General Information

This branded website is publicly available at expatify21.github.io/expatify-web/

This website was created by… (only students listed below will be graded!)

  1. Simona Mladenova (ID: 211964)
  2. Julia Klempka (ID: 226480)
  3. Elizabet Metodieva (ID: 210784)
  4. David Sipeki (ID: 212545)

Content

Please clarify here the match between students and pieces of content. Make sure that you provide a link to the correct page within the website

# Student ID Value Name and link of content
1. 211964 Safety Home page content, About Us page content
2. 226480 Connection Home page content, About Us page content
3. 210784 Integrity, Reliability About Us page content, Lean Canvas 1, Lean Canvas 2
4. 212545 Support About Us page content

Production

Design Elements

Please provide a list of design elements alongside their justifications:

  • A colour scheme (with HTML colour codes, which must be consistent with your final website) — see the example below from the BUas brand book:
    • #084E2F The green evokes a feeling of abundance and is associated with refreshment and peace, rest and security.
    • #EDA63A The yellow, amber colour represent happiness, confidence, and optimism.
    • #FFF2E5 Pink beige, it is not exactly, but similar to white colour. It represents a desire for comfort.;
    • #0A2919 Dark green signifies the desire to always look for an opportunity to get outside into the woods or wilderness.
  • Font choices
    • Futura Bold – Use it in our logo, and also for headings on our website. Futura fonts have an appearance of efficiency and forwardness. When put in bold it just justifies this statement.
    • Open Sans - All of the other text is easy to read. It represents, open forms and a neutral, yet friendly appearance. This connects with what our brand stands for.
  • User interface patterns (e.g. grids, carousels, menu organizations etc.)
    • Cards - 7x - This was used throughout the website for a variety of purposes. We have used it as in order to get a better layaout. It can be found in the home page as well as the about us page.
    • Carousel - 1x - We chose this because photos attract people more than text and drawings. This was a nice way to have an appealing element on the website while also displaying the other pages we have. Can be found at the about us page.
    • Thumbnail - 2x - The user needs to get an overview of multiple pictures without having to download each of the full size images. Could be found on the corporate justification page.
    • Grid - 2x - The user can see all images and text in a grid-like structure for readability and content minification. Can be found on home page, about us and corporate page.
    • Modal menu - Can be found on every page - The user needs to take an action or cancel the menu overlay until he can continue interacting with the original page
    • Home link - Can be found on every page - The user can go back to the start page of the website from anywhere by clicking the Expatify logo
    • Navigation bar - Can be found on every page - It remains in the top right corner and is always hidden unless you press the tree bars, at which point it displays the menu (upon clicking the menu button a JavaScript function runs that alters the style of the menu to be “display: visible” instead of “hidden” and plays a transition animation from right to left) and allows you to select which page you want to visit. We chose to place the navigation bar in the top right corner because testing revealed that people naturally seek this feature on the right side of their screen, and because most people were holding their phones, it was easier for them to reach out and click the navigation bar.
    • Image Placeholder
    • Image Placeholder
    • Image Placeholder
    • Image Placeholder
  • The structure of the navigation and content (e.g. how content units are distributed across pages)

    We chose multiple pages because they better divide different aspects. It can be overwhelming if everything is on one page; it's better to have separate pages for different things.

    • Home page: We begin with text welcoming them to the Netherlands, our logo, and product cards. We chose to put this first to emphasize what we want to do and what we can offer.
    • About Us Page: Here we begin by introducing the brand more thoroughly, as this is what our visitors are looking for. We provide them with the vision and values, as well as contact information. Following that, a carousel appears, and we introduce the team at the bottom.
  • All these elements must be justified by referring to the theory and/or vocabulary of design
    • Due to the design principle of alignment, we used a navigation bar menu and placed it in the top right corner. When people looked at our website, they instinctively looked for the menu in the upper left or upper right corner. In order to place our information on the home page and the about us page we used cards to put in one place the information for each value or post. We used carousels tool to showe the members of our team.
  • Please relate these elements to other units, for example:
    • How does website design fit the values and personality of the brand?
      • Our website's design perfectly represents our brand's values. As you can see from the headlines, we have bold headlines that represent security and stability, which can be considered security. Our goal is to unite and assist all expats at the start of their new adventure, so we chose green and amber yellow as colors that represent security, optimism, and dependability.
    • How does website design fit the marketing and communication strategy?
      • Our marketing strategy relied on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. According to the information we gathered from our interviews, these social networks are the most popular among our target audience. Posts on our social networks supplement those on our website because when one of our users sees a post and wants to learn more. Users can easily access the information on the website, and there is a search engine button to make their experience more convenient.
    • How does website design help showcase the unique value proposal of the product?
      • Users can easily find the information they require thanks to our user-friendly website. We make it easy for users to access everything they need thanks to the patterning used to create the buttons, which is exactly what our brand aims to do, make it easy for our target group to start fresh.

