Physicians Formula Website Refresh
Overview: Physicians Formula, a leader in cosmetics known for creating products that are safe for sensitive skin, has been serving customers for over 75 years. With top rankings as America’s #1 bronzer, natural/organic face and eye makeup, and mineral makeup brand, they are a staple in major retailers like Target, Walmart, and CVS.
Key Achievements
69% mobile device usage on the site
+130% increase in conversions
+110% increase in visitors
+134% increase in the number of product reviews
Discovery: Physicians Formula does a yearly refresh to improve the website’s design and user experience. With the growing mobile device usage (up from around 40% to 60% in 2015), the decision was made to adopt a mobile-first design for the 2016 refresh, a shift from the previous desktop-first approach.
UX Strategy: Designing for mobile first required prioritizing content visibility and engagement on smaller screens. We focused on creating a streamlined experience where users would be immediately drawn into the site. Prototypes were tested to ensure usability on small screens. Key improvements included:
Removed low-converting homepage carousel
Added user-generated content to product pages for social proof
Integrated related content like awards, press mentions, and product finders
Created focused tutorial video pages with linked products for easy purchase
Embedded social media feeds and product finding tools
Build: The development team built the site on a custom .NET responsive framework, ensuring it adapted smoothly to all devices. Strong branding elements were incorporated throughout the design to maintain the distinct “Physicians Formula” feel.
Test & Launch: A thorough QA phase tested the site across multiple browsers, mobile devices, and tablets to ensure a flawless user experience. The refreshed site went live on New Year’s Eve, marking the start of a new year with a mobile-optimized design.
Closing Thoughts: The mobile-first design approach proved to be the right solution for Physicians Formula, ensuring the site was engaging and easy to navigate for mobile users, a growing segment of their audience. This refresh has set the brand up for continued success in an increasingly mobile-driven market.
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