E-Commerce
UX Research
30M
Better product discovery
The Opportunity
Broken navigation blocked 54% of users from basic shopping tasks
EE UK’s £2.8B telecommunications website suffered from a critical navigation crisis that directly impacted revenue conversion. User research revealed that 100% of participants found the Shop section overwhelming with poor categorisation, while only 46% of navigation tasks resulted in users finding the correct information. With mobile commerce driving 60% of telecom purchases and EE competing against streamlined digital-first competitors, the confusing information architecture created a massive conversion leak that was costing millions in lost sales opportunities.
The Solution
User research simplified EE’s nav to three intuitive sections
EE deployed comprehensive user research methodology combining tree testing and hybrid card sorting with 10 participants to redesign the entire navigation structure. The evidence-based approach revealed users’ mental models and generated data-driven recommendations to replace the cluttered multi-section navigation with a streamlined 3-section mega nav featuring My EE, Shop, and Help. Key restructuring included consolidating product brands into dedicated categories, moving “Added benefits” from Why EE to My EE (where 100% of users expected to find it), and relocating support content to appropriate sections.
The Impact
New nav ended confusion, drove millions in conversions
The research-driven navigation redesign delivered measurable improvements in user task completion and product discoverability. Tree testing revealed specific pain points where users struggled, such as 0% of participants expecting to find “Added benefits” in the Why EE section where it was originally placed. The new structure aligned with user expectations: 100% of participants expected product brand categories in Shop, and the streamlined approach eliminated confusion around categories like “Good As New” and “EE TV” that previously left 40% of users uncertain. The evidence-based restructuring positioned EE to capture previously lost conversion opportunities and compete effectively in the digital-first telecommunications market.
