to know - sometimes people don't always behave in the way they say they are going to (just look at the election!)

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 03/05/2016 23:51

@arandomname

See, before if I came to mumsnet for the first time, I would see at a glance, from the menu, that it's about "Talk, Pregnancy, Education, Babies, Child, Parenting, Food, Style and Beauty etc"

All things I am interested in, in varying degrees. It looked like a site for me.

Now, I see the Mr Maker and Clairol (the ad), neither of which hold any interest for me.

It would likely make me think that you had very different ideas on motherhood to me and the site is not for me.

It looks like a marketing person's version of motherhood, not a site by-parents-for-parents now IMO.

I would be interested to the difference in your bounce rate for new users.

Maybe I'm wrong and your designers know something I don't (very possible!). Maybe people like me are not your target market any more and you want to appeal to people who like Clairol and Mr Maker?

The trouble is that navigation bars don't work well on mobiles (nearly 2/3rds of MN visitors are via mobile) and in any case everyone is interested in different stuff - Mumsnet covers many things as you know. Where we want to get to is a more personalised Mumsnet - so that users log in and see the stuff that's most relevant to them. One of the things that has bugged me for a long time is that up until today everyone who came to our home page saw an ovulation calendar tool. That's clearly only relevant to some and completely irrelevant to many. So it's a work in progress but we want to move away from trying to show all our wares to everyone, which is completely impossible anyway on a small mobile screen, into showing the stuff users have decided is most relevant to them.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 03/05/2016 23:55

@DoubleNegativePanda

I just logged in and immediately said "WTAF?". Look, I know it's good to keep up with the times, but honestly. Haven't you learned that mners DO NOT LIKE CHANGE.

Put talk back at the top at least, pretty please. And less obtrusive advertising.

Hmm - Am confused because Talk is at the top. It used to be just in the top right hand side box. Now it's at the top middle (discussions of the day in the carousel) as well as the top right hand box (Active box)

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 03/05/2016 23:56

@arandomname

It's making Talk further away. Now I have to click three times to get onto Threads I'm On.

Click Menu
Click Talk
Click TIO

A few home page designs ago, I just had to click once

Hover over Talk, menu appears, click TIO
This could be done in one smooth action.

Then the most recent design, it was twice:

Click Talk
Click TIO

This feels we're going backwards in terms of usability for regular users.

Just one click away still - look at the active box on rhs of desktop, second block on mobile.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 03/05/2016 23:58

@Gruach

Hmm ... Presumably most people come to MN via a Google search for a specific topic - so dive straight into the talk part of the site?

Have to say if I arrived first at the new Home page I wouldn't see anything to invite me in.

No welcome?

Then Discussions of the day. Firstly I'd assume that only a very select group of insiders were allowed to discuss anything. Then I'd assume that only those discussions were available on that day.

I know we're all completely tech savvy - but it's so easy to decide - at a glance - that something isn't meant for you. Without clicking anything else at all I would need to be told, on the first page, that a world of fun awaits me.

Thanks for the feedback - yes about 70% come via google search but the home page is still important. We haven't had a "welcome" on the hp for a few years now - just doesn't seem to be the way of the world. We have a welcome on talk home but will only show to non-logged in users and points to guidelines etc.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 04/05/2016 00:04

@specialsubject

unusable on a laptop, like most upgrades; way too much scrolling, giant silly images, too little text. Awful. Weeny website developer thinks everyone has a brickphone or a tablet. More fool him/her; although even on a mobile screen it needs too much scrolling.

no worries, just set a bookmark for talk which is the only interesting part of the site anyway. Adblocker solves the ad problem.

the talk page has a lot of faults due to the last 'upgrade' but is still just about usable.

BTW that list of plastic-wrapped expensive convenience food is really rubbish, isn't it?

Sorry you feel that it's unusable on desktop - it's not what testing revealed so hopefully others find it easier? We are trying to maintain a balance between text and pictures but I do think most people would be hard pressed to say MN wasn't a bit text heavy on the home page previously?

And if you use adblockers then it just means we have to show more ads to those who don't to maintain a free site - not really in the spirit and all that!

