Selected project
Boosting return buyer rate for a new wholesale platform
Confidential information is excluded per my NDA. This case study reflects my views, not Qogita's official viewpoints
DELIVERABLES
Product design
Design strategy
Research
PLATFORMS
Web
Mobile web
USERS
Wholesale companies, and resellers in US, UK and EU
B2B
LINKS
1 / 2
Selling 100,000+ products across the globe
Qogita is a British start-up focused on health & beauty, its mission is to simplify B2B trade.
Qogita has now raised a total of €119 million.
HYPOTHESIS
B2C-like experience
Qogita set out with a bold vision to become a global market player and the go-to solution for wholesale purchases.
Our guess was simple: create a B2C-like experience for B2B users.
Recognizing that nearly 50% of B2B buyers are millennials, accustomed to exceptional B2C online experiences, we understood that they expect to order, self-serve, and fully transact online, making frictionless commerce a basic expectation for this demographic.
CHALLENGE
Based on first-hand information
To gain deeper insights into our users' business purchases and general sourcing questions, we at Qogita embarked on an extensive research mission. We interviewed over 30 current users and surveyed over 100 potential buyers across the U.S. and Europe.
We have learned invaluable lessons that shaped the product.
Quality assurance
Since Qogita specializes in beauty products, many buyers were concerned about the quality and authenticity of the items. As a result, people were placing trial orders with us to check the quality and reliability of a new partner.
Time means money
Timely shipping and delivery of items are crucial factors that directly impact a buyer's business. For those who profit from reselling items, any financial losses due to operational delays can significantly impact their bottom line.
Competitive pricing
Buyers were keen on calculating their profit margins accurately to ensure profitability, which meant that the price had to remain stable and predictable.
Millennial rule
The surprising revelation was that individuals desired a business-to-consumer experience, regardless of whether they fell into the millennial demographic or not.
MY ROLE
Product designer, covering end-to-end process
I looked after the entire product within the Payments and Logistics channels, overlapping all aspects of the business, including buyer and seller experiences, logistics, and enterprise solutions
DESIGN SYSTEM
Components for consistency and speed
We used Tailwind and moved step by step and kept a track of our progress in changes log.
BUSINESS VIEW
No money – no business
Qogita encountered challenges affecting the return buyer rate. From the business perspective, we wanted to increase returning GMV, meaning we want buyers to trust us and return with bigger orders.
RESEARCH
Prioritizing a win-win option
To determine what each team will focus on, we considered a few factors: business objectives, key user needs, and resource consumption.
Dogfooding session
GMV comes from orders, so my product manager and I delved into buyer platform and found the following issues:
A. The old order tracking page provides some shipment indications, but it is unclear when shipments will start or stop appearing.
B. The last communication of order progress is “You Paid.”
C. There is no option to pay at checkout, and no button to pay for unpaid advance orders.
Data perspective
At the moment we started this project 15% of orders expired. This happened because buyers submit the orders but then don’t actually pay for them.
Secondary research
According to the Baymard Institute, it’s understandable that order tracking is the primary reason why users visit the accounts area of e-commerce sites: users have recently placed an order and want to ensure that everything’s on track for delivery.Since Qogita specializes in beauty products, many buyers were concerned about the quality and authenticity of the items. As a result, people were placing trial orders with us to check the quality and reliability of a new partner.
Primary research
Customers struggle with tracking order progress and understanding which items are undelivered.
SHARING
Industry standards meeting startup realities
Users spend most of their time on other websites
I conducted a comprehensive analysis of leading B2C solutions, including IKEA, Farfetch, Shopify, and Walmart, to align B2B user experiences with contemporary consumer expectations. This analysis revealed two key insight
Clear oder status and timeline: Implementing a clear order status and timeline, or a stepper, as a standard UI solution is essential.
Order tracking with external links : Offering detailed order tracking with external links and a breakdown by items ensures that users can monitor each component of their order.
Reality check
To define potential solutions, we grounded our brainstorming session with developers and project managers in secondary research.
Prototype
Once we had a clear vision, I prototypes solution
TESTING
Rapid research
I recommended a usability test with real users to validate our prototype, given our clear understanding of the problem, goals, and key pain points.
Objectives
Objectives: Increase returning GMV - we want Buyers to trust us and return with bigger orders after their first order experience.
KPIs
Success rate (if a user completes a task or now, we introduce a task at the start of each test)
Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?
Persuasiveness: Are desired actions supported and motivated?
INSIGNHTS
Top 4
Order stepper is clear - especially being able to see what comes next
Buyers compare the physical items (delivered items) and printed invoice PDF details
Buyers are concerned about late payment fees if there’s no further explanation
People seemed happy with clicking on TnT to check shipment status as if they have low expectations
SOLUTION
Low-hanging fruit
Synced button with order status
Expanded status range
Added order sub-events and order progress
Made TnT link visible, fixed the copy
Added item count in collapsed shipment's accordion
We communicate order status on the order page and in emails
The status will display “Awaiting payment” if the payment has not been processed
Status updates right after the payment has been processed
We communicate detailed order status
Once order is paid and shipped, users can follow the process per item
NEXT STEPS
Iterate
Simplify ordered vs committed differentiation
Be more transparent about canceled items, progress per sale
Be more transparent about refunds
See how the solution performs
Thanks for your time
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or suggestions. I'm always open to feedback and happy to help with your projects
