SMBMarket
Drove user retention by designing a deal pipeline and calculator to streamline buyers' workflows.
Role
UX Designer
Timeline
January to May 2025
3 Designers, 3 Developers
Team
Tools & Skills
Figma, UXR, Usability Test, Product Design
Background
Refining business purchasing for new users
SMBMarket is a platform that aggregates businesses listings from different sources and provides an all-in-one experience for buyers to purchase their ideal business.
The main issue SMBMarket faced was holding user retention due to unclear and cluttered navigation. To address this, my team and I redesigned the site’s purchasing hub and added features like a deal pipeline and calculator to improve transparency on the costs of a business deals.
Research
We looked at established platforms to see how SMBMarket could improve and fill a market gap
We analyzed the user flow of other business deal sites and noted their UX strengths with a focus on user retention and guidance. SMBMarket fell flat due to its lack of accessibility towards new users, an intuitive flow, and management tools.
User Persona
Creating a user persona to pinpoint design needs and goals
Goals
Improving SMBMarket's accessibility and ease of use
After conducting user research, we decided that our design philosophy should be to make securing a business deal simple and accessible for new users through:
Streamlining the deal finding and searching experience.
Refining features that aid customers in how to get a business deal.
A more coherent onboarding experience for curious buyers.
Ideation
Exploring possible features and designs
Whiteboarding on Figjam, we discussed and pinpointed new features with our stakeholders' inputs in mind. This helped us develop design decisions that couldn't be built upon the existing platform.
Certain design assets required extensive iteration. Below are the different versions of a card layout of a business deal we tested for effective information display. The green card's layout is the one we moved forward with.
Design System
Here's how we maintained visual consistency across our designs
Final Designs
SMBMarket Transformed
SMBMarket's landing page concisely introduces its features, ensuring users quickly understand what they offer.
Learn the features SMBMarket has to offer
Exploring deals on the marketplace with ease with the grid layout and filtering options.
Save and record notes for deals of interest.
Find your perfect deal
Manage your ongoing deals in one hub with the deal pipeline.
Our deal calculator actively updates based on inputted investments.
Analyzing deals is clearer than ever
Our deal calculator actively updates based on inputted investments.
Tooltips give new users immediate knowledge on deal terminology.
Calculate deals with ease
Reflection
Closing Remarks
SMBMarket was a unique opportunity that allowed me to focus on designing new features rather than redesigning existing ones. The project also pushed me to learn how the business purchasing industry works.
I also appreciated being able to work closely with experts in the business purchasing industry. Their insights gave our team valuable information that informed many of our design choices.
In the future, conducting more extensive usability testing on specific features and flows would help us further optimize the user experience.