Discovery
Workflow analysis
Research revealed three systemic barriers
Users couldn't reach the value
Users couldn't view plans until they were four pages into the experience. Most assumed they had taken a wrong turn and abandoned the journey.
Customer support became the workflow
Poor signifiers on the enrollment page caused many customers to require support while setting up benefits.
Users hit an expertise wall
Standard industry classification (SIC) was required before users could view plans. Most small business owners didn't know their SIC code and had to ask their accountant, creating another barrier before they ever saw value.
Design Decisions Grounded in Product Strategy
Rather than treating symptoms, we used established design and business principles to reshape the experience.
Reduce Commitment Before Value
Let users explore before requesting contact information or detailed business data. Showing tentative pricing within a few clicks built trust before asking for commitment.
Make Important Information Obvious
Improved layout consistency and legibility while removing false signals and introducing clearer signifiers.
Match Mental Models
Users have expectations of how a purchase funnel should feel shaped by other online shopping experiences. We focussed on matching their existing mental models rather than forcing them to adapt to a bespoke experience.
Key Experience Improvements
Representative improvements across the customer journey
Barrier Removed
Replaced a required lookup field with a guided page that explained the task, making plan exploration possible without prior insurance expertise.
Plan Selection Clarified
Borrowed familiar ecommerce patterns so users always knew what they had selected, where they were, and what came next.
Enrollment Clarified
Removed misleading completion cues so users understood what had been configured versus what had actually been enrolled.
Research Methods
Ongoing research practice confirmed new feature success and exposed growth opportunities
Continuous Validation
Testing was integrated into every other sprint, allowing designs to be validated before development and refined while changes were still inexpensive to make.
Real customers completing real purchases
Local small business owners completed the purchasing experience in person, allowing us to observe the entire journey—not isolated screens.
Impact
More Customers Reached Plan Selection
Fewer users abandoned the experience before viewing plans, resulting in more plan exploration and higher conversion.
Support No Longer Filled UX Gaps
Customer support no longer needed to actively monitor enrollment completion for many customers.
