Improving the process of creating and testing payment links for merchants.
Background
Orchestrate is a business-to-business solution that enables companies and merchants to expand their payment stack in minutes. It offers them immediate access to a variety of payment methods and providers so that their customers can pick their preferred payment option.
The Problem
We hurriedly launched Orchestrate with the intention of learning and iterating based on feedback from our closed beta testers. About two months after the launch, we discovered a considerable drop-off rate in the payment link flow. As a result, approximately 90% of users, were unable to complete the transaction process on this flow.
It raised questions as to whether the problem was a usability issue with the feature or if users were simply not yet ready to make transactions.
Research
I conducted user interviews to uncover the problem was. The following frustrations were discovered.
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Synthesizing these insights helped us to arrive at a refined problem statement:
“How might we significantly reduce the difficulties users experience during the transaction process?”
Iterations & Solution
I iterated through multiple flows and refined the solution by doing the following:
1. Improved Onboarding and Product Instruction.
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Feedback: Users were left without clear instructions on the next steps to take after being directed to the system.
Final Solution: By introducing the "Get Started" page and product tutorial, users now have a clear understanding of the steps they need to follow when using the product. This was achieved by utilizing Intercom, due to the limited time and engineering resources available.
2. Inclusion of a Preview Button in the Payment Link Modal.
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Feedback: Users were unaware that they had to copy and paste the payment link into a new tab in order to preview it.
Final Solution: The results of the tests indicated that users were able to locate and effectively utilize the button, as its description clearly conveyed the desired action.
3. Validation of Email Addresses on the Payment Page.
Feedback: Some users failed to take notice of the banner notification and continued to enter the incorrect email address format, as there was no error message to inform them of their mistake.
Final Solution: By revamping this page, the frequency of mistakes in the email field decreased.
4. Inclusion of Test Credentials on Checkout Page.
Feedback: Users lacked the necessary credentials to conduct a test transaction for each of the providers that supported these payment methods.
Final Solution: As I do not have the rights to modify the checkout for any of the providers, I added a link on ours that took users to our API Docs containing all provider credentials.
Did our Solution Work? Yes it Did!
After implementing these solutions for less than four months, the total number of transactions improved significantly by 2000% and drop-off rate decreased by 90%. Additionally, more new businesses signed up on the product. The company was also acquired.
Collaboration with Engineers & Handoff
I improved collaboration with the Engineering team by using components from the company's design system, creating clear prototypes, and providing explainer notes on design screens. Additionally, I recorded Loom videos to give feedback on the implemented designs.
Here’s a screenshot of the design system and explainer notes.
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A Marketing Website
I collaborated with the marketing and brand team to design the marketing website, with the aim of raising business awareness and boosting conversions.
Learnings and Reflections
- While making informed assumptions is acceptable during the design process, it is crucial to allocate time for user testing before releasing it to the public as the goal is to create a product that prioritizes the user experience.
- During beta testing, I realized the importance of not solely relying on support tickets for user feedback. It's crucial for the design team to have a check-in schedule where they inquire about users' experiences and gather any feedback.
- I discovered that I can communicate with users through phone calls in addition to emails, in case the latter doesn't work. Working with the marketing team taught me proper phone etiquette for customer interactions.
- I learnt how to demo the product to potential customers by first understanding their use case, and subsequently presenting the product in a manner that aligns with the solution they are seeking.
