Apollo
Introduction
I had the privilege of collaborating with the incredible team at Apollo.io to enhance the webapp. My task was to address critical UX issues across features, onboarding, conversion, and marketing materials. I was entrusted with designing the entire customer journey, from the initial login through trial expiration and conversion.
My role:Senior Designer/ Design Consultant
- Product Strategy
- Research
- Visual Design
- Email Design
- Illustrations
- Usability testing
- Dev handoff
Team:
- Product Owner
- Lead Product Designer
- Development Team
- Head of Growth
- CEO
CHALLENGE
How it started:
High priority - People and company Searcher (duration 6 weeks)
The Apollo.io team aimed to elevate the user experience for their core prospecting functionality. Their business goal was to simplify and redesign the search and filtering system, demonstrating immediate value to new users and positioning Apollo as a powerful prospecting tool.
Challenge:
- New User Confusion: New Sales Development Reps (SDRs) were often unsure about how to start prospecting effectively.
- Inefficiencies for Experienced Users: Seasoned users adapted to the app, but their workflows became inefficient over time.
Research and Learning
Apollo’s visual language and site architecture for its three separate prospecting pages (prospector, contacts, and accounts) caused constant confusion with users.
Approach: Streamlining Search and Filtering
Our team implemented a comprehensive strategy to enhance the user experience:
- Consolidating Pages: We merged the three separate prospecting pages (prospector, contacts, accounts) into "People" and "Companies" pages, eliminating confusion about where to find information.
- Simplifying Functionality: One of the biggest updates was the ability to hide and expand the filtering panel. While filtering is essential for the search functionality, users often want to focus solely on the data after applying filters. Having the filtering panel always visible, even when not needed, frustrated some users. To address this, we had to rethink the hierarchy and information architecture of the search page, redesigned common user paths to make the prospecting process more intuitive and efficient
The Results:
- Increased User Engagement:New users began prospecting immediately due to the improved user experience.
- Enhanced User Retention: Increased retention were observed
- Boosted Efficiency: Seasoned users experienced a significant improvement in their prospecting workflows thanks to the streamlined design.
Lessons Learned:
By prioritizing user needs, we transformed Apollo.io's prospecting functionality into a valuable tool that empowers both new and experienced users. This set us on the right path towards simplicity.
Next Steps:
The success of this project paves the way for continued exploration. We plan to conduct A/B testing on various interface elements and user flows to further refine the experience. Additionally, it gaves us enough information to understand user journeys for a better self guided onboarding
Work
Additional Projects: (Other Major Flows /Functionality)
Self Guided Onboarding
Apollo was a successful app; however, their biggest competitor at that time was Outreach. To retain users, we had to strategize on a self-guided onboarding process that would lead users to success. The app had much to offer, and users needed guidance on many configurations to get the best results.
An efficient and well-thought-out self-guided onboarding process in a web app is crucial. It reduces the time needed for the customer care team to onboard each user, resulting in a more frictionless approach and happier customers.
Approach:Unleash Apollo's Potential: A Strategic Onboarding
As part of the regular onboarding guided process, we strategize a way to push users to try engaging with apollo multiple ways. We developed an onboarding process with a progress bar for completion and incentives to win. Every time users finished one of the steps, we gifted them 5-20 lead points. These points could only be obtained by upgrading the Apollo plan or by purchasing/adding points to a free account.
- Download LinkedIn prospector add-on
- Add contacts
- Create a sequence
- Invite your friends
Results:
This self-guided onboarding process yielded impressive results:
- Increased user engagement: Users were more likely to explore different features and experiment with the app.
- Reduced support tickets: The onboarding process helped users become more independent, reducing the need for customer support.
- Improved user satisfaction: Users reported a more positive experience and were more likely to recommend Apollo to others.
Conclusion:
By providing a clear and engaging onboarding experience, we were able to drive user adoption and retention for Apollo. This approach demonstrated the power of effective onboarding in helping users achieve their goals and maximize the value of the app.
Elevated Brand Image:
The new email template increased engagement with Apollo.io news, further strengthening the brand presence.