Credits

Please provide links and/or credits for third-party elements including:

Testing Report

Please write about…

  • Your testing goals – in other words, what you are trying to learn about your website?

    Throughout our testing we had various goals in mind, let me list them over here for a quick overview.

    • How easy it is to navigate on the website?
    • How fast and easy can you find specific information?
    • Do you understand what is our brand about?
    • What would you change in the UI that would make it easier for you to find things?
    • Would you be interested in such a service knowing the information provided on the website?

  • Your testing methods, which includes information about:
    • The test’s participants (number, match with target audience, etc.)
      • “Expatify to me seems like a brand with goals that I support. I have lots of friends that could really use a service like this. I think that something that the brand could improve is reevaluate its main goals which are safety and support. Those are great values, but I feel like a better core value could be clarity, because I feel like uncertainty and confusion are the worst problems you face when you're moving into a new and scary situation. So, what I’m trying to say is that focus on the latter one among all the values. Otherwise, the website is clean and easy to use.”
        Aiken – 26 years old - ONLINE INTERVIEW
      • “Everything is very understandable; design is warm and inviting - that fits with companies’ values. I really like the chosen style and its continuity that follows through pages, social media profiles and posts. That also goes about visuals and images of the site that interacts by opening a link to social media. Tip - layout of website could be a bit more interesting as it follows horizontal linearity through all pages and lines between articles highlight that more.”
        Eliza – 25 years old - PERSONAL MEETING
      • “It looks great but sometimes I felt like it is more like a word document and not a website, that might just be the lack of pictures but that’s how I fell, otherwise easy to navigate and looks clean.”
        Sam – 24 years old - ONLINE INTERVIEW
      • “I think the design looks very good, I can understand everything that’s on the site, I can find things quickly. I wish I had had something like this when I moved here about a year ago. What I might add is that you should tone out the confusion and uncertainty part, that can really touch people and relate to them.”
        We were asked not to state this participants name - 22 years old - PERSONAL MEETING

    • The test’s setting and protocol (which material is used, is it done remotely, on campus, at home, etc.)
      • The test setting was very simple, we provided the participants with a laptop where we opened the main page of our website. This took place either online or from their home, we visited them and did it in person. We took notes of what they were saying and asked them to write a couple sentences of text-based feedback that are visible here below. They were asked to find a couple things such as our values, vision, and our main product.

  • Your testing results, which includes information about:
    • Positive and negative aspects of the UI/UX that have been identified, ranked by importance.
      Positive:
      • The navigation is simple and straightforward, allowing users to find what they need quickly and easily.
      • The interface is visually appealing, which enhances the user experience.
      • The design is responsive, meaning it adapts to different screen sizes and devices while maintaining a consistent user experience.
      Negative:
      • Because the font size is too small, some users may struggle to read the text.

      Overall, the positive feedback indicates a well-designed and user-friendly interface, while the negative feedback identifies some areas for improvement, such as font size.

    • Improvements that have been implemented on the final website (or that would be implemented if doing so would be too complex)
      Concluding all the interviews we have conducted we changed our website for the better. Let’s go through these changes in bullet points ranked by the importance of them:
      • UI wise we have put in more pictures and made it more interactive to the user.
      • We have moved our drop-down menu to the top right where you can access everything.
      • We would change our value importance and tone out the uncertainty and confusion (didn’t change that because we would have to structurally redesign most of the content)
      • We would add even more filling content apart from text, but we can’t do that yet since we have limited amount of content at the time, however with progress more of that would come making the website more User friendly.

