First, what is SkySlope?
SkySlope is a suite of products for agents, auditors and brokerages to manage every step of a real estate transaction from listing to closing. We have e-signature, interactive forms, document management, and more.
Let’s talk about SkySlope DigiSign, an e-signature platform.
During my tenure at SkySlope, we began a heroic lift to design and institute monetization throughout our products.
I was the designer who owned the design, voice, and conceptualization–and led the charge with the monetization experience throughout all of SkySlope.
I created and implemented a product-wide system and approach for monetization, from web app to mobile app 💰
Monetization: The Problem Statement:
SkySlope offers a digital signature platform, included for free within the product suite. With market shifts and the need to innovate, we need to implement a subscription-based model to our users to continue to support this product. How might we implement a paywall and messaging to urge users to begin a trial period for a product they already use? How do we ease that transition and reduce contention?
Goal:
With minimal friction, have users begin their trial, interact with soon-to-be-paid features, and sign up for a monthly or annual subscription to SkySlope DigiSign, with a pro or regular tier membership
The Users: Agents, admins, and brokers:
Want to learn more about our users? Talk to them here: PersonaChat with a custom GPT I created with the knowledge-base of our products, our user-types, and the common real estate law and standard practices in the area they serve.
The solution? Realizing there is no one, right solution, instead:
Implemented a cross-departmental effort to educate users about the upcoming change
Supplied talking points to customer support
Created help articles and FAQ pages to support the change and justify it in ways that matter to the user, not the business
Created pre-launch, courtesy in-app messaging for users in all of our products that might be affected by the change
Coordinated with marketing for similar, email messaging
Entered users in an initial “trial” period and supplied messaging on every page of the web application to upgrade their subscription before the trial expires
Created product-based, time-based emails to remind users about their expiring trial
Created paywall pages and paywall modals, pending location of user, to sign up for subscription
On trial expiration, created modals with “time saved” and other benefits of having a subscription
Collaborated with marketing to created marketing funnels for users who have expired memberships
Created in-app messaging for expired memberships
Created “touch” spots for expired users to see paid features but interact with a paywall when clicking
Let’s explore some user scenarios: Standard Tier
I’m a listing agent in Forms, I use SkySlope DigiSign to prepare and send my documents for signature. For me, DigiSign is free because of my Forms membership. Although change is on my horizon, I want a fast, easy way to sign up for the new service without disrupting my current, fast paced workflow.
Let’s explore some user scenarios: Pro Tier
I’m a buyer’s agent working with my clients and submitting multiple offers on homes on a daily basis. I need to work fast. I see that my favorite digital signature platform now offers a pro-tier membership that offers smart features. I want to try them out to make sure they are a fit for me, first.
What was my role in all of this? Thought you’d never ask:
Led kickoff with stakeholders to align and gather all requirements and data
As owner of product voice, orchestrated the instructional functionality to users, the value propositions, onboarding, and external talking points
Owned the initial concepts and presented to executive leadership
Managed relationship with developers, marketing, stakeholders, and executive leadership to make sure all parties are aligned and ready for this mental-model shift in product
Refine and bring into high fidelity to handoff to developers
Monitored incoming feedback for user pain points and any incoming patterns for future iterative improvements
Maintained a 78% signup rate with less than 25 serious escalations, out of over 300,000 user cohorts added to the monetization experiment
DigiSign was just the beginning
After the success of the first monetization effort, we as a company saw an opportunity to apply this mental model in other areas of the product.
The next product we explored for monetization pathways was SkySlope Forms. We used a similar approach, utilizing all of my existing UI, but this time we used a “touch” based trial.
Rather than give a set time, like 15, 30, or 60 days of a complimentary trial, we went with a set number of files an envelopes–on us–before encountering a paywall.
The method remained the same
Implemented a cross-departmental effort to educate users about the upcoming change with UX-supplied talking points
Created help articles and FAQ pages to support the change and justify it in ways that matter to the user, not the business
Created pre-launch, courtesy in-app messaging for users in all of our products that might be affected by the change
Coordinated with marketing for similar, email messaging
Created product-based, time-based emails to remind users about their expiring trial
Created paywall pages and paywall modals, pending location of user, to sign up for subscription
On trial expiration, created modals with “time saved” and other benefits of having a subscription
Collaborated with marketing to created marketing funnels for users who have expired memberships
Created in-app messaging for expired memberships
And more
The previous work started a new conversation: upselling features
I’ve said it before, and I meant it. I am in the trenches with Product Managers. I am there as a soundboard for ideas, I am sharing ideas, we are working together to build a sustainable product with feature that will save our agents time.
That’s when the idea for a “smart insights” upsell came to the table.
I got my favorite set of instructions: just go wild, don’t hold back.
How might we create a paid experience for seller’s agents to have an in-depth analysis of their listing. Answer questions like how many people are viewing it? How many people are submitting offers? How many similar listings are there? What is the market like right now?
And more, so much more.
