Industry overview
What is shaping software
Software and SaaS companies live and die by product-market fit, pricing and retention. Users' real workflows matter more than feature lists.
- Product-led growth relies on fast time to value
- Pricing and packaging strongly affect conversion
- Churn often starts with onboarding
Client background
A small business accounting software company, working in India & Malaysia. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A small business accounting software company
- Sector
- Software
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- UI/UX design, Qualitative research, Digital analytics & reporting
Client challenge
Many small business owners signed up for a free trial but never created their first invoice, and trial conversion was lower than competitors. Support teams also reported that many new users called for help with setup, adding cost before customers had paid anything.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: improving onboarding for an accounting software product.
- Uncover the motivations and barriers people do not state in a survey.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 3 months.
Target audience
Scope: 30 usability sessions, onboarding funnel data.
Audiences we typically reach in software
Trial and paying usersAdmins and buyersChurned customersProspectsPartners and integrators
Geographic coverage
Coverage: India & Malaysia. Markets: India and Malaysia.
- India
- Malaysia
Research methodology
A qualitative design, built to uncover motivations, decision processes and the language people actually use.
- 1Brief
- 2Usability testing
- 3Funnel analysis
- 4Redesign and A/B testing
- 5Insight
We analysed onboarding funnel data to find drop-off points, then watched owners in India and Malaysia set up the product for the first time. Insights shaped a redesigned onboarding flow focused on creating a first invoice quickly, tested against the existing flow. Sessions were held with owners of shops, service businesses and small manufacturers in both countries, in English, Hindi and Malay, so the redesign reflected real variety.
UI/UX designQualitative researchDigital analytics & reporting
Sampling strategy
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- usability sessions
- 30
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
- Interactive dashboard for ongoing tracking
Key findings
- Getting users to their first moment of value mattered more than showing every feature.
Recommendations
- The redesigned flow helped more trial users reach their first invoice, and trial-to-paid conversion improved.
- The product team now runs a short usability test before every major release.
What we recommended, and the client put into practice
Business impact
- Support requests during setup also fell.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Interactive dashboard
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: where does the UX get in the way?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.