Problem
SMBs face challenges in setting up and managing their digital presence due to a lack of experience and clarity on the next steps.
Project Goal
Provide SMBs with a guided journey that offers step-by-step instructions, streamlining online business setup, optimization, and highlighting service value
Business Goal
DRIVE ATTACH REVENUE of the following services: Google Workspace, Website, Search Console, Google Business Profile and Google Ads
UX strategy
Provide step-by-step guided journey of Google services with the value props so users can understand the service options
My role
I led the UX and UI design for this project, collaborating extensively with cross-functional partners including Product Management, Engineering, Business Development, Marketing, User Experience Research (UXR), User Experience Writing (UXW), gTech, and cross-Product Area (PA) teams like Google Workspace, Business Profile, and Ads. My responsibilities included:
My tasks
- Planning and scope definition
- Ideation and Research
- Documentation and Communication
- User interface and experience
- Cross-Team Collaboration
- Support implementation & Track launch metrics
Design process
1. Research
A. DEFINING THE PERSONA
50% of Google Domains users are defined as SMB (small-medium business) owners,
but 72% of SMBs have had NO previous experience setting up/managing a domain
“I want my business to be found and trusted by customers”
“I want to discover different services quickly and understand their value”
“I want to have guidelines for my journey going forward”
- 37% of SMBs end up attaching G Suite
- 85% of SMBs use at least one Google product
- 22-25% of SMBs are likely to attach a website
B. RESEARCH SYNTHESIS
As part of our efforts to integrate attached services post domain registration and website creation, we wanted to better map users’ journeys from initial needs for attached services through actual implementation and usage of these services.
We looked at the moments of awareness and acquisition, and determine which services to elevate, based on SBO receptivity and scalability,
SMB journey : Each track woven into the lives of a SMB and how our product experience can enrich and transform the lives of our users.
C. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Partnered with the Business Development team on a competitive analysis, studying 8 companies’ strategies and service packages. Gathered insights into competitor tactics, strategic approaches, and packaging best practices.
D. RESEARCH INSIGHTS
- Always add value and give context
- Respect users’ main objective
- Fewer steps, more conversion
- Limit decision making: bundle to make better decisions faster. Avoid loop or analysis paralysis
- Enhanced experience (such as personalized “smart-sell”, exclusive offer)
- Build in urgency, but don’t over do it
2. Brainstorming session
I facilitated a half-day brainstorming session with 11 cross-functional team members (2 PM, 2 Eng, 1 Marketing, 2 Business Development, 4 UXers). We analyzed SMB user journeys and previous research insights to define project objectives and explore ideal service bundling concepts. Activities like Crazy Eights and HMW fueled ideation. I synthesized the ideas and created a prioritized list for team voting.
We brainstormed 17 ideas for ideal vision for attached services, and the top-rated concepts were:
- Ease of setup: One-stop shop to get online. Quick and easy way to get started that just works
- Simplicity of management: Manage all in one convenient place
- Journey of getting online : Trustworthy recommendations and guided journey
3. Concept study
Building upon our brainstorming insights, I collaborated with UXR to conduct a concept study. We had 10 qualitative sessions with Domains users, explored 3 service packaging concepts. Our goal was to streamline the setup and optimization journey for online businesses while highlighting the value of integrated services.
Concept 01
Concept 02
Concept 03
A. CONCEPTS TESTED
- Prescriptive guided journey following the SMB path
- Guided journey based on user service preferences
- Guided journey centered on users’ goal to get online
B. KEY FINDINGS
- Positive: New SMBs valued guidance, experienced users appreciated efficiency.
- Ambiguous: Some concepts lacked clarity on service benefits and flexibility.
- Visual Appeal: v3’s layout was strong, but the workflow was less intuitive.
C. MAIN TAKEAWAYS
- Merge 1 and 3: Combine 3’s aesthetics with 1’s workflow for optimal experience.
- Validate User Need: Users appreciate guidance and trust Google’s recommendations.
- Introduce as Post-Registration Flow: Domain registration is still a more immediate task that users want to accomplish before considering other services.
- Provide Context: Allow users to explore more information about each service before setup.
4. Final design
I synthesized researches and user feedback from the concept study to create design principles and deliver a user-centered final design.
A. DESIGN PRINCIPLES
🤝🏻 Useful and trustworthy
Guided journey should be useful for the user to get online and recommend trustworthy products to make the user’s business successful.
💎 Valuable and understandable
Guided journey should add value and enhance the user journey, and the user should understand the value from the context given.
🧭 Digital guidance
Guided journey should provide an easy entry point for each service and provide a prescriptive set of steps that will help them get the most out of their domain.
B. DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
Prescriptive stepper
A prescriptive stepper, tailored to the SMB journey, simplifies online success by presenting curated Google services to enhance their online presence.
Visual aid
Intuitive illustrations aligned with corresponding services offer users a quick visual understanding of each service’s purpose, facilitating efficient navigation.
Collapsible Progress Bar
Collapsible progress bar allows users to effortlessly track their online setup progress while maintaining control over their browsing experience on Google domains. Research indicates that such progress indicators boost user engagement and completion rates.
Service overview cards
Post-setup, service cards provide users with key high-level information for each service, enabling monitor multiple services efficiently directly on Google Domains.
Final designs
GUIDANCE OF SERVICE
Users can quickly navigate through different Google services and understand the value of each of the services that can help their online business be successful.
HUB AND SPOKEN
Users can be guided by the prescriptive set of steps that help them set up their online business most effectively. Also, they get a consolidated location of entry points for the different services.
UTILITY OF DOMAINS
Users can quickly scan the attached services and high level information for each of the services which allows them to manage different services effectively.
5. Impact
The Guided Journey feature launched in Q2 2021. Initial outcomes from the first month include:
12%
increase in new Google Workspace signups (generating an estimated +$1.5M revenue impact in year 1).
10%
increase in new website signups.
275%
increase in domains adding Reports (Search Console).
35%
conversion rate achieved when referring to Google Business Profile.
75%
of post-domain purchase Workspace signups utilized the Guided Journey feature.
Post-Launch: Exploring Scalability for V2
After the successful launch of Guided Journey v1, we began exploring a v2 approach. Recognizing the need for enhanced flexibility and scalability as we continued to integrate additional features, we focused on refining the design to accommodate the growing scope of Google Domains.
While v1 boosted overall service adoption, its stepper component posed limitations. To address this, the UX team focused on long-term solutions to increase scalability and reimagine the Domains overview page for improved post-registration utility. We explored various design styles, components, and patterns to inform future enhancements.
