ELLE Horoscopes is one of Hearst brand's most-visited and highest-engaging sections. Through the period of decline (Jan 2025 - April 2025), the Elle Horoscopes page still retained the highest number of returning users anywhere on the portfolio. In particular, the horoscopes section page received over 150k returning visitors.
Our goal was to engage the users who do arrive on our section, increase their propensity to return, and flatten the traffic curve. The horoscopes section and subsection feed pages are the single largest entry points, with a majority of users visiting their daily horoscope article first.
To further amplify content visibility and improve engagement, we developed and launched the ELLE Horoscope Hub 2.1—an iterative redesign based on traffic statistics and user behavior patterns.
Credits:
Senior Product Designer: Masha Vainblat
Senior Product Manager: Jake Marchman
Tech Lead: Janean Mann
Development: Elena Mazepova, Stas Areshin, Sergey Kholodov, Anton Petrovskyi, Koryun Hayryan
Landing Screen
Selected Sign Horoscope
Love Compatibility Carousel
Love Compatibility Description
Interactive Flashcards
Reverse Side
Email Capturing
Recently Published Astrology Articles
Learning Basics List
Sign Breakdown Grid
Video
Content Recirculation
Before
After
Previously completed user research emphasized the importance of horoscopes that relate to the user's individual sign (in contrast to generic articles). By allowing a user to drill down on their astrological sign, we increase the relevance of the content presented on the horoscope homepage.
A dropdown allows users to select their sign. Selecting the sign loads a summary of their daily horoscope and displays links to content relevant to their horoscope, such as their compatibility with other signs. This summary entices users to recirculate onto their daily horoscope page. For users who are signed in, this sign selection persists so that the page remains customized for return visits.
Sign Selection Dropdown
Selected Sign Horoscope Summary
Love Compatibility Carousel
Love Compatibility Description
The spotlight navigation allows users to toggle through and access the daily, weekly, and monthly horoscope sections. This enables visitors to quickly access their desired content immediately upon arriving on any horoscope page.
In most cases, users will want their daily horoscope, a summary of which will be immediately displayed on the homepage if they submit their astrological sign. However, a typical path can include navigating first from daily to weekly horoscope, which is facilitated by the spotlight nav.
Per recent testing on Esquire, the spotlight nav makes a non-trivial contribution to site-wide recirculation. Applying it here will also likely increase recirculation.
The Elle Horoscope audience is valuable more for its loyalty than its size. Therefore, our strategy for this audience is to encourage deep repeated engagement.
To support Elle's weekly astrology-focused newsletter launch, we incorporated astrology-focused newsletter capture placements within the horoscope section and collection pages.
Email Newsletter Capture
As we are competing with multiple other online horoscopes, Elle must maintain credibility by creating an aura of luxury and mysticism. The redesign incorporates elevated visual design, refined typography, and immersive interactive elements to create a more premium experience.
Despite the horoscope section and subsection feed pages being the single largest entry points, a majority of users will visit their daily horoscope article first. Therefore, it is important to incorporate an enhanced nav experience on the article page to help users recirculate back to the hub.
Content Recirculation Navigation
With a data-driven and opportunity seeking approach to product design and long term brand trust, we were able to map out a user journey of traffic patterns. They revealed the top most frequently visited sites and repeated users. Rather than 3 clicks in 3 different tabs leading to drop offs, we provided an immediate value to our users seeking their daily horoscopes within an immersive and engaging experience.
Part of our strategy was to offer a personalized experience for repeated users if they were signed as members. We thought about 3 different states of the site:
1. a user who lands on the horoscope hub without a selected sign
2. a user who has provided their sign to receive their daily horoscope
3. a returning, registered user who comes back to a personalized horoscope page
