Ameren Illinois UX Study — kaylabayzikdesigns

Using Analytics to Create a More Connected Marketplace Experience

Role: UX UI Designer

Responsibilities: UX Research, Data Analysis, UX Strategy, Information Architecture, Wireframing, UI Design, Responsive Design

Tools: Adobe XD, Google Analytics, Illustrator, Photoshop

Overview

Ameren Illinois wanted to enhance its online marketplace by creating a more connected shopping experience that encouraged product discovery while better supporting its residential and business customers. The existing marketplace presented opportunities to showcase more products, strengthen brand consistency, and make it easier for customers to discover additional energy-efficiency programs.

Rather than beginning with visual design, I first analyzed website analytics and customer behavior to understand how users navigated the marketplace, where they engaged most, and where opportunities existed to improve the overall experience. I then collaborated with marketing and development to redesign key areas of the marketplace, including the homepage, navigation, and footer. Ultimately, creating a more cohesive experience that helped users discover products and resources with less effort.

Challenge

While the marketplace offered a strong selection of energy-efficient products, there were opportunities to better guide customers throughout their journey. Featured products weren't immediately visible on the homepage, connections to Ameren's residential and business programs were limited, and important resources were separated across different digital experiences.

The goal was to create a more connected marketplace that made it easier for customers to discover products, explore additional energy-saving programs, and move seamlessly between Ameren's digital services.

Research and Analytics

Before recommending design changes, I evaluated Google Analytics reports to understand how customers were interacting with the marketplace.

The analysis included:

Website traffic and user engagement
Product page performance
Ecommerce conversion funnel
Device usage
Audience demographics
Traffic acquisition
Landing and exit pages
Customer behavior across the marketplace

Studying both customer behavior and business metrics helped identify where the experience was performing well and where users could benefit from additional guidance.

Key Insights

Focus on Energy:

Strong Interest in Product Pages: Users consistently engaged with product pages, showing that visitors were actively viewing products and were interested in learning more before making a purchase.
Diverse Customer Reach: The marketplace attracted users across multiple age groups, locations, and devices. Successfully serving a broad customer base. Which stresses the importance of maintaining a responsive, accessible experience.
Multiple Traffic Sources: Users arrived through a variety of channels, including direct visits, search engines, referrals, and Ameren's primary energy site. This indicated strong SEO.

UX Opportunities:

Surface Products Earlier in the Experience: While product pages received strong interaction, the homepage primarily featured rotating promotional banners. Highlighting featured products directly on the homepage would help customers start browsing immediately. Which will reduce the time spent searching for relevant products.
Create Stronger Connections Across Ameren's Programs and Resources: Users frequently moved between different Ameren websites/resources. Introducing clearer CTAs to residential programs and business offers would create a more seamless customer journey.
Integrate Related Programs into the Shopping Journey: Users spent time exploring other informational sections in addition to individual product pages. Therefore, incorporating cross-promotional content throughout the marketplace would make it easier to discover rebates and energy-saving programs without leaving the marketplace. This also prevents users from losing their cart.
Strengthen Brand Consistency: Improving visual consistency across navigation, branding, and supporting content would create a more cohesive experience while reinforce customer recognize among all Ameren marketplace pages and related sites.

Translating Insights into Design

Featured Products Instead of Rotating Ads: The homepage was redesigned to replace rotating promotional banners with a curated selection of featured products, making it easier for customers to immediately begin exploring available offerings.
Connecting Residential and Business Experiences: A new navigation link was introduced to connect customers directly to Ameren's Business Marketplace. An additional callout for business customers was added near the bottom of the homepage, creating a clearer path for commercial users without disrupting residential shopping.
Strengthening Brand Consistency: The marketplace was updated to better reflect Ameren's brand identity by integrating consistent branding throughout the marketplace, including an updated footer that aligned more closely with Ameren's primary energy site.

Final Journey

These UX UI improvements helped customers:

Discover products quickly from the homepage
Navigate between residential and business marketplaces
Experience more consistent branding throughout the site
Explore relevant resources without leaving the shopping journey

Reflection

User behavior data revealed where users were already finding value and where the experience could better support their needs. Rather than making only visual improvements, every design iteration was informed by measurable user behavior and focused on creating a more intuitive customer journey.

If I were continuing this project today, I would validate these enhancements through A/B testing and new usability studies to measure improvements in product discovery, engagement with cross-promotional content, navigation, and the overall customer journey.