Conceptual Project
Repositioning a Moving Company Through Full-Stack Redesign
Redesigned and built a moving company's website in React to reduce drop-offs and communicate trust in a market where outdated sites signal financial instability
MY ROLE
Product Designer + Frontend Developer
TOOLS USED
Figma, React, Claude Code, Netlify
PROJECTED IMPACT:
Faster loads, clearer pricing, and zero data re-entry from quote to booking
Projected improvements based on industry benchmarks:
- 78% faster load time: 8+ seconds - <2 seconds
- Mobile experience: Broken responsive design - Mobile-first React build
- Quote drop-offs: Eliminated through persistent state across quote-to-booking flow
- Trust signals: Zero credentials - Certifications, testimonials, and transparent pricing upfront
THE PROBLEM:
In Nigeria's volatile economy, an outdated website could make customers think you've gone under
Nigeria has one of the highest business failure rates in West Africa. When rental prices spike and families are forced to relocate to cheaper areas, they need moving companies they can trust with their belongings during an already stressful time.
What made the old site untrustworthy:
- Long load time from heavy, unoptimized page assets
- Completely broken layout on mobile devices
- No visible certifications, insurance details, or trust badges
- Opaque pricing with no way to get a quote without calling
- Outdated visual design that looked abandoned
Business Impact: For a service-based company in a high-trust industry, you're literally handing strangers your valuable possessions. A dated website doesn't just hurt conversions. It signals financial trouble. Prospects bounce, assuming the company has shut down or can't afford basic digital maintenance.
CONTRIBUTION:
Why I chose to redesign this:
I saw a company with solid service being held back by a website that actively undermined their credibility. This was an opportunity to show how strategic design and modern development can reposition a business.
I validated the trust problem through user research and competitive analysis
I conducted interviews with 6 participants who had recently used moving services in Lagos, Nigeria. I also analyzed 3 competitor websites to identify common trust signals and pain points in the user experience.
Research & Key Insights:
USER INTERVIEWS WITH 6 PARTICIPANTS IN LAGOS WHO RECENTLY USED MOVING SERVICES
- 5 out of 6 had never heard of Axopolitan
- 4 mentioned they'd ruled out companies with "sketchy-looking sites"
- Primary need: transparent pricing before making contact
HEURISTIC EVALUATION OF THE EXISTING SITE
Critical violations identified:
- Performance: long load due to unoptimized assets
- Mobile responsiveness: Layout completely broken on phones (where most users browse)
- Trust & credibility: No social proof, certifications, or transparent pricing
- User control: No way to get a quote without phone call (high-friction)
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
- Fast-loading, mobile-responsive sites
- Instant quote calculators
- Visible trust signals (years in business, insurance, testimonials)
- Clear service breakdowns
Key insight:
In a market where word-of-mouth is a key factor in getting new business, companies with professional digital presence capture the "researcher" segment (people who vet options online before reaching out).
Designing a React-based Site with Instant Quotes, Persistent Data, and Trust-first Design
The old site failed on three fronts: it looked abandoned, wasn't fully responsive, and made users reach out to the business for accurate quotes. My redesign fixed each systematically.
CREATE A MODERN WEBSITE THAT PEOPLE COULD TRUST
An updated fresh look that assured users that the company can handle their moving needs, structured to provide clear information and easy for users to navigate.
IMPROVE THE QUOTE AND BOOKING PROCESS
An interactive quote calculator that provides instant estimates based on user inputs, that seamlessly leads to a complete booking flow (via email or the site), ensuring users can start and complete the whole booking flow on the site, as well as reducing drop-offs.
ENSURE RESPONSIVENESS ON MULTIPLE DEVICES
A mobile-first design approach that ensures the website is fully responsive and provides an optimal user experience across all devices, especially smartphones, which are commonly used for browsing in Nigeria.
A Modern, Responsive and Performant Website With a Robust Quote to Booking Flow
PILLAR I
Redesigned information architecture to surface value and trust immediately
THE OLD IA HID THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- Services hidden in dropdown menus
- No hierarchy (everything felt equally important)
- Value proposition not communicated early
NEW HOMEPAGE STRUCTURE PRIORITIZES CONVERSION:
- Hero section: Clear value proposition + instant quote CTA
- Services grid: All business lines visible at first scroll (residential, commercial, storage)
- Trust section: Certifications, years in business, insurance coverage
- Testimonials: Better structured social proof
- Secondary CTA: Book consultation
COPY REWRITEN FOR TRUST AND CLARITY:
- Old: "We move your stuff safely"
- New: "15 years moving Lagos families. Fully insured. Zero damage guarantee."