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 04/05/2016 00:05

@FruStefanOla

I often 'check in' via the Home Page.

I'm not anti change at all.

But, seriously, this is what I've seen on the desktop just now!

That definitely isn't what we were aiming for, Fru (although quite artistic!) Please let us know if problem persists...

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 04/05/2016 00:10

@orrangeparrot

"I'm intrigued as to how a picture of Mr Maker entitled 'Mr Maker drives me up the wall' can possibly be perceived as overly commercial or trying to sell you anything."

It's about the overall feel of the page, if you had never seen it before.

Before, there words that pointed to the topics in the site. It was obvious the site was about stuff - pregnancy, children, talk, work, style and beauty etc.

Now the overall feel is of a massive ad, and - if the Mr Maker slide is showing - of a well known TV character.

It feels like I'm being sold something, not that it's a site about motherhood.

Why does Mr Maker make me feel that it might be selling something? Because he's a celebrity and that's what celebrities are used for, often.

I know the text accompanying the image shows that's not what it is, but that's not what people will see at first glance.

It's true the home page is less wordy - but it's basically highlighting exactly the same suite of content as the previous home page - just more succinctly. So, yes, I guess those blocks are like mini-ads for other content around the site but then they always were - they just took a lot more words/space to point you in the same direction.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 04/05/2016 00:11

@ScrambledSmegs

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!

Dear god it looks like something knocked up in a 'My First Webpage' taster session.

You really think? I think that's a bit harsh myself, but as said, it's a work in progress Wink

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 04/05/2016 00:18

@Vardyparty

No one looks at at the home page surely?

I would have thought that most posters just have the talk pages bookmarked.

It's actually pretty well used - last month (april) it got 870,721 page views of which 547,967 were entrances. Bounce rate - ie people bouncing straight off and not clicking on to further pages - was 9.19% which is pretty good (and something we'll keep an eye on to see if affected by the update).

The home page is our 7th most visited page after
Active
Aibu home
Chat home
Talk home
Relationships home
Threads I'm on

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 04/05/2016 00:19

Phew - off to bed now! Hope that answers some queries. Many thanks for the feedback - always useful.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 04/05/2016 00:23

@Gruach

Would now be a good moment to mention how much I hate lilac and lavender and mauve and any other attempts at purple? I have longed for a different colour scheme for years.

Trouble is Gruach you know how much MNetters hate change Grin

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 11/05/2016 09:58

@NetballHoop

It does take a very long time to load now. I also think looks too much like one of those generic domain parking pages rather than a trusted site.

Thanks for the intel - we will have a look at improving load times.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 11/05/2016 10:14

We're working on a fix to auto-compress homepage images so they load quicker - will keep you posted. Thanks to those who mentioned it.

MNHQ

JessicaMumsnet · 12/05/2016 09:32

@arandomname

Do you do usability testing for Mumsnet changes?

Hey there arandomname - thanks loads for taking the time to give such detailed thoughts it's really insightful.
We do a fair bit of user testing at Mumsnet in a variety of ways including:
Face to face interviews and observation
Prototyping and remote feedback
Focus groups
Click tests
Card sorts
Surveying
Accessibility checking - mostly using automatic tools but we continue to try to recruit more people with different challenges.
Guerilla user testing (we were out on the street bribing folk with cake in exchange for playing with a new navigation last week!) Cake

In fact we've used usabilityhub.com in the past too. As it happens that particular service whilst great for some things isn't our first choice because in our experience the audience tends to be quite different to our users. What we do like about it is the ability to use the platform to share tests with Mumsnetters directly.

Most of the user testing we do relies on folk generously giving their time to volunteer to look at new developments, play with them and let us know their thoughts. This neatly brings us to Wink if you'd like to sign up as a volunteer tester please keep an eye out as we'll be putting out another general plea request for volunteers soon.
Flowers

We also identify key user journeys and dig deep into the data to look at what people are doing currently and what changes when we introduce something new. We're very keen to respond and iterate when something isn't working. The carousel is a good example of testing and iteration. We're monitoring the performance of Discussions of the Day and will be A/B testing against a static image approach.

Watch this thread for updates

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