Marketing

Context of campaign

At Expatify, we understand the challenges that come with trying to navigate foreign bureaucracy when relocating to the Netherlands. Our mission is to make moving to a new country an exciting adventure, not a stressful paperwork nightmare. We provide support to individuals that’s why our team consists of experts which are specialized in document legalization, authentication, and translation, ensuring a smooth transition for expats. Our goal is to simplify the process of moving to a new country and empower expats to enjoy their new lives to the fullest. Our campaign aims to raise awareness of our brand and showcase our expertise. We want to free expats from hopelessness and loneliness and give them the security and support they need.

Promotional activities

To promote our brand, we launched a campaign on Instagram and Facebook. Through the interviews we did, it quickly became clear that our target audience is very active on Instagram and uses Facebook, especially Facebook groups, to get information about moving abroad. That's the reason we chose these two channels.

Our aim was to promote our services and highlight the benefits of using Expatify when moving to the Netherlands. We created engaging social media posts, including photos and videos, that showcase our expertise and the values we bring. Our focus was to highlight the complexity of foreign papers and how we simplify the process for our customers. With the help of informative and funny posts, we wanted to show our customers our ability to provide support to make sure they have every information they need.

We tried different types of posts like reels, carousel posts, memes and stories to attract the attention of our target group and increase the reach. We even made a survey to generate a bigger response and get more insides of our target audience. The meme we made was fun to look at and easy to forward to your friends or people you know that deal with this type of struggles when moving abroad.

Our promotional activities were designed to meet following objectives and provide a solid link to the objectives outlined in our communications and media plan. We believe that everyone deserves a smooth transition when moving to a new country, and we're here to make that a reality for our clients.

Our Objectives

  • Reach objectives:
    • Instagram:
      • By the 10th of April we aim to have an Instagram account with a follower count of 40.
      • By the 10th of April we aim to have an Instagram account with an average post view of 140.
      • By the 10th of April we aim to have an Instagram account with an average reel view of 140.
    • Facebook:
      • By the 10th of April we aim to have an Facebook account with a follower count of 40.
      • By the 10th of April we aim to have an Facebook account with an average post view of 140.
      • By the 10th of April we aim to have an Facebook account with an average reel view of 140.
  • Affective objectives:
    • Instagram & Facebook:
      • We want our audience to feel less stressed and overwhelmed when dealing with the paperwork required for moving to another country.
      • We want people to see us as experts in document legalization, authentication, and translation for international relocation.
      • We want our customers to trust that we are dependable and honest.
      • We want to provide an informative and helpful resource for expats to find information about moving abroad.
      • We want to engage with our customers on social media platforms and build a strong online presence.
      • We want to increase brand awareness among our target audience.
      • We want to encourage word-of-mouth from happy customers.
  • Response objectives:
    • Instagram & Facebook:
      • We want 40 followers by the 10th of April.
      • We want 50 people to take part in our survey by the 10th of April.
      • We want to collect 15 E-Mail addresses to sign up for our newsletter by the 10th of April, which they can sign up through our survey.
      • We want 40 likes per post by the 10th of April.
  • Achieve objectives:
    • Instagram & Facebook:
      • Increase brand awareness among individuals planning to relocate to the Netherlands..
      • Showcase our expertise and the value we bring to our clients.
      • Generate leads by directing visitors to our website.
      • Demonstrate our ability to provide full support to individuals relocating to the Netherlands.
      • Help expats feel confident and supported during their move to the Netherlands.
      • Increase awareness of Expatify's services among expats.
      • Provide a fun and enjoyable platform for expats to connect with others.
      • Ease expats' worries about relocating to a new country.
      • Share success stories and testimonials to generate interest in Expatify.

After doing interviews with expats, we found out that many of them use Facebook. However, we learned throughout our campaign that Instagram was more successful. Our Instagram page has been more popular in terms of engagement and reach. We faced some technical issues while creating our Facebook page, which might be the reason why it did not perform well.

Learning Points

After doing interviews with expats, we found out that many of them use Facebook. However, we learned throughout our campaign that Instagram was more successful. Our Instagram page has been more popular in terms of engagement and reach. We faced some technical issues while creating our Facebook page, which might be the reason why it did not perform well.

