UX Writing Case Study: DK Prep
From content style guide to microcopy execution, learn how I utilized UX writing principles to help parents with limited tech skills effortlessly book tutoring sessions on DK Prep's website.
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Streamlining the Client’s Journey
DK Prep is an English tutoring and college essay advising business that I started after I graduated from Columbia in 2022. The business was primarily conducted through text conversations between clients and myself, which lead to a suboptimal user journey for many of the parents seeking my services.
To address this issue, I turned to UX writing and design principles to create a website more conducive to user-friendly experience.
This case study aims to showcase that process and its results.
Section 1: User Research
Data Collection
My first step in understanding my users was to conduct client interviews and surveys. Tap the following buttons to learn more.
To ensure the privacy and confidentiality of participants, these interviews and surveys were conducted anonymously.
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Predominantly Asian parents seeking academic help for their high school children.
Affluent families with fathers working in high-income professions, often in business.
Mothers typically making decisions regarding their child's academic needs.
Age range: 45-60 years old.
Typically well-educated with at least a college degree
Remote clients from other states in addition to clients from Orange County, California.
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Immigrant parents who value academic achievement and prioritize it for their children.
View extra tutoring as necessary rather than supplementary for their child’s academic success.
Deeply concerned about their child's academic performance.
Fear that failure to meet expectations in school may bring shame within their culture.
Parents place a high emphasis on college admissions, often relying on the reputation of highly ranked institutions, which fosters a strong sense of trust in their decision-making process.
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Many parents may have difficulty navigating the website or booking a session online
Concerns about the quality of remote tutoring compared to in-person tutoring
Hesitancy to trust an online tutoring service without a personal recommendation or reference
Busy schedules and potential scheduling conflicts with tutors
Unreliable tutors leading to bad results or wasted time and money
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Improve their child's reading and writing ability
Help their child achieve better grades and get into a good college
Find a tutoring service that is reliable, affordable, and convenient for their family's busy schedule
Access high-quality and personalized tutoring services, tailored to their child's needs and learning style
Build a trusting relationship with the tutor and the tutoring service
Easily schedule tutoring lessons amidst their child’s busy schedule
User Research Findings
Through a series of client interviews and surveys, I was able to understand my clients better.
Section 2: Content Style Guide
User Personas
After conducting my client research, I created two user personas, Janice and Dennis to guide me through the process of optimizing my website’s UX.
DK Prep Content Style Guide
A content style guide serves to provide a set of guidelines and standards for creating consistent and high-quality content. It is an essential component for any UX project.
Based on the user personas in the previous section, I curated a set of guidelines that ensure that all of DK Prep’s website copy is concise, friendly, and consistent.
Want to view my style guide in full? Tap here.
Content Style Guide TLDR
Writing Goals: Write clear, helpful, respectful, and persuasive content that adds value for students and parents.
Brand Messaging: Align content messaging with USP and brand values for consistency and differentiation. DK Prep rofessionalism, empathy, and trust.
Voice and Tone: Use an approachable, confident, encouraging, and professional voice, and an empathetic tone.
Grammar and Mechanics: Use active voice, correct grammar and spelling, simple sentence structure, consistent formatting, inclusive language, and consistent terminology.
Blogs: Provide value, use evidence, be engaging, keep it concise, use headings and subheadings, and incorporate approved SEO keywords.
Web Elements: Use title case for buttons, package types, and forms, include dollar sign for price, and use sentence case for form fields and headings and subheadings.
Writing for Translation: Use simple and concise language, avoid cultural references, consider the target audience, use plain English, test translations, and provide context.
Section 3: Implementation
User Flow Map
The first step of implementing the results of my research into creating a better user experience for my clients was to create a user flow map demonstrating each step of a typical client’s journey.
1. The user visits the services page on the DK Prep Website.
2. They select the package that meets their needs using one of the 4 buttons.
4. The user books their first session and provides their contact information for confirmation.
5. The user pays for their first session at the time of the lesson through Zelle or Venmo.
6. The user receives a text and email confirmation of their appointment to ensure that they do not forget the date and time.
7. After the first session, DK Prep schedules ongoing sessions with the client at the end of the first session, through text or call, or through the Calendly.
3. The user is directed to the DK Prep Calendly page where they can choose an available date and time for their first session.
The UX Writing Process
After I figured out what the average user’s journey was going to look like, my attention turned to writing copy that guides the users directly to their goal, which is to book tutoring lessons.
