VL
Problem Research User Testing Refinements Takeaways

B2B eCommerce

Native Mobile App

iOS and Android

Insite Commerce

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Goal

This case study aims to explore the design of a customizable, white-label native mobile app tailored specifically to mid-market manufacturing and distribution companies. It addresses their challenges by providing an affordable, easy-to-use, and scalable solution that can be integrated seamlessly with existing eCommerce platform.

Responsibilities

  • Client interviews
  • Usability Studies
  • Wireframing
  • Prototyping

Our Mid-Market Customers Demand a B2B-focused eCommerce Mobile App

The main concerns were the challenges of developing and launching a native app, particularly the time and resources involved. This feedback highlighted the need for our team to effectively manage app store listings and ensure the app seamlessly extends the web experience.

Pain Points

No Time,
No Moolah

It takes an insane amount of resources to manage mobile-app.


Designing, developing, customizing workflows, managing app-store assets; it gets spendy. Something mid-market companies don't have the resources to do.

Big-Business
Competition

Mid-market manufacturers and distributors still need to compete with large-sized businesses, in which most of them have the funds for their own native app.


This makes it difficult for mid-market companies to stay competitive with their larger sized rivals.

Traveling Reps Need a Reliable Data Connection

Sometimes there's no internet signal where sales reps are visiting (out in the sticks, or in an underground warehouse, or both!), which makes submitting data through the website a problem.


Finding reliable wifi or cell phone service causes huge headaches to their everyday workflows

Finding 1

User Experience Expectations

  • Participants expected buying workflows to mimic popular B2C platforms like Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.
  • The prototype was praised for offering a similar, intuitive shopping experience that aligned with these expectations.

Finding 2

Customization Needs in Checkout

  • The prototype revealed a gap in capturing essential custom components unique to our customers' storefronts during the checkout process.
  • It notably missed integrating custom payment gateways and shipping methods crucial for our clients' operations.

Finding 3

Demand for Visual Customization

  • Customers expressed a strong desire for greater flexibility in personalizing the app's visual elements.
  • This includes brand-specific colors, page layouts, and icons, highlighting the need for a more adaptable and brand-cohesive user interface.
Explore the Figma File

Easy Customizations

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  • As a white-label app, we allows customers to customize buttons, link text, and icons to match their brand identity.
  • Layout customization is only allowed on the home page. This ensures that code is easy to update on our end.

Familiar I.A.

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  • The same IA was used from the desktop site to ensure users didn't get lost using the mobile-app.
  • Because sales reps interact with the online store everyday, their mental model of how that store feels should be the exact same experience on an app.

100% Managed App

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  • It's Optimizely's job to manage the app listing for our customers.
  • Automated asset generation was key to streamline this process.
  • I created a PSD file that automates the generation of all app-store assets and in-app artwork.

Impact

Native Apps Boost Sales and Streamline Management


  • Empowered outside sales reps with real-time access to product information and order tracking, improving on-the-go efficiency and customer service.
  • Boosted sales performance by streamlining workflows for reps in the field.
  • Enabled greater agility and a more customer-centric approach to B2B e-commerce, helping clients stay competitive in a fast-moving market.

What I Learned

    A Balancing Act of Customization and User-Centric Design.


    This project taught me the importance of understanding user needs when building digital solutions. Working with personas like Megan and Carolina highlighted the need for a flexible app that meets diverse business requirements, and the usability study showed the value of incorporating familiar B2C features into a B2B context.

    I also learned the importance of balancing customization with manageability, ensuring the app is both user-friendly and easy to maintain. This experience has sharpened my skills and deepened my appreciation for how technology, business operations, and user experience must work together to create effective solutions.

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