Louisiana Charter Boat Association
Louisiana Charter Boat Association (LCBA) is the non-profit trade organization committed to safeguarding and advancing the Louisiana charter-for-hire industry, supporting captains and ensuring industry sustainability.
01
Problem Statement
As the hub for the promotion, protection and representation of Louisiana’s captains and waterways, LCBA needed a custom website to help reach their audience and deliver on their mission to reduce barriers to entry by offering a comprehensive experience of fishing charters that can be enjoyed by first-timers and seasoned sportsmen alike.
To gain insights into the user experience and pain points our team analyzed heat map sessions and analytics data. We conducted multiple outreach activities and spoke directly to Louisiana captains to understand their goals and challenges when using the site. Captains expressed a desire to build profiles enabling them to document their charter results to gain exposure and highlight species focus areas.
Website data uncovered that many out of town users preferred to search for captains by location, but the current system of using just region names left them confused due to their lack of familiarity with the area. Search results from the previous site revealed that in addition to location, users also searched for specific species names and fishing types directly. Website traffic showed that a growing percentage of users were accessing the site on mobile devices, but the bounce rate was nearly half of what was observed for desktop users suggesting that the mobile experience was falling short of expectations. Website load time was determined to be below industry average and directly contributed to underperforming search engine rankings, ultimately limiting LCBA’s effectiveness in promoting their captains online.
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Solution
To solve challenges created by the previous mobile experience our team employed a mobile first design strategy to ensure that the information users interacted with most was easy to locate and readily available on their devices.
To help users connect with Louisiana charter fishing captains that offer a wide range of service and location offerings, we developed a multi-level search feature and fixed the position above the fold. Giving users the ability to search for captains by the criteria that resonated most with them delivered an improved experience and resulted in more control and flexibility across the site.
To aid out of town users in searching by location, we developed a custom interactive map that enabled users to select and filter captains based on regions across the state.
03
Conclusion
The launch of the new LCBA resonated with leadership, captains, and clients alike. With an improved mobile experience, increased search functionality, and customizable captain profiles we were able to create a new site that delivered on the LCBA promise of promoting, protecting, and representing Louisiana charter captains and waterways for years to come.
