SMBMarket

Role

UX Designer

Timeline

January to May 2025

Team

3 Designers, 3 Developers

Tools & Skills

Figma, Product Design

Background

Refining business purchasing for new users

SMBMarket is a platform that aggregates businesses listings and provides an all-in-one experience for buyers to purchase their ideal business.


SMBMarket struggled to maintain user retention due to unclear navigation. My team and I redesigned the site’s marketplace and added a deal pipeline and calculator to improve transparency on the costs of business deals.

Research

We looked at established sites to see how SMBMarket could fill a market gap

We analyzed the user flow of other deal sites and noted their 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

SMBMarket's biggest problem was an unclear navigation that'd lead to a loss in user retention. To address this, our main design philosophy was to make securing a business deal simple 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.


SMBMarket's biggest problem was an unclear navigation that'd lead to a loss in user retention. To address this, our main design philosophy was to make securing a business deal simple 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

We pinpointed new features on Figjam that focused on providing more information on business deals to customers.


Our whiteboarding led to ideas like a deal pipeline and calculator so customers can forecast a potential business profits better. We also ideated UI-related changes like adding a card layout for each deal for more efficient viewing.

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

Find your perfect deal

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

Exploring deals on the marketplace with ease with the grid layout and filtering options.


Save and record notes for deals of interest.

Analyzing deals is clearer than ever

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

Manage your ongoing deals in one hub with the deal pipeline.


Our deal calculator actively updates based on inputted investments.

Calculate deals with ease

Our deal calculator actively updates based on inputted investments.


Tooltips give new users immediate knowledge on deal terminology

Calculate deals with ease

Our deal calculator actively updates based on inputted investments.


Tooltips give new users immediate knowledge on deal terminology

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. The project also pushed me to learn how the business purchasing industry works. Lastly, I appreciated being able to work closely with experts in the business purchasing industry.


In the future, conducting more extensive usability testing on specific features and flows would help us further optimize the user experience.


SMBMarket was a unique opportunity that allowed me to focus on designing new features. The project also pushed me to learn how the business purchasing industry works. Lastly, I appreciated being able to work closely with experts in the business purchasing industry.


In the future, conducting more extensive usability testing on specific features and flows would help us further optimize the user experience.