What I made:
An adaptive and dynamic homepage that helps users complete necessary tasks, improve their performance, and drive revenue.
Vrbo and Expedia are two websites where people can book vacation rentals or hotels. I was on the B2B side, working on the software that allowed users to list and manage properties. Users in this case study refer to people managing and working for these properties.
Before
Both Vrbo and Expedia had a very static homepage that lacked user engagement. Content on the homepage had a 17% click through rate (CTR), with most users immediately navigating away.
The opportunity
A homepage offers valuable space for both users and our business. How might we create an adaptive experience that our users would want to engage with, while helping drive our own metrics?
My role
I synthesized user research to establish a homepage framework and content hierarchy. Vrbo and Expedia users have different needs so this framework needed to seamlessly adapt for both.
Common feedback we heard was the B2B voice was too clinical. Since these homepages were the first interaction with users, a goal was to user a voice that was more approachable, while still meeting brand guidelines.
Created a new core feature, top tasks, that provided users with key insights to act on. This feature also required an established framework to determine what content did or didn’t belong.
Old Vrbo homepage. A static page with an outdated marketing feed.
Homepage principles
Homepage framework
Homepage framework
Homepage framework
Homepage framework
Top task framework
Before and after
Vrbo homepage and native design
Expedia native design
Top task design
Guest experience design
Guest experience design
Performance design
Expedia and Vrbo homepages
Results
We launched Vrbo in 2023 and have seen a 34% CTR and 40% in-context opportunity completion rate. An opportunity is an priority EG-specific business metric.
15% of all properties complete one of our suggested Top tasks upon viewing.
Expedia (Partner Central) homepage launched in 2024.
What I learned
This work was very horizontal and required a lot of cross-team collaboration for every feature built, while still meeting deadlines. By launching on Vrbo first, we were able to test and adjust as needed before launching the next homepage. At larger corporations, it’s normal for people to rotate on projects as priorities shift. I was involved from the first kickoff to launch day, which allowed me to be fully hands on in the bigger product strategy to the smaller details of design.