Arab Finance’s New Vision: A Financial Content Ecosystem

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.

Arab Finance — Case Study Summary

Problems, Evidence, and Logical UX Direction.

1. What Are the Existing Problems?

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

2. Why Do These Problems Exist

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.

3. How Do We Solve These Problems? (UX Direction)

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.

4. What Is the Logical UX Flow?

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

6. UI, Responsiveness & Performance Issues (Additional Findings)

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

Impact on UX & Business

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.

UX Direction for UI & Performance Fixes

• 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