UX Research in Wabi2b for the Asian Market
In this project, my role was to co-lead the UX research for the Indian market. Our focus was on understanding how shop owners, our primary user group, interacted with the Wabi2b platform. Interestingly, the main touchpoint between shop owners and the platform was not direct but through a sales representative, who used Wabi2b as if they were the shop owner.
One of the major challenges was that we couldn’t be physically present in India. To overcome this, we trained Wabi’s local business team to conduct interviews, field recordings, and usability testing. Thanks to this collaboration, we were able to collect significant data despite the distance.
Timeline
2022 Q4
Client
Wabi2b
Role
UX Researcher
Project Context
Wabi2b, a B2B platform, decided to expand into India but lacked information about the users in this new market. Our goal was to investigate how shop owners interacted with the platform through sales reps and the barriers they faced to adopting the technology on their own.
Research Objectives
The research aimed to understand:
How shop owners interacted with the platform through sales reps.
The technological and cultural barriers to adopting Wabi2b.
Shop owners’ expectations for support and customer service provided by the platform.
Interview script design
Designing the interview script was key to gaining clear insights. We worked together to craft specific questions that could be applied by the local team in India, focusing on understanding the dynamics between shop owners and sales reps.
Some key questions included:
“What digital tools do you use to make purchases?”
“What do you expect from a platform like Wabi2b?”
“What are the main barriers you face when making online purchases?”
Since shop owners didn’t use the platform directly, it was essential to investigate how sales reps acted as intermediaries and managed the shopping experience on Wabi2b.
Observation and training the local team
We trained Wabi’s local team to carry out field observations, record interactions between sales reps and shop owners, and conduct usability tests. We visited 44 shops in Mumbai and 28 in Delhi, measuring interaction times and identifying points of friction.
“ I trust the sales rep more than the platform. They know what my store needs and make sure the order goes through. Without them, I wouldn’t feel confident using Wabi2b on my own.”
Shop Owner in Mumbai
Initial findings
Shop owners relied almost exclusively on sales reps to place orders through Wabi2b. One of the critical issues was the lack of trust in the platform and the perception that it didn’t offer the same level of support as sales reps.
Longest task: Building orders in the app (33-38% of total visit time).
Average visit time: 13-18 minutes (including travel).
Key issue: Shop owners preferred human interaction over direct platform use.
Conclusion and Wrap-up
Despite the significant findings and recommendations, Wabi’s tech team was disbanded before the suggested improvements could be implemented. Nevertheless, the research resulted in a detailed report with key recommendations, focusing on:
• Simplifying order creation in the app.
• Increasing visibility of promotions and coupons.
• Improving the platform’s speed and usability for users who relied on sales reps.
This report became a valuable resource for future decisions, even though the project was put on hold at the time.
44 Shops
Visited and interviewed in Mumbai
35%
Of visit time spent on building orders in the app
13-18
Minutes average visit time per customer
In this project, my role was to co-lead the UX research for the Indian market. Our focus was on understanding how shop owners, our primary user group, interacted with the Wabi2b platform. Interestingly, the main touchpoint between shop owners and the platform was not direct but through a sales representative, who used Wabi2b as if they were the shop owner.
One of the major challenges was that we couldn’t be physically present in India. To overcome this, we trained Wabi’s local business team to conduct interviews, field recordings, and usability testing. Thanks to this collaboration, we were able to collect significant data despite the distance.
Timeline
2022 Q4
Client
Wabi2b
Role
UX Researcher
Project Context
Wabi2b, a B2B platform, decided to expand into India but lacked information about the users in this new market. Our goal was to investigate how shop owners interacted with the platform through sales reps and the barriers they faced to adopting the technology on their own.
Research Objectives
The research aimed to understand:
How shop owners interacted with the platform through sales reps.
The technological and cultural barriers to adopting Wabi2b.
Shop owners’ expectations for support and customer service provided by the platform.
Interview script design
Designing the interview script was key to gaining clear insights. We worked together to craft specific questions that could be applied by the local team in India, focusing on understanding the dynamics between shop owners and sales reps.
Some key questions included:
“What digital tools do you use to make purchases?”
“What do you expect from a platform like Wabi2b?”
“What are the main barriers you face when making online purchases?”
Designing the interview script was key to gaining clear insights. We worked together to craft specific questions that could be applied by the local team in India, focusing on understanding the dynamics between shop owners and sales reps.
Some key questions included:
“What digital tools do you use to make purchases?”
“What do you expect from a platform like Wabi2b?”
“What are the main barriers you face when making online purchases?”
Since shop owners didn’t use the platform directly, it was essential to investigate how sales reps acted as intermediaries and managed the shopping experience on Wabi2b.
Observation and training the local team
We trained Wabi’s local team to carry out field observations, record interactions between sales reps and shop owners, and conduct usability tests. We visited 44 shops in Mumbai and 28 in Delhi, measuring interaction times and identifying points of friction.
“ I trust the sales rep more than the platform. They know what my store needs and make sure the order goes through. Without them, I wouldn’t feel confident using Wabi2b on my own.”
Shop Owner in Mumbai
Initial findings
Shop owners relied almost exclusively on sales reps to place orders through Wabi2b. One of the critical issues was the lack of trust in the platform and the perception that it didn’t offer the same level of support as sales reps.
Longest task: Building orders in the app (33-38% of total visit time).
Average visit time: 13-18 minutes (including travel).
Key issue: Shop owners preferred human interaction over direct platform use.
Conclusion and Wrap-up
Despite the significant findings and recommendations, Wabi’s tech team was disbanded before the suggested improvements could be implemented. Nevertheless, the research resulted in a detailed report with key recommendations, focusing on:
• Simplifying order creation in the app.
• Increasing visibility of promotions and coupons.
• Improving the platform’s speed and usability for users who relied on sales reps.
Despite the significant findings and recommendations, Wabi’s tech team was disbanded before the suggested improvements could be implemented. Nevertheless, the research resulted in a detailed report with key recommendations, focusing on:
• Simplifying order creation in the app.
• Increasing visibility of promotions and coupons.
• Improving the platform’s speed and usability for users who relied on sales reps.
This report became a valuable resource for future decisions, even though the project was put on hold at the time.
44 Shops
Visited and interviewed in Mumbai
35%
Of visit time spent on building orders in the app
13-18
Minutes average visit time per customer