We realized that it's crucial to understand how our target audience thinks. We did this by finding out how they use different types of media by analyzing the insights we gained through Instagram and Facebook. For example when we created the timeline for the postings we decided on times around 12 noon. Then, when we started actively posting on different times, we learned that our target audience is much more active in the afternoon from about 4pm than between 12pm - 3pm. After 4pm, the likes were mostly 50+, whereas at the earlier times they were only about 35. Also our most seen reel was posted at 6pm, which strengthens this finding.

The reel received over 1600 views and around 100 likes. The video showed in the beginning three people looking hopeless and stressed, struggeling in front of a desk with a lot of paperwork. Later you can see two people giving each other a high-five and smiling with the quote: “When In doubt - ask for help – Expatify”. This post showed our message in a good and relatable way and was very popular with our target audience. We also noticed that we were able to reach accounts that do not follow us yet, which is a great opportunity for us to expand our reach.

In general we got more followers than we hoped for, with 149 instead of just 40 by April 10th. And based on our insights, we were able to reach average almost 997 accounts with our reels, and about 115 with our regular posts. So on the average we did not get as many views on our posts as we wanted 115 instead of 140. We also did not get as many E-Mail addresses as we hoped, but we did get 5 which is a good start, and only 40 participants took part in the survey instead of the hoped-for 50.

We have also learned that it is a great help to actively share the account on the Instagram stories of our experts, as this increases the likelihood of reaching people who would need such a service. Following and refollowing potential interested people has increased our reach and follower count too. Stories with links and Instagram polls also gained a higher reach than other ones.

Through Facebook, we've learned that it's much harder to build a large reach than we thought. Posts like memes are far better received there than the normal ones. We had a hard time generating followers and reaching the right people. Which is also the reason why we couldn't achieve our objectives.

One of the most important things we learned from our social media campaign is the importance of communicating better between team members to ensure proper organization of tasks. That is when the content calendar comes in handy. One thing that we have learned was to create the content in advance so it can be easily accessible from everyone and be posted when it is scheduled.

Future Planning

In the future, we would focus more on reels on instagram, as we noticed that they generate more attention from our audience. We would also adjust the posting times to after 6pm, as there is more activity then. We would fill the stories with exciting polls and post funny photos that fit the topic, so that these are shared with friends and colleagues and therefore increase the reach even more. On Facebook we plan to post different content than we did on Instagram to see if we can get a better response. We would join Facebook groups that address similar topics and share links to our posts, so people click on it and build a community and reach. We have learned that reaching our audience on Instagram and Facebook works completely differently and we need to adapt our content better to the given platform. We are committed to improving our social media campaign to serve our audience better and achieve our goals.

If the campaign would be continued in the future we would partner up with Influencers. Influencer marketing is a good way to reach new audiences and build brand awareness. We consider working with influencers who have a strong following among expats and using their platforms to promote the company's services.

We would collaborate with popular expat social media personalities who have a strong following among expat communities. For instance, we would work with an expat blogger who frequently writes about the challenges of adjusting to life in a new country. They will share their positive experience of using Expafity's services in one of their posts or videos, highlighting the benefits of using the service for expats. The post will include a discount code, which will encourage their followers to try out the service for themselves. This will help us reach a wider audience and build trust with potential customers, while also providing valuable content to the influencer's followers

A potential Influencer would be:

  • @santanamatheus – Matheus Santana is a humorous influencer who shares his experiences living in the Netherlands. He‘s from Brazil and in his posts he often discusses Dutch culture and customs, including the legal system, and provides entertaining commentary on his experiences

As Expafity, we would also be offering incentives to new customers. We would consider offering discounts, free trials, or other special offers to incentivize people to try our services. For instance, we could offer a 50% discount on the first month's subscription to new customers. This would provide them with a chance to experience the benefits of our platform firsthand at a reduced cost. Such offers would encourage more people to try our service and increase conversion rates.

Professionalism

Content Explanation: Instagram & Facebook posts



On our first post we decided to share a "coming soon" photo on our Instagram account. It creates excitement and anticipation among the followers and it gave a sneak peek into what we're working on.



Since our first post doesn't provide much information, it did not had a significant impact on our reach. That’s why we wanted to increase the engagement with our second post. We did that by posting a more informative post, that provides value to potential customers. We addressed a pain point that many expats face, offering a solution that could be appealing to them. We also used hashtags such as #expatlife and #internationalmoving.

