Case Study

Improving metrics in one-week sprint

This case study delves into the process and strategic design decisions undertaken to meet a design optimization challenge, highlighting the collaborative effort between HOP and Appex to elevate the user experience of Hashtag Expert.

App
Hashtag Expert
Company
Appex
Timeline
1 week
Year
2024
Improving metrics in one-week sprint Jo Jo

Hashtag Expert is an iOS app that helps thousands of users to grow their social media presence, offering trending hashtags, time to post tips and premium educational resources.

We at HOP, the in-house design team for start-ups, had the opportunity to collaborate with Appex, a leading company that manages a portfolio of over 50+ apps. Among these, Hashtag Expert has emerged as a focal point of our efforts.


Challenge

How can we optimize the app and improve its success metrics, while minimizing development work, all within a one-week sprint.

Solution

• Optimized Social Media Platform Selection • Hashtag Generation Copy Improvements • Enhanced Post-Onboarding Experience

User percentage that reported being unaware that Hashtag Expert could generate hashtags for TikTok and expressed interest in using this feature

User percentage that reported being unaware that Hashtag Expert could generate hashtags for TikTok and expressed interest in using this feature

03.1 Solution Highlight

Optimized Social Media Platform Selection

In a survey, 65.1% of users (2.3k respondents) reported being unaware that Hashtag Expert could generate hashtags for TikTok and expressed interest in using this feature. This is particularly relevant given that traffic from TikTok has doubled, while Instagram’s has significantly decreased.

The design team hypothesized that the “Generate” tab had a discoverability issue due to social media options being hidden in a dropdown menu.

Social media selection component before optimization.

Social media selection component before optimization.

To address this, we proposed to remove the dropdown and make the already implemented segmented control always visible. This change was intended to enhance user experience while optimizing company resources.

Social media selection component after optimization.

Social media selection component after optimization.

Additionally, this adjustment created enough space to add the title “Hashtags for [Social Media]” in the top left corner, aligning it with the other tabs and further improving usability.


Solution

Hashtag Generation Copy Improvements

As part of our efforts to enhance user experience, we focused on optimizing the UX copywriting within the input field where users insert the topic for hashtag generation. This aspect is pivotal to the overall flow of the app.

Label text before and after optimization.

Label text before and after optimization

After recognizing that a primary motivation for users to download Hashtag Expert is to generate hashtags, it became apparent that using “Enter hashtags…” as the label for the main input field was potentially counterintuitive.

“Generate” tab before and after optimization

“Generate” tab before and after optimization

Here you can see the before and after optimization on the Generate tab, showcasing the improved user interface designed to streamline the hashtag generation process and provide a more intuitive user experience.

Facilitating users to engage in hashtag generation is crucial because it directly aligns with Hashtag Expert’s core value proposition — helping users quickly find relevant hashtags to boost their social media engagement. Early interaction with this feature should enhance user retention by reinforcing the app’s value.


Solution

Enhanced Post-Onboarding Experience

By analyzing the data on MixPanel, the team discovered that a significant number of users were dropping off the app during their first use, prior to performing the critical event of hashtag generation.

The design team hypothesized that improving the user experience immediately after onboarding could reduce this drop-off rate.

User flow to perform a critical action (hashtag generation) before and after optimization

User flow to perform a critical action (hashtag generation) before and after optimization

Upon completing the onboarding process, users were previously directed to the “Learn” tab. Following this, they would navigate to the “Generate” tab, only to be immediately presented with a feedback survey — an action required before they had even generated a hashtag. This sequence introduced unnecessary friction and disrupted the user experience, delaying their ability to engage with the primary feature of generating hashtags.

Post onboarding screens before optimization, where the users would start on Learn tab.

Post onboarding screens before optimization, where the users would start on Learn tab.

To enhance user experience and streamline the process, we proposed a significant change. Now, upon completing the onboarding process, users are taken directly to the “Generate” tab. This adjustment eliminates the unnecessary steps and allows users to immediately begin generating hashtags, ensuring a smoother and more intuitive user journey.

An onboarding question and social media selection before optimization

An onboarding question and social media selection before optimization

Additionally, during onboarding, users were asked which social media platform they intended to generate hashtags for. However, this information was not being utilized, resulting in a missed opportunity to streamline the user experience.

An onboarding question and social media selection after optimization

An onboarding question and social media selection after optimization


Solution

Results

The development work was completed within a one-week timeframe, culminating in the release of the updated version on December 19th, 2023. The subsequent analysis of the results is based on data collected over a month following the implementation of these optimizations.

Results from the design optimization

Results from the design optimization

Increased 13.5% hashtag generations after completing onboarding

After the optimization, 69.36% of users who completed onboarding went on to generate hashtags, compared to just 55.86% before the changes. This 13.5% increase in conversion rate indicates that the design improvements successfully enhanced the appeal of the “Generate Hashtags” feature, encouraging more users to engage with the app’s core functionality right after onboarding.

Reduced 14.29% in drop-off rates

With the improved flow, the drop-off rates across 10 steps after completing onboarding decreased 14.29% in total, indicating a more cohesive and engaging user experience. The earlier and more frequent engagement with the “Generate Hashtags” action suggests that users found the process more straightforward.

Increased 19.21% early engagement in hashtag generation

Following the optimization, 20.61% of users were able to generate hashtags immediately after onboarding, demonstrating a more intuitive and engaging user flow. This change highlights a more streamlined and intuitive user flow, enabling users to access the core feature immediately after onboarding, enhancing early engagement.

Solution

Next Steps

This design challenge proved to be a significant success, yet there remains ample opportunity for further enhancement. A critical turning point in Hashtag Expert’s product cycle has emerged due to the evolving role of hashtags, as Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri, highlighted that hashtags primarily serve as a categorization tool

Recognizing this shift, Hashtag Expert team is pivoting to address the need for other engagement tools. In response, the team developed and launched a new feature: AI generated captions. This feature enables users to create compelling and personalized captions for posts, reels, and TikTok, tailored to resonate with their audience and drive greater interaction. Furthermore, the team made some minor updates on the “generate” tab.

July 2024 Hashtag Expert design updates.

July 2024 Hashtag Expert design updates.

The AI Caption feature went live in July, and the team is closely monitoring its performance to ensure it meets user needs and enhances their social media strategies.


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