Featured below are a few samples from DK Prep’s website along with an explanation of my thought process.
Hero Section
When crafting the hero section for DK Prep's website, I followed the content style guide to ensure a cohesive and user-centric experience. The copy focused on clarity, helpfulness, respectfulness, and persuasiveness, effectively communicating the value we offer to students and parents. Our brand messaging aligns with our mission of empowering high school students through personalized essay support and tutoring services. The hero section conveys professionalism, personalization, results-orientation, approachability, empathy, and trust. Here's how I achieved this:
Headline: "Essay Support and English Tutoring to Help Your Student Succeed"
Clearly and succinctly communicates the core offerings of DK Prep.
Conveys the coverage of essay support and English tutoring for bolstering academic success.
Body: Strategically detailed tutoring services offered
Call-to-action: "Book a Session" button
Clear and direct call-to-action motivates users to engage with our services.
Action-oriented language and verb-driven approach emphasize simplicity and encourage user interaction.
Additional option: "Contact Us" button
Offers an alternative path for visitors to gather more information and establish a connection with DK Prep.
By incorporating these choices in the headline, body, and button copy, the hero section engages users, unambiguously communicates the range of tutoring services available, and provides actionable steps for them to connect with DK Prep.
The DK Prep Blog
The DK Prep blog is a critical component of my website, offering valuable content and multiple pathways for users to explore.
Curated collection of posts for parents and teachers
Navigate high school education and college application processes
Provide understanding and support
Enhance search engine optimization (SEO) for discoverability
Content style guide directives for blog creation
Keep content concise, utilize headings and subheadings
Incorporate approved SEO keywords
Delivering value through substantiated advice
Robust evidence instills audience confidence and trust
Engaging conversational tone and fostering community
Welcoming interaction and building connections
Concise content distills complex information
Essential and understandable form for reader convenience
Clear structure with headings and subheadings
Guides readers through topics effectively
Integration of approved SEO keywords
Boosts discoverability and relevance for DK Prep
Blog as a toolkit for empowerment and organic growth
Empowers parents and educators
Drives organic growth for DK Prep
The DK Prep blog goes beyond articles, serving as an empowering toolkit while driving organic growth for the tutoring business.
Key Functions
My website design focuses on two key actions for clients: 'Book a Session' and 'Contact Us'. These functions enable clients to schedule sessions through Calendly links or directly reach out with questions.
Action-oriented and grammatically flawless copy for buttons
Title case for clarity and coherence
Use of verbs to convey dynamism and encourage interaction
Emphasis on helpfulness and persuasiveness
Delivering effective assistance on educational journeys
Nurturing a thriving business
Examples on the right encapsulate this mission
Tone of empowerment and accessibility
Reassuring clients of control over learning experience
Easy availability of assistance
Foster trust, support, and a positive user experience
Balance of utility and empathy drives success
Principles of UX writing embedded
Essential for DK Prep's tutoring business
Incorporating these design principles and values enables seamless interaction, user-centric experience, and the success of DK Prep.
Section 4: Takeaways
This case study presents a comprehensive overview of the guidelines developed to enhance the UX copy on my tutoring business's website. The primary objective was to gain valuable insights into user research and establish a content style guide.
Throughout this process, we obtained a deeper understanding of our clients, their preferences, and their tendencies. Here are the key findings from our user research:
A significant portion of our clients prefers using platforms like Zelle and Venmo for payments, rather than traditional online payment portals. This insight allowed us to optimize the payment experience and provide a seamless transaction process.
We discovered that many parents highly appreciate our blog, DK Prep, as it offers them valuable insights on empowering their children to reach their full potential. This finding prompted us to prioritize blog content and ensure it remains a valuable resource for parents.
Implementing refined copy and streamlining the user flow on our website resulted in tangible outcomes:
We successfully closed the first $1000 package sale, marking a significant milestone for our business. This achievement demonstrated the effectiveness of the improved copy and user experience in driving conversions.
Over the past five months, we consistently generated an average monthly revenue increase of 25 percent. This consistent growth reinforces the value of user-centered design and emphasizes the importance of creating a seamless and engaging experience for our customers.
Moving forward, the insights gained from this case study will be leveraged to further refine and enhance the UX copy on our website. By continually improving the user experience and aligning our content with user preferences, we aim to maintain a compelling platform for both current and potential clients.