PILLAR II
Built a quote-to-booking flow that eliminates re-entry friction at every step
The drop-off problem I solved:
TYPICAL COMPETITOR FLOW:
- User fills out quote form
- Receives estimate via email
- Clicks booking link
- Re-enters ALL information from scratch (name, address, items, dates)
- Chnace of up to 20% drop-off at each re-entry point
MY PERSISTENT STATE APPROACH
- User enters move details in hero section
- Data auto-populates in quote modal (zero re-entry)
- Quote calculation happens instantly using custom pricing formula
- User sees itemized quote + booking link, and receives email with same info.
- Clicking link pre-fills booking form with all quote data (zero re-entry), so user can book in 2 clicks with just payment details remaining
- User only adds payment details (minimal friction)
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
- React state management: Quote data flows seamlessly across components
- Local storage + URL parameters: Data persists through page refresh and email clicks
- Email integration: Quote details sent automatically, link contains encoded state
- Region-specific pricing formula: Built calculation model based on Lagos distance + volume + labor costs
BUSINESS IMPACT
Industry benchmarks show ~20% drop-off at each data re-entry point. By maintaining context across the entire journey, this flow could reduce abandonment by 25-35%.
PILLAR III
Rebuilt for mobile-first performance using modern web standards
Performance transformation:
OLD SITE:
- No image compression
- Long load time
- Render-blocking scripts
NEW SITE:
- <2 second load time (~78% improvement)
- Optimized assets with lazy loading
- Code-splitting for faster initial render
- Mobile-first responsive design
COMPONENT ARCHITECTURE FOR PRODUCTION:
<QuoteForm />– Works in hero and modal contexts<ServiceCard />– Consistent service display<TestimonialCarousel />– Rotating social proof<PriceCalculator />– Dynamic pricing logic
This architecture ensures:
- Consistent UI patterns across the site
- Easy maintenance and updates
- Scalable codebase
CHALLENGES FACED & SOLUTIONS
Overcoming Challenges by Focusing on Target User Needs.
Challenges and constraints are a way of life. Coming up with solutions to these challenges results in a complete, effective solution.
SHOW PRICING WITHOUT OVERWHELMING USERS
Moving costs involve complex variables (distance, volume, stairs, packing materials, labor hours). The old site hid all pricing, forcing phone calls.
Solution: Created a calculator that shows transparent breakdown (base rate + distance + volume + labor) while keeping the interface simple. Users see their total instantly with the option to expand details.
BUILD TRUST WITHOUT LOOKING DESPERATE
Too many trust badges feel like overcompensation. Too few feel sketchy.
Solution: Balanced credibility signals (certifications, testimonials, years in business) with clean, confident modern aesthetic. Avoided the "100 trust badges" pattern that signals desperation.
SIMPLIFY SERVICE OFFERINGS
Axopolitan offers residential moves, commercial relocations, storage, packing services, international shipping, and specialty item handling. Listing all of them creates cognitive overload.
Solution: Grouped services into three clear categories (Move, Store, Pack) with expandable details. Users scan quickly, then dive into what's relevant.
WRITE COPY THAT CONVERTS
Direct wording focusing on the business (e.g. "We have trucks", "We offer packing") doesn't address the user's core question: "What's in it for me?"
Solution: Benefit-focused copy ("Your belongings arrive intact, on time, every time", "Pack today, move tomorrow—we handle the heavy lifting") designed to make users know that the business understands what they need
Projected Business Impact Based on Industry Benchmarks:
- Conversion uplift: Each second of load time costs ~7% in conversions. Saving 3+ seconds could increase conversions by 21%
- Mobile capture: 68% of Nigerian web users browse on mobile. Fixing responsive design captures a previously lost majority
- Quote Completion: Persistent state management could reduce abandonment by 25-35%
- Trust perception:Adding certifications and testimonials addresses the primary objection ("Is this legitimate?") before prospects even reach out
LEARNINGS & NEXT STEPS
With Backend Resources, I'd Integrate Payments and Automate the Sales Pipeline
WHAT I VALIDATED:
- React architecture suitable for production deployment
- Quote calculation formula accurate for Lagos market pricing
- Trust-first design approach resonates with target users
- Persistent state significantly reduces friction
WHAT I'D BUILD NEXT WITH ENGINEERING SUPPORT:
- Payment gateway integration: Stripe/Paystack for instant booking deposits and secure transactions
- CRM automation: Quote requests auto-create leads in sales pipeline with full context
- Real-time availability calendar: Integration for move date selection based on truck/crew availability
- Admin dashboard: Internal tool for managing bookings, quotes, and customer communication
HOW THE ARCHITECTURE SCALES BEYOND THE PRESENT:
- Applicable to any service-based business with quote-to-booking flows (contractors, event planners, cleaning services)
- Component library reusable for similar service industry redesigns
- Performance optimization patterns transferable to other React projects
- Trust-building approach works across high-consideration purchases
