An intuitive buying experience

International Gem Society

About

The International Gem Society (IGS) is an organization that defines itself as the world's top resource for gem professionals, enthusiasts, and industry content. It is the second most important resources for gemology online.

Situation

IGS recognized that they were attracting significant traffic from individuals seeking diamond buying advice. Leveraging their strong reputation as an authority on gems, they chose to capitalize on this opportunity by adding a new section to their website dedicated entirely to the diamond buying process.

Objective

Increase revenue generation by encouraging visitors to engage with affiliate links through a newly designed platform optimized for user experience.

This work was carried out at a digital marketing agency, where I served as the creative director and primary contributor, leading efforts in UX research, UI design, and overall design. The solution is no longer online.

First steps

Assessing

IGS was in the midst of rebranding their website when I first became involved with this project.

The exciting aspect was that IGS wanted this new section to have a distinct visual identity while still harmonizing with the overall IGS site.

Understanding

This section aimed to welcome newcomers to the world of diamonds and guide them toward clicking on affiliate links, ultimately generating revenue for IGS.

In summary, the new section is a curated collection of pre-existing articles presented as a comprehensive guide, designed to seamlessly lead users from one topic to the next. The layout improvements and strategic placement of affiliate links maximize the potential revenue of each article page.

The sub-section was named "Diamond Buying Advice," maintaining its focus as a user guide. Since the primary user persona was a learner, the most effective approach was to lead the user through a step-by-step scenario.

The list of topics would serve as the navigational menu, enabling users to easily and quickly grasp the suggested learning process while providing immediate visibility to all topics.

Each category or step would be enriched with a series of informative articles filled with affiliate links.

Maximizing Engagement

UX strategy

To ensure Diamond Buying Advice had a unique appeal, the design of the articles—referred to as information modules—had to be distinct from the style used on the main site.

The articles were required to feature a variety of affiliate widgets that were both informative and functional, avoiding the appearance of traditional page advertisements.

A collection of custom-designed affiliate widgets was created to promote engagement and encourage users to click. These widgets were strategically placed alongside relevant information in the surrounding paragraphs.

User interface

The navigation system and the UI design play a crucial role in guiding users through their journey of exploring the diverse facets of diamonds. This experience unfolds as a step-by-step scenario, seamlessly leading users through the content while exposing them to affiliate links.