Introduction

The Alberta Funeral Service Regulatory Board (AFSRB) is Alberta's regulatory board of consumer protection within the funeral industry, committed to creating fairness and transparency in the marketplace. With unwavering dedication, AFSRB oversees licensing, inspections, and enforcement to ensure ethical standards are upheld.

In recognition of the challenges people face during difficult times, AFSRB needed to launch a new user-friendly resource that not only educates but also guides individuals on their journey. AFSRB also needed a way to enhance their online presence to appear as more of an authoritative, credible entity.

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Research

As the only organization responsible for overseeing funeral services in Alberta, AFSRB is committed to making sure the funeral industry is fair and transparent. However, many people were having trouble finding information on their website, which led to consumers and industry professionals frequently calling AFSRB for help. We realized the website needed to be more user-friendly and provide clear information to meet the needs of various groups of users.

We started by identifying the different types of people who use the AFSRB website, and we also looked at other organizations with successful websites to see what we could learn. We also studied the complaints people had made about the AFSRB website to find out what was causing problems for users. We even talked to some users to understand exactly what they wanted from the website:

Target Audiences:

• People working in the funeral industry who need information on licensing and industry news

• The general public who want simple information about funeral-related matters and how to get licenses

• Older age groups looking to navigate funeral-related matters

• Licensees who need quick access to important information

Main Pain Points:

• Users had trouble finding content that was relevant to them

• The website didn't have clear answers to common questions, which made people leave the site or call AFSRB for help

• The homepage lacked important information, causing high bounce rates

• Not responsive

• It wasn't clear how to contact AFSRB

• There was a lack of up-to-date information about the funeral industry

Goals

We established a set of objectives to address the newly identified challenges faced by our target users, striving to enhance the overall user experience:

• Ensure easy access to frequently requested and high-traffic content

• Lower the bounce rate by offering solution-oriented information on the homepage

• Develop a user-friendly sitemap that caters to the distinct needs of individual user groups, tailoring their experience

• Provide clear guidelines for contacting AFSRB to optimize user satisfaction

• Craft a modern website that mirrors the reliable, credible, and authoritative image AFSRB aims to convey

Solution

To enhance user experience and streamline information access, we devised an intuitive sitemap, encouraging users to find relevant content effortlessly and facilitating direct contact with AFSRB when necessary. Additionally, we prominently featured clear contact information in the website's footer for seamless navigation.

To combat high bounce rates on the homepage, we strategically placed high-traffic content sections, frequently asked questions, and current industry and consumer news for easy access, ensuring that key audiences remain well-informed about industry developments. We also dedicated a separate, well-organized contact page to minimize user confusion when reaching out to AFSRB, offering various contact options and reducing the volume of incoming phone calls, particularly related to reporting concerns.

While successfully addressing our identified user goals, we also aimed to establish a strong visual identity that could effectively translate across social platforms, building brand recognition. We chose a warm and inviting colour palette and a professional font selection to create an inclusive and trustworthy impression.

Furthermore, recognizing that older individuals may frequently use the website, we prioritized straightforward content access over extensive animations to ensure user-friendliness. This also caused us to make some changes from our wireframes to our high fidelity design by reducing the amount of content on the homepage to streamline the users experience and not overwhelm any user group.

Conclusion

The AFSRB website's transformation offers a streamlined and captivating experience in what is traditionally a less engaging domain. This redesign effectively addresses the specific needs of distinct user groups by offering clear identification of user-relevant content, resulting in reduced bounce rates by prominently showcasing frequently accessed information. Additionally, the online presence of the Alberta Funeral Service Regulatory Board has been elevated, conveying a heightened sense of authority and credibility, ultimately diminishing user skepticism and decreasing the volume of calls to AFSRB, as the websites information now effectively feels trustworthy and up-to-date.

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