The Problem

Designing an input promo code feature might seem straightforward, but not for our unique transaction flow. It posed significant challenges. The process involved multiple steps, critical decision points, and a non-linear user journey. A traditional end-of-transaction promo code placement would disrupt this flow and prevents us on getting earlier data.

To address these complexities, I embarked on a design process to:

• Identify optimal placement by determine the most suitable location for the promo code field within the existing flow.

• Minimize user disruption by design the promo code feature to be easy to complete.

The Goals

The primary goal of this project was to enhance our ability to track customer acquisition sources by designing an effective promo code input feature. By overcoming the challenges posed by our complex transaction process, we aimed to:

• Optimize marketing efforts: allocate resources efficiently by identifying high-performing campaigns and channels.

• Seamless user experience: integrate the promo code feature seamlessly into the customer journey without disrupting the user flow.

• Inform strategic decision-making: provide actionable data to support data-driven decisions and business growth.

My Role

As a UI/UX Designer on this project, my responsibilities cover every step of the design process, included:

• Researching: understanding user needs and behavior to guide the design

• Exploring Ideas: brainstorming and testing different ways to improve the promo code input feature.

• Designing: designing user-friendly layouts and visuals take make the feature easy to use and appealing.

• Prototyping: creating interactive models to test and refine the design before development.

Design Process

To determine the best placement for the promo code input field, I began by brainstorming various possibilities. These initial ideas were quickly sketched out to visualize potential solutions so I can share it quickly with stakeholder to gather feedback and insights.

First, I began by exploring a conversational approach. I asked users “Where did you hear about us?” and placing the promo code input field directly after. While this seemed intuitive, this was more suited for first-time users. Since our users can submit multiple applications, this solution insufficient of our goal of capturing data for every submission.

Next, I considered adding a direct question about promo codes. While technically feasible, this would disrupt the existing user flow and contradict our goal of creating a seamless experience. Additionally, our submission process is already quite long, so adding an extra step would overwhelm the user.

Then, I explored placing the promo code input on the submission summary page. While intuitively appealing, this placement conflicted with our goal of collecting data as early as possible because we need to wait until the user completed their submission.

And last, to achieve earlier data capture, I positioned the promo code input at the beginning of the submission process, before users entered required information.

But, this unconventional placement make me ask:

• Would this disrupt the user flow?

• How could we encourage users to complete if the field was optional?

• Would this early placement generate significant data?

Final Design

To maximize data capture while providing a seamless user experience, we implemented a multi-step promo code input system. This involved placing the promo code field at the beginning, middle, and end of the submission process.

• Early Placement

  Allows for immediate data capture, but might surprise users because of the unconventional placement.

  
  

  

  
  

• Mid-Process Placement

  Provides a second chance for users who may have missed the initial opportunity, seamlessly integrated into existing user flow.

  
  

  

  
  

• End-Process Placement

  Aligns with user expectations and ensures data capture at the end of the process.

  
  

  

Additionally, we offer two convenient methods for applying the promo codes:

• Automatic input: users who click on a promo-specific URL on our campaign will automatically directed to the registration page which promo code will be filled in automatically.

• Manual input: users can manually input their promo code at any of the designated input fields within the submission process.

Then, How We Communicate the Promo Benefits?

Unlike the others, our promotions required a unique approach. Because of our multi-step and non-linear process, we can’t give the benefits like discounts directly in the system. So to ensure customers understood the value of their promo, we created detailed explanations outlining how promotions worked and the steps needed to claim their benefits. This transparency was essential for managing expectations and providing a clear path to redemption.

How We Measured It?

To evaluate the success of the promo code input feature and its impact on our marketing efforts, we employed the following metrics:

• Promo code usage rate: Measured the percentage of users who entered a promo code during the transaction process.

• Campaign performance: Compared the performance of different campaigns by tracking the number of new customers acquired through each promo code.

• Customer acquisition cost (CAC): Analyzed the cost-effectiveness of various acquisition channels based on promo code data.

Lesson Learned

We quickly realized that a standard approach wasn’t going to cut it for our project. Sure, there are standard ways to do things, but our system was different. By taking the time to truly understand our unique process, we were able to come up with a solution that not only worked but actually improved things. This experience taught us that knowing your business and system flow inside and out is the secret to creating truly effective solutions.

What's Next?

The first version of our promo code input feature is a big step in tracking where our customers come from and how well our campaigns perform. By trying out different placements, we want to find the best spot for the promo code field.

But that’s not all! Looking at the data we gather will help us understand how users behave. This information will guide future updates and improvements. We’ll also explore how to use this data to better target our marketing efforts and grow our business. Our goal is to keep improving the promo code feature to make it more valuable for both users and the business.