Optimizing the Reading Experience for an Editorial Partner
Project Type:
Partner Collaboration
Partner:
TechRadar
Goal:
Improve user experience and increase conversion on affiliate editorial pages
Context
ExpressVPN partners with publishers like TechRadar to drive conversions through affiliate content. Visitors who purchase via custom referral links help drive revenue. To improve performance, we collaborated with TechRadar’s team to refine key pages and increase conversion rates.
This case study covers how we improved the page structure, content clarity, and user flow—all while respecting editorial integrity.
Design Approach
Given the collaborative nature of the project and tight timelines, I adopted a lean, iterative design process:
Kick-off and ideation sessions with TechRadar team to frame the scope and tackle ongoing design/dev challenges.
User interviews to validate assumptions
Heuristic evaluations with our internal UX team
Rapid feedback loops and co-creation with stakeholders
This approach allowed us to move quickly while staying aligned across teams.
User Interviews & Insights
We interviewed 6 VPN-aware users who were not ExpressVPN customers. Using a think-aloud protocol, we observed how they navigated TechRadar’s VPN reviews.
KEY INSIGHT 1
Users want quick comparisons.
Long blocks of content make it hard to evaluate services side-by-side. They want concise, scannable takeaways.
KEY INSIGHT 2
Top-of-page summaries are critical.
The structured comparison table at the top drew the most attention and trust.
Heuristic Evaluation
I facilitated a heuristic evaluation session with our designers to identify potential usability issues.
Customer Pain Points & Opportunities
Lack of scannable takeaways → Users must scroll or skim dense paragraphs to find comparisons.
Poor information hierarchy → Key content is buried; headings and layouts don’t support efficient decision-making.
Low credibility of recommendations → Users didn’t understand why certain VPNs were better.
These findings became the foundation of our design optimization.
Design Solution
Our goals were to enhance clarity, build trust, and streamline the path to conversion, all without disrupting TechRadar’s editorial integrity.
Key Improvements
Improved comparison blocks at the top of the page
Clear pros/cons summaries for each VPN
Stronger visual hierarchy to guide user attention
Strategic placement of CTA buttons without being intrusive
A/B test
To validate design changes before launch, I ran user preference tests on key elements such as:
VPN summary layout
Content hierarchy options
This helped reinforce our recommendations with evidence, making them easier for TechRadar to adopt.
Design Communication
As TechRadar didn’t have an in-house designer, I created a comprehensive design presentation that outlined:
Design goals and rationale
Key research findings
Suggested changes and test results
This made it easy for both technical and editorial stakeholders to align.
Biggest Challenge: Editorial Resistance to Change
TechRadar was initially hesitant to make any significant UI changes. As a trusted editorial site, they were concerned that redesigning the page could appear biased or overly commercial.
How we navigated it:
Focused on lightweight, scalable tweaks
Framed changes as reader-first, not sales-driven
Used A/B and user testing to de-risk the design
Ensured designs were adaptable across all VPN reviews
Impacts and Results
+8.59% increase in conversion within one month
Strengthened partnership: TechRadar extended their contract with ExpressVPN
Stakeholders felt more confident in data-backed design decisions
Learnings and Reflections
Users skim—don’t make them dig. Clear visual hierarchy and top-level summaries dramatically improve engagement and decision-making.
Context matters. Collaborating with a content-first team meant balancing editorial voice with UX best practices.
Data is your best ally. When faced with pushback, user testing helped build trust and alignment.
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