arabfinance website

Introduction

This case study presents Arab Finance's new vision and UX, addressing engagement and monetization challenges. The platform is now a financial content ecosystem with three pillars: Company Profiles, Media Hub, and Newsletter

Combining company data, investor-led video/podcast content, and a newsletter, Arab Finance delivers a clearer experience that supports informed investment decisions and user trust.

Problems, Evidence, and Logical UX Direction.

Problem 1: Content Overload & Weak Hierarchy

The homepage and internal pages present too much content at once.

News, prices, ads, widgets, and media compete visually without a clear hierarchy.

Why this is a problem

Users cannot quickly understand what matters most. They scan randomly instead of reading intentionally.

Evidence / Clues

High bounce rate

Low engagement time

Users scroll without interaction

Problem 2: Unclear Value Proposition

From the first screen, users do not understand what Arab Finance offers beyond being another financial news website.

Why this is a problem

If users don’t understand the value immediately, they won’t stay or return.

Evidence / Clues

Quick exits from homepage

No strong first interaction

Weak brand recall

Problem 3: Monetization Is Not Aligned with User Behavior

Ads and premium CTAs appear without considering where the user is in their journey.

Why this is a problem

Users are asked to pay or accept ads before trust and value are established.

Evidence / Clues

Low premium conversion

Ad blindness

User resistance to CTAs

Problem 4: Media Content Has No Product Structure

Videos, podcasts, and programs exist, but they are not organized as products with clear identity or navigation.

Why this is a problem

Media cannot build loyal audiences or attract long-term sponsors.

Evidence / Clues

Low return rate to media content

Weak sponsorship potential

Problem 5: Poor Perceived Performance

Even when technical performance is acceptable, the site feels heavy due to visual density and layout issues.

Why this is a problem

Users judge speed by feeling, not metrics.

Evidence / Clues

Early exits despite fast load times

User complaints about heaviness

The platform is optimized for publishing volume and ads, not user understanding.

UX decisions were made independently from product and monetization strategy.

There is no clear content prioritization based on user intent.

Solution 1: Shift the Product Mindset

Reposition Arab Finance from a news website into a financial content ecosystem.

Solution 2: Clear Content Prioritization

Reduce visual noise

Strong hierarchy

Content grouped by user intent

Solution 3: Newsletter as the Entry Product

The newsletter becomes the primary trust and habit-building product.

Why

Matches investor behavior

Builds weekly engagement

Creates a natural free → premium path

Solution 4: Media Hub with Program Structure

English Media content is organized into clear programs suitable for sponsorship.

Solution 5: Homepage as a Value Gateway

The homepage guides users instead of flooding them.

User lands on homepage → understands value

User consumes curated content → builds trust

User subscribes to free newsletter → forms habit

User upgrades to premium → deeper value

Media & sponsorship support monetization without harming UX

UI Structure & Grid System Issues

The current UI lacks a consistent and well-defined grid system.

Layouts appear visually unbalanced, spacing is inconsistent, and components do not align within a clear structural framework.

Why this is a problem

Without a proper grid system, visual hierarchy breaks down. Users struggle to scan content efficiently, and the interface feels chaotic rather than trustworthy.

Evidence / Clues

Inconsistent spacing between sections

Misaligned content blocks

Uneven column widths across pages

Responsiveness & Screen Size Problems

The website follows a desktop-first approach and does not adapt correctly to different screen sizes, especially tablets and intermediate breakpoints.

Why this is a problem

Users experience compressed layouts instead of responsive reflows, leading to poor usability on tablets and medium screens.

Evidence / Clues

Awkward layouts on tablet view

Text and cards shrinking instead of reorganizing

No clear breakpoint logic

Web Performance & Core Web Vitals Issues

The platform suffers from weak Core Web Vitals performance, particularly in perceived loading speed and interaction readiness.

Key issues observed

Poor LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)

Heavy DOM and excessive elements

Late-loading interactive components

Why this is a problem

Users attempt to interact with the interface before it is fully ready, leading to frustration and misclicks.

Evidence / Clues

High number of dead clicks

User interactions happening before page stability

Drop-offs during early page load

Establish a unified grid system

Define clear responsive breakpoints (desktop, tablet, mobile)

Reduce visual density and unnecessary components

Optimize Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS, INP)

Align UI decisions with UX intent, not just aesthetics

These UI and performance issues directly impact:

User trust

Content readability

Engagement duration

Conversion potential

Poor UI structure combined with weak performance perception amplifies existing UX problems rather than solving them.