Optimizing Scholarships.com for Higher Conversions

About the Project:

Scholarships.com is a leading platform connecting students with financial aid opportunities. With a vast user base, their goal was to enhance user experience and improve conversion rates across key touchpoints, including the homepage, sign-up funnel, and scholarship-related pages. Our team at KARL Mission conducted a comprehensive Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) audit to identify areas for improvement and implement high-impact design changes.

Live site: scholarships.com

‍

Mission:

Our objective was to analyze user behavior, benchmark against competitors, and optimize the user journey to increase sign-ups and engagement with scholarship opportunities. By refining key elements of the site, we aimed to make the scholarship search and application process more seamless and intuitive.

‍

Process:

To uncover insights and optimization opportunities, we followed a structured CRO methodology:

1. Hotjar Analysis: We reviewed heatmaps and user session recordings to understand navigation patterns, friction points, and drop-off areas.
2. Competitor Benchmarking: We analyzed industry leaders to identify best practices in UI/UX and conversion-focused design.
3. Data-Driven Redesign: Based on our findings, we restructured and redesigned key pages to enhance usability, engagement, and conversions.

‍

Solution:

Our redesign efforts focused on the following areas:

Homepage:

• Changed the CTA button to a more contrasting, bright color (from teal that blended into the background to bright orange).
• Optimized the above-the-fold area by adding client testimonials, trust-building statistics, and icons to highlight key USPs.
• Improved page layout by making sections scroll horizontally to reduce vertical scrolling while retaining all content.
• Added links to scholarship categories for better navigation.
• Enhanced visual appeal with more photos and converted linked text into buttons, as Hotjar recordings showed low engagement with text links.

‍

Scholarship Matches Page:

• Redesigned the results page (where users see the scholarships they match with after signing up).
• Added quick links at the top of the page with scholarship categories.
• Introduced a search bar for easier navigation.
• Implemented a sticky side panel with filters for improved usability.
• Created a more visually engaging layout with images for each scholarship listing, a short description, relevant tags, and a bright CTA button for each listing.

‍

Scholarship Details Page:

• Added a sticky panel with a CTA button to apply, along with key details such as scholarship amount and deadline.
• Redesigned eligibility criteria into a more readable table format.
• Included a record of past winners on the page to build trust and credibility.

‍

Conclusion:

By leveraging user insights and CRO best practices, we successfully optimized Scholarships.com to provide a more intuitive and engaging experience. Our strategic approach ensured that students could effortlessly navigate the platform and access the financial aid they need with ease.

‍

Ready to boost your website’s conversions?

From CRO audits to UX-driven redesigns, we help optimize your site for better engagement and higher conversions. Let’s discuss how we can refine your user experience and drive results. Book a free consultation today!