Launch of eCommerce and trial-ware experience. 8x8.com.

In 2018, 8x8 launched its first eCommerce product, enabling B2B companies to try the 8x8 VoIP software for free and purchase the complete business phone system without needing to engage with sales representatives.

My Role

I led the design for the project, taking on the roles of researcher, UX/UI designer, content strategist, and product manager. I managed communication with business stakeholders and assigned tasks to developers during the deployment stage. I collaborated closely with a UI designer, copywriter, web analytics team, developers, and other product managers.

Kickoff

At the start of the project, we did not have a clear understanding of how users search for business phone systems or VoIP software. Fortunately, we had existing insights from persona studies and user journey reports from a previous project my team worked on with a third-party research agency. I conducted a thorough analysis of web performance data using Google Analytics, gaining valuable insights from traffic sources, click maps, drop-off points, and page conversion rates.

It was crucial to understand the factors influencing the online buyer's experience. The following primary concerns informed my design strategy:

  • How can the trialware be found most quickly?

  • At what stage in the journey should we provide more information to encourage sign-up?

  • How can we ensure a consistent user experience from the website to the product sign-up flow?

User Flows and Competitive Analysis

From the persona and journey study reports, we learned that users behaved in two distinct ways: those who took their time reading product details, focusing on benefits and features, and those who were ready to sign up and start using the software immediately. We also found that, in most cases, prospects were ready to take the next step after seeing detailed information about product plans and pricing.

By analyzing competitors' strategies for selling online, I identified a common approach: before guiding users to the shopping cart or sign-up flow, most competitors included a page or screen that outlined the next steps and presented concise details about product benefits, trialware, and subscription conditions.

I mapped these insights and translated them into two distinct online user flows and situations.

User Flow 1 represents the opportunity for users to explore product features and pricing, uncovering more details with each click:

8x8CaseStudy-Flow1.png

User Flow 2 addresses a fast-track approach for users who are ready to sign up and purchase. This flow was also utilized in multiple email campaigns to streamline trialware registrations:

8x8CaseStudy-Flow2.png

Other Deliverables

As our customers evolve, we, as designers, must meet their high standards and stay ahead of the latest trends. To do so, I constantly seek opportunities to improve and optimize aspects of a project as I work on it.

While working on this initiative, I made several improvement recommendations, which received positive feedback from the business team and stakeholders. The proposed changes were implemented alongside the launch:

  • The product page was enhanced with an optimized content flow, improved imagery, and a new product trialware option.

  • Site navigation was improved. During competitive analysis, I discovered that other companies offering online purchases always have a "Plans & Pricing" CTA at the top level of navigation. As a result, we reorganized our site navigation to make it easier to understand the product taxonomy and find pricing details.

In addition to the site optimization changes, we developed two new pages to introduce the new product and support the trialware/e-commerce steps:

8x8CaseStudy-ProdDetails.png
8x8CaseStudy-JumpPage.png

On the left is the design of the new product page, showcasing all details about 8x8 Express (product), its benefits, and links to a data sheet, an administration guide, and the option to initiate the trial subscription.

On the right is the overview (jump) page, which provides a brief summary of the product features and an overview of the sign-up steps. This page serves as a "connector" between two environments and two design systems — web and product. It provides just enough information about the new product and what to expect next after the customer clicks "Get Started" and enters the sign-up flow.

Early Insights after Launch
We saw a significant lift in bookings during the first weeks post-launch, with continued growth on a quarterly basis.

(For confidentiality reasons I have omitted the values for these metrics).