"Why won't our customers use these awesome features we built?"
USANA Sharing Feature Research
This mixed-method research study finds out why customers are not sharing about USANA the way we intended, and how they currently share.
Project Background​
USANA is a US-based, multi-level marketing (MLM) company that specializes in nutritional and beauty products. Sharing Sharing is fundamental to both our business model and our customers' success. The growth of USANA depends on customer engagement and referrals, allowing customers to earn commissions through sharing. As a result, sharing features are being integrated across nearly all USANA web pages.
The Problem
According to web analytics data, online sharing features are being underutilized. If users are not sharing online, how do they share about and sell our products? Why won't they share using the sharing features we built? Stakeholders are eager to find out more.
Stakeholders:
​Product owners
IT manager
My role:
​Sole Researcher
Research Objectives: ​
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Better understand how customers share about USANA currently.
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Better understand the usage of existing share features USANA provides.
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Better understand why users are not utilizing sharing features USANA provides.
Timeline:
​2 months
Methods:
​Interviews, Surveys, Web Analytics
Research Planning
Through a series of workshops, the team clarified and achieved alignment on the following aspects:
- Research objective and goal
- The scope of the research
- The user groups we would like to study
- Research timeline
Workshop 1: (1 hr)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
​- Clarify roles and responsibilities, while assessing how research findings might impact stakeholders
- Gather questions, assumptions, and needs from stakeholders
- Define the timeline and establish the expected scope of the project
​​Workshop 2: (1 hr)​​​​​​​​​​​​
- Review previous research data
- Identify user groups of this product based on factors that could affect users' behavior
- Prioritize user groups based on the value of the expected outcome and ease of access
​​Workshop 3: (1 hr)​
- Prioritize research questions and user groups as a team
- Align the research scope
- Clarify limitations of the research
- List out example outcomes and ensure they align with stakholder needs
After workshop 1: ​
- Organize questions by theme
- Map the most suitable research methods for each question
- Translate questions and assumptions into research needs
- Search for existing research that helps address the questions
After workshop 2: ​
- Clarify constraints related to user recruitment and access (eg. company policies, budgets, workflows)
- Draft screeners for various user groups
- Implement web analytics tracking​
The outcome of the workshops: ​Achieved team alignment and a shared understanding of research objectives, scope, methods, target users, timeline, and required resources.
From left to right are:
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Example outcomes of the methods,
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Proposed research methods,
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Question themes,
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Behavioral and attitudinal questions.
​The smaller color blocks are stakeholders' votes on the priority and importance of each question.
Stakeholders list out user groups (eg. US and AP markets, Legacy distributors) and vote on the importance of each group. The groups are then prioritized based on the ease of access and expected value.
Research is then planned into 3 phases. The main methods we planned to use were field study, surveys, and web analytics.
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These workshops are typically condensed for other projects. However, due to the large scope of this project, in-depth discussions are essential. Recognizing the importance of establishing strong initial alignment, I dedicated time to facilitate comprehensive kick-off workshops.
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Research Execution
In-Depth Interviews​​
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​- 13 users from 4 markets​
- Reveal users' current approach and experience sharing about USANA
- Inform future quantitative research​
Recruiting
Participants were recruited through email and directed to Survey Monkey to complete a screener.
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The screener includes questions regarding their customer types, business goals, ranks, team composition, and current sharing experience.
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Screener questions example:
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​When was the last time you shared USANA with someone? ​(Within the past week, More than a week ago, Never)
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How do you prefer to share about USANA? Please select all that apply. (In-person, Social media, Messaging platform, Remote web and video conferencing, Others)
Thematic Analysis and Affinity Mapping
Challenges and Solutions​
​
The initial attempt at a field study was unsuccessful due to budget constraints for travel and a lack of understanding of the user context. After conducting a few pilot tests, we promptly decided to shift our approach from field studies to remote user interviews.
On the right: User personas based on the complexity and the type of technologies users use.
Interview
A remote 1-hour semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant that meets the criteria.
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Interview questions example:
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All of our following activities and questions will focus on the most recent experience you shared about USANA with another person or others. Feel free to take as much time as you need to recall that experience, and if you need to pull out chat history or other records, notes, or documentation, please take your time. When you are ready, please tell me about how that sharing started.
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Will you or will you not describe this story as a typical sharing experience you have?
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You mentioned you shared (asset 1) when sharing. Could you show me how you obtained/ accessed (asset 1)? ​
Outcomes
​
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Gained insights into user scenarios and contextual understanding
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Developed a comprehensive understanding of the methods, technology, strategy, and materials involved in users' current journey of sharing our products.
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Identified discrepancies between the resources users currently utilize and the resources we provide.
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Uncovered reasons why users are not sharing and selling as intended.
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Discovered underlying potential relationships between users’ sharing behaviors and the technology they use.
Web Analytics​​​
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- Measure the usage of current sharing features ​
Approaches and outcome:
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Through the interviews, we identified several distinct paths users took to access the sharing resources we provided. I then utilized web analytics data to compare the usage and performance of each path, which helped inform our business strategy.
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As a result, the team decided to remove some less frequently used sharing features that had poor performance and required high maintenance.
Comparing usage, dead, and error clicks of different sharing features across devices.
Comparing the conversion rate of different sharing features.
Surveys
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- 300+ respondents across 10 markets, distributed during various company events
- Measure the potential impact and establish a benchmark
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Challenges and solutions:
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Stakeholders frequently have strong opinions about how questions should be phrased when reviewing the initial draft of the survey. Conducting pilot testing is crucial in addressing these issues. By having a few users who match the intended profile walk through the entire survey, we can generate the most effective survey questions. Their feedback ensures that we ask questions appropriately and that users interpret them as intended.
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Outcome:
​
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Identified the primary reasons users are not utilizing the features we provided.
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Determined the key factors contributing to users not selling as we intended.
Results are shared across various groups and markets to help inform product directions.
Research Delivery
Detailed recommendations are given based on the data, covering various aspects:
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Retain certain vital features and interactions in the CRM App that will be discontinued, integrating them into the new app experience.
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Remove a sharing feature that allows users to share directly on a third-party social media platform.
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Enhance support for users operating cross-market businesses to ensure a seamless experience.
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Provide physical product samples in certain markets to support the local culture and ways of selling in these markets.
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Consider the diverse living environments of users and offering hard-copy sales materials in certain markets to help overcome technical limitations.
All research findings are compiled into reports presented as slide decks and PDFs, which are shared with stakeholders through meetings. Example slides from the report:
Overview of the recruited participants
Different sharing methods and the level of technology involved
Showcase different types of content users shared
Users feedback on sharing features
Overview of the devices and sharing methods participants use
Persona based on the complexity and the type of technologies used
Different ways of selling and the reasons of preference
Detailed recommendations
A task-based mental model is also created as part of the delivery, to help designers and stakeholders understand the tasks users need to accomplish while sharing with others. This mental model clearly outlines individual tasks, allowing designers to access the information easily and quickly.
Task-based mental model for sharing
