Optimizing ta.co

UX Design Lead, c.2016-2017   |   Visit Site

Nobody goes to fast food sites. And why would they? To view a menu they’ve already memorized? When craving hits, seeing is not enough. You want to order the food too. That’s why we built ta.co, Taco Bell’s new e-commerce site. It lets fans order anything they can dream up – at home, or on their phone, making fast food, even faster.

Guided by analytics and user testing, I led a team to increase conversion and engagement on ta.co.

Our research uncovered a few areas of opportunity, starting with the Homepage, where content was focused on promotions rather than e-commerce. New users simply didn't realize they could order and pay online. In our solutions, we prioritized product and strengthened pathways into shopping flows. We clearly communicated online ordering and key value propositions such as speed, customization, and savings. And, using learnings from past work, we added new flexibility to account for and enhance the many types of products and campaigns Taco Bell launches throughout the year.

Then we streamlined checkout, a redesign that increased transaction volume by 16%, including a 65% increase among first-time users.

When reviewing site analytics, we noticed there was a high level of cart abandonment, especially among first-time users. So we redesigned the checkout flow, transforming a 4-step experience into a single-page layout with clearly-defined steps, better form error handling, a cleaner receipt display, and a persistent Place Order button. In the first year, the new checkout is projected to net Taco Bell a revenue growth in the millions.

Taco Bell fans really, really like Taco Bell. Their passion stems from consistent engagement with the brand. Well, that, and tacos.

When fans wanted to bring back the Beefy Crunch Burrito, over 200,000 fans united on Facebook, and Taco Bell listened. When Taco Bell gave away free swag for their 54th birthday, over 80,000 fans participated in just one day. And when they opened a new flagship store in Las Vegas, fans entered into a contest to get married there. For real. 

To bring these campaigns to life, the platform team worked closely with the broadcast and social teams, finding new ways to not only promote engagement on ta.co, but across all of Taco Bell’s social channels and in the real world.

The Team

Creative Directors: Tara Greer, Andy Hsu, Cris Strittmater. UX: Cory Roth. Design: Delphine Lin, Justin Graham, Erin Burrell, Sean Lee, Joo Woo. Copy: Ben Majoy, Kurt Gassman. Technology: Kevin Fessler, Corey Newhouse, Mike Weisman. Strategy: Christine Outram, Patrick Dohan. Analytics: Sailesh Patel, Mei Chen, Rushdee Dewan. Production: Vanessa Scanlan, Lindey Najdovski. Account: Fernando Barreto, Kristie Weston, Jenna Reiss. Taco Bell: Andy McCraw, Derrick Chan, Sharon Jain.