Creating a Tailored Experience with Curated Categories
VarageSale is a buy and sell platform that aims to show you the most relevant items at the right times, as well as show you items you might discover that you never knew you needed.
Potential buyers coming into the platform generally have a goal or something specific to purchase in mind. VarageSale needed a way to prove to members that they had what they're looking for as early into the experience as possible.
Potential buyers coming into the platform generally have a goal or something specific to purchase in mind. VarageSale needed a way to prove to members that they had what they're looking for as early into the experience as possible.
Product
VarageSale • 2017
Role
User Research, Usability Testing, UI Design, UX Design
Platforms
iOS, Android
The Problem
First impressions are everything - how can we provide our buyers a better initial experience?
Competing with numerous buy-sell apps, we drop new members into a feed of items upon sign-up. User testing reveals a tendency to search for specific items immediately.
To enhance day 0-3 retention, can we prioritize displaying relevant items based on user preferences?
To enhance day 0-3 retention, can we prioritize displaying relevant items based on user preferences?
Hypothesis
First impressions count. By showcasing items of interest right from the start, we provide immediate value and stimulate more 'Interested' events, boosting retention for new buyers, particularly in the critical days 0-3.
Potential Risks
Introducing an additional onboarding step might increase frustration and workload, counter to our goal of minimizing sign-up friction. Considering VarageSale members' tendency to discover unexpected items via our Feed, we aimed to enhance the experience while recognizing that first-time users are typically goal-oriented.
Opportunity
Successful implementation of this extra step would provide VarageSale with valuable insights into the specific categories that interest new members upon sign-up. This information is crucial; failure to show members what they desire presents a significant challenge for the platform.
The Solution
To ensure minimal disruption to the sign-up process, we initiated a gradual rollout to 5% of new iOS users initially. Over a week and a half, we expanded this to 100% without any significant issues. Eventually, we incorporated these screens into the Android sign-up flow too.
Results
The added step in the onboarding flow has been a success. On average, 77% of new members who view this screen select their interested categories daily, with no observed drop-off.
It challenged assumptions about popular categories; 'Vehicles and Automotive' emerged as unexpectedly popular (a potential business opportunity!), while 'Baby Items' were less favored than presumed.
It challenged assumptions about popular categories; 'Vehicles and Automotive' emerged as unexpectedly popular (a potential business opportunity!), while 'Baby Items' were less favored than presumed.