Our third and fourth posts were a call-to-action for our followers to participate in our survey to provide us with information and valuable insights. They showed that we care about your customers' needs and want to improve our services to better meet their needs. We used relevant hashtags like #expatsurvey and #feedbackwelcome which helped to increase our reach and attracted more followers who were interested in participating in surveys or giving feedback.






Our fifth post was a reel which got a very high reach. We used the video and caption to highlight the benefits of our services. We promoted our brand and made it clear to potential customers what we can offer them. We also used hashtags such as #expatlife and #internationalmoving.



Our sixth post was again a call to action to follow our Facebook page. With this we wanted to expand our reach beyond just Instagram. We also added a link to our Facebook page which makes it easy for interested users to quickly access more information about our services. We encouraged followers to stay informed through our Facebook page as well.



As seventh post we were informing our followers about the unique personal identification number system in the Netherlands called BSN (Burgerservicenummer). This post also serves as a reminder to our followers that we are here to help them if they need it. In addition to being informative, this post includes a fun fact, which can help to make the information more engaging and memorable for our followers.




As eighth post we shared a Reel in which we were using humor to convey the message that dealing with legal documents as an expat can be a difficult and time-consuming process. We as well positioned ourselves as a helpful resource for expats who need assistance with their legal documents. The use of a meme helped to make the post more engaging and relatable for our followers. Memes are more often shared and reposted, which helps to increase the reach of our post.




With the ninth post we were reaching out to our followers and encouraging them to share their most memorable experience from their first year of moving abroad. This is a great way to engage with our audience and create a sense of community among expats.



With the tenth post is a again an informastional post. We are addressing a common issue that many expats face when living in the Netherlands: navigating the complex world of life insurance. The use of a picture of a family helped to create an emotional connection with our audience.



The eleventh post is announcing the upcoming launch of our website and expressing our excitement about it. By sharing our excitement, we are showing our followers that we are committed to providing them with the best possible service and making their expat journey as smooth as possible.



Target Group

  • 19-27 year olds
  • Expats living in the Netherlands
  • Young working people
  • All genders

According to the interviews we conducted, our target group primarily uses Instagram and Facebook, with Instagram serving as their primary source of information and entertainment. More of them use Instagram between tasks or before bed, and Facebook primarily when they have nothing else to do. When they spend time on social media, the majority of them are looking for entertainment or information. They use social networks according to their available time, which ranges from 2 to 6 hours per day.

Management

Lean Canvas

Fill in at least 2 bullet points per building block and according to the rubrics.

Problem

  • Convey information that is not by default communicated to new expats.
  • Getting legal and personal documents (such as BSN number, bank account, phone number, etc.)
  • Connecting people in the same situation, being a new expat in a foreign country. Making them feel comfortable in the new environment by being surrounded by other expats.
  • By reading all the Dutch letters that the government sends you or by asking someone who was already here before and went through the same thing as you, the problem with that is they will only remember some of the small details. Some sites have information if you look for them, but they are also mainly in Dutch.

Solution

  • On our Instagram, we post small tips and lesser-known facts about some Dutch legal procedures that everyone who comes here eventually must go through. Our leading service is that we take on the legal system instead of them, so they don’t have to worry about translating, understanding, and applying. Rather, everything will be in the same spot, personalized for their needs and with their consultation. This way, there will be no misunderstandings or overdue papers.

Customer segments

  • Expats between 18 and 24.
  • Difficulties in understanding the system.
  • The will to improve their stability.
  • Working and studying expats.

An Ideal customer is brand new to the country. Who needs legal papers such as BSN or a bank card. Since then, we can help them to acquire these items. They are financially stable and are motivated to understand and accomplish their legal stability in the country.

