We conducted an audit for two applications through which customers of large retail group order essential products and goods and compared them with other market leaders. The audit results formed the basis of the product teams' backlog, and now the company is improving the applications based on our recommendations.
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What the researchers and the client aimed to achieve was a ready-to-implement application development strategy. To reach this goal, they laid out the following action plan:
Each participant in the retail market, while working on their loyalty program, invents and implements their unique products. Sometimes, these programs extend beyond their service and apply to other services under the same ownership, not just limited to delivery. As a result, comparing these loyalty programs becomes challenging.
For instance, how can one accurately compare delivery models when through one competitor's service, you can order products from another (this paradox exists in the food tech market today)? Or, how do you compare one loyalty program to others when it lacks a physical card and isn't tied to specific bonuses but rather integrated into another service by the same market player?
The consultant, an internal specialist from Markswebb who possesses a deep understanding of the niche, facilitated the researchers' task. The consultant joins the project when the research is atypical or when a new framework is utilized; they become the primary advocate for the client, striving to fully comprehend their objectives.
The researchers at Markswebb began by identifying the various user scenarios present in food delivery applications: registration, loyalty program integration, self-pickup, and many others. For each scenario, they created a protocol outlining the aspects to be evaluated.
This work formed the foundation for assessing each application based on individual scenarios.
As part of the audit, the researchers went through 8 core user scenarios in the client's applications (registration, order placement, loyalty program integration, self-pickup, etc.) and constructed CJM for each scenario, identifying barriers and issues within the current state CJM as is.
Based on the Customer Journey Maps (CJM), a checklist for the audit was developed. The checklist consists of 471 criteria, describing solutions for key user tasks. Using this checklist, the applications of retail company and six competitors were examined.
This methodology allows for the identification of numerous ways to improve the customer journey. For instance, researchers discovered that when the address is automatically detected at the beginning, and users have the option to save and label it (e.g., home, work, country house), it accelerates the user journey during repeat purchases.
This is one of the most crucial parts of the research because it provides a real, quantifiable representation of the usability of the client's services and its competitors.
Let's take a look at a portion of this work. In the table below, you can see the distribution of weights for user tasks:
How these figures were calculated and how, based on them, the quality of the digital experience was assessed in each service, has been described in detail in the report for the client.
The term "practice", in the context of UX research, refers to elements of navigation, processes, algorithms, or entire features. Businesses that implement beneficial practices gain loyal customers.
To understand which practices are standard and which stand out from the rest, researchers rely on observation and a tool called the "implementation map". In this map, they record the frequency of each practice's appearance, which is later included in the overall report for the client.
This is a visualization of which practices can be considered market experiments and which are already industry standards. With the help of this map, building a well-founded development strategy becomes much easier.
At Markswebb, interfaces were examined for each specified scenario, and the researchers followed the entire user journey, documenting factors that positively or negatively influence the user experience.
Here are a few examples of implementations:
In total, the report includes 40+ best practices.
The client requested we prioritize finding practices that can be implemented quickly and cost-effectively while maximizing their impact. While creating CJM to be and the strategy, researchers filled them with the best practices. And the recommendations for the report were presented in this easily understandable map:
Besides the list of specific tasks, the client received a step-by-step roadmap for implementing changes. In the report, it looks like this:
Here is what the client received:
Currently, we are in negotiations regarding further collaboration, specifically concerning implementation consultation. When preparing the research report, we may not always be able to confidently determine the ease and cost-effectiveness of each improvement. Sometimes even the client cannot provide a definitive answer, as product and technical complexities may arise during the process. Therefore, it's best to adjust the backlog in collaboration with UX researchers.
This case study demonstrates a strategic and comprehensive approach to enhancing foodtech apps by identifying and implementing best practices. By partnering with Markswebb, the client was able to develop a detailed and actionable strategy to improve their applications, ensuring a superior digital experience for their users.
Every year we conduct up to 15 studies of digital services. These are industry benchmarks that reflect the state of the market and trends.