Blaw

Product Experience

Blaw's product experience is geared towards providing small businesses with a comprehensive and user-friendly platform to navigate the digital landscape, enhance credibility, and strategically boost revenue.

Problem Space 

Problem Statement  

"How might we empower small businesses, particularly in the jewellery and creative industry, to reverse the decline in online revenue and sustain their growth and relevance in the digital marketplace?"

Problem Background  

Since the onset of the 2020 pandemic, the online landscape has become vital for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Blaw, an online presence and revenue optimization platform, addresses the critical issue of declining online revenue, especially concerning as recent stats indicate a 15% decrease in online revenue for SMBs. This decline threatens financial stability, growth initiatives, and market position. User research, particularly in the jewellery sector, reveals the challenges faced, impacting their capacity to invest and maintain competitiveness.

Nielsen's report highlights success in quality and sustainable product sectors like jewellery, showing a 20% YoY growth in online engagement. However, this success is at risk due to a 10% decrease in online sales, presenting an immediate challenge to long-term sustainability. Recognizing the urgency, small business owners are committed to clear action plans, emphasising the need to go beyond primary financial concerns. Their commitment focuses on securing small businesses' enduring health, success, and ongoing growth in the expanding digital landscape.

Research Insights

User Pain Points

We've identified Limited Online Visibility: Small business owners express frustration over the challenge of attracting substantial traffic to their websites. A lack of prominent online visibility hinders the struggle for increased online revenue.

• Inconsistent Customer Base: Building and maintaining a consistent and loyal customer community poses a significant challenge. Small business owners need help to ensure a steady influx of customers, impacting long-term business growth.
• Complex Buying Processes: Users identify the need for a straightforward and user-friendly interface to facilitate a successful buying process. Complex or cumbersome processes hinder seamless transactions and contribute to customer satisfaction.
• Credibility Concerns: Establishing product credibility is a pain point, especially for small businesses. Gaining the trust of both new and returning customers proves to be a significant challenge in a competitive online landscape.
• Low Online Engagement: Small business owners desire to increase online engagement and foster a consistent online community. The struggle to connect with potential customers and maintain an active and engaged online presence is evident in their pain points.

Supporting Data

Our initial findings shed light on a significant issue within the small business landscape. Surprisingly, more than 85% of individuals we spoke to were dissatisfied and expressed hopelessness with their current business management solutions.

Feedback

User feedback from our interviews validates the urgency of our proposed solution. Over 80% of respondents believe Blaw will effectively address key pain points like inefficient online presence and lack of credibility. This positive reception emphasises Blaw's potential to transform small businesses by tackling their specific challenges head-on.‍

Landing on the Solution

Based on our in-depth understanding of small business owners' pain points, we honed in on crafting features within Blaw to specifically address these challenges. Our goal was to create a platform that seamlessly enhances online presence, builds credibility, and optimises revenue for small businesses.

Explanation of Solution

Blaw's core features are meticulously designed to align with the identified pain points of our target users. The platform prioritises intuitive tools for boosting online visibility, establishing product credibility, and streamlining the overall revenue optimisation process. Blaw offers a comprehensive solution tailored to small and medium-sized businesses' unique needs by focusing on these critical areas.

User Flows

Mockups

Future Steps

User-Centric Refinement:

• "Customers emphasised iterative refinement based on real-time feedback. This aligns with our commitment to a user-centric approach."

Agile Development Approach:

• "Customers value continuous updates, indicating a preference for an agile development model to stay ahead of evolving needs."

Strategic Marketing:

• "Feedback highlighted the importance of targeted campaigns to communicate enhancements to the user base effectively."

Educational Support:

• "Customers expressed the need for comprehensive guides and a supportive user community for effective product adoption."

Data-Driven Decision-Making:

• "There's a consensus among users on the significance of analytics to inform data-driven improvements and decision-making."

Feature Expansion:

• "Customers are open to exploring new features that align with the core objectives of the platform."

Enhanced Customer Support:

• "Immediate assistance and strengthened support channels were critical factors for positive user experiences."

Strategic Partnerships:

• "Collaboration with strategic partners emerged as a potential avenue for joint initiatives and expanded market reach."

Scalability Assessment:

• "User discussions emphasised the importance of ensuring platform scalability to accommodate a growing user base."

User Engagement Programs:

• "Customers expressed interest in loyalty programs and gamification to enhance overall user engagement."

Accessibility Focus:

• "Accessibility audits were suggested to ensure inclusivity and cater to diverse user needs."

Community Building:

• "Customers highlighted the desire for knowledge-sharing and networking events to foster a sense of community."

Potential Additional Problems to Address:

• The need for streamlined onboarding processes.
• Enhanced mobile responsiveness for users on the go.
• Integration capabilities with other widely-used business tools.
• Privacy and data security concerns require transparent communication.
• Exploration of features catering to specific industry niches.
• Regular communication of the product roadmap for user anticipation.

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