Brand persona

Name Anna Nowak
Age 24
Status Single
Location moved from Poland to Rotterdam for work
Personality adventurous, open-minded, and sociable, as she enjoys exploring new places, making new friends, and immersing herself in new cultures.
Quote "Moving to a new country is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. I'm worried about navigating the legal system and paperwork, and I don't want to make any mistakes that could cost me time or money."
Bio Anna is a young woman who loves trying new things and meeting new people. She's excited about living in Rotterdam, even though it's hard sometimes. She's determined to make a good life for herself there, and she's willing to work hard to make it happen.
Interests exploring new places, trying new foods, and meeting new people. She is also interested in learning about the history and culture of the Netherlands and other European countries.
Goals Anna's goals are to improve her financial situation by working, build a social network and make new friends, and explore the culture and surroundings of the Netherlands.
Fears Anna's biggest fear is the stress of international paperwork like registration, taxes, document authentication, legalization, and translation. Navigating the legal system in a foreign country can be discouraging, and Anna worries about balancing work and starting a new life in the Netherlands. She also faces financial constraints and fears not fitting in or feeling isolated in her new home.
Motivations Anna is motivated by her desire to improve her financial situation, build a social network, and explore the culture and surroundings of her new home.
Needs Anna needs a service that can simplify the complexities of international paperwork and help her navigate the legal system in the Netherlands. She needs a service that is affordable and provides clear, reliable information. She also needs a service that can help her feel more connected to the culture and surroundings of her new home.

Unique value proposition

  • Our brand is different and worth paying attention to because we provide a unique and valuable package that helps the quality of life of each of our customers for a single price. The otherwise hard-to-understand legal system and problems are of the past with us. Our company takes less care of every individual than we do, and none of the others have everything in one place.

Unfair advantage

  • Language skills of Dutch to English and other common languages are spoken aboard by our customers.
  • Relationship with the tax authorities such as Belastingdienst, where the streamlining of documents can take a significantly shorter amount of time.
  • Expertise in legal matters in the Netherlands.
  • Personalized service for each individual and their needs when they need it.

Channels

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • For now, these two are our primary platforms. However, once we reach more people and help them, they will share us with their friends and family.

Key metrics

  • The primary source of income is the one-time payment for the documentation. Currently, our reach on Instagram is the following broken down in averages: 149 followers
  • Post average likes 42.625 likes.
  • Instagram reel watch time: 1044.5 plays per reel on average.

Revenue streams

Our only and primary source of income is the one-time payments of the specific packages of documentation that we are taking care of for our customers.

Cost structure

Fixed Costs:

  • Rent for office space- 750 euros/per month (click here)
  • Salaries for the team members- €1,934.40 gross monthly ( for each member, 4x1.934.40= 7.737.6 euros per month) (click here)
  • Insurance- 247 euros per month (click here)
  • Marketeer- 3000 euros (click here)
  • Advertising- 322.57 euros (click here)

Variable Costs:

  • Cost of raw materials ( paper, ink, stamps, envelopes) - around 100 euros per month
  • Fees for legalizing documents (notarization)- The buyer pays notary fees, not the seller. Depending on the effort needed for the mortgage, costs range between 1,500 and 3,500 euros (click here)
  • Language translator- The average cost of a professional translator can range anywhere from $0.10 to $0.30 per word, depending on the language pair being translated, the quality of the translation, the turnaround time, and other factors. (click here)

Total Costs:

12,157,17 per month, excluding the notary and the translator Considering that our gross expenditure in a month is 12 157.17 euros. We break that down over a 30-day month, adding to 12 157.17 / 30 = 405.239 euros a day. Now we assume that a unit would be produced in roughly thirty minutes and hour working days are 10 hours. We would accomplish two units every hour, meaning 10 x 2 = 20. So for 405.239 euros, we would get 20 units, so one unit is 405.239 / 20 = 20.26195 EUR.

Services/products

  • State what your product and/or service is and how this contributes to your unique value proposition.
  • Clarify the fit between the product/service developed and the brand identity/brand image.

Validation of Assumptions

Assumption #1:

Our expats previously were feeling lonely and out of place, with the help of our service they will feel more freedom and security. If their feel of uncertainty has led them to the easier solution which is us therefore paid for our services

Assumption #2:

Navigating the Dutch bureaucracy and legal system can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially for those who are not familiar with the language or culture. Our company's services could save clients valuable time and energy by handling the document acquisition process on their behalf.

Appendix

Please use the list below to provide links to evidence for all parts of your justication. Please double-check all links before delivering the website. Do not hesitate to refer to these numbers above.

  1. Lean Canvas #1
  2. Lean Canvas #2
  3. Interviews