Microsoft Surface Compare
Project
Redesigning Microsoft's Surface Product Compare Experience
Overview
Surface is Microsoft's brand of personal computing devices. It's a $14B business that brings thousands of visitors to its website every day.
In 2020, Microsoft decided to permanently close their retail stores and push the online store to innovate in order to accommodate for user's shopping behavior. A critical step in the purchase journey is comparing devices.
Our project goal was to redesign the tool to provide a flexible, exploratory comparison experience that educates and empowers users with key information to select a product.
Doing so would help achieve business goals such as improving product exploration and tool engagement, ultimately leading up to an increased click through rate.
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Exploring user needs
Initial digging into the current Compare revealed that the tool increased both conversion rates and Average Order Value (AOV). This validated Compare as the best next investment, the highest priority redesign.
14% of Compare visitors are more likely to convert—and at a 45% higher price point than those who didn’t use Compare.
Yet only one-third of users complete the Compare flow. Usability tests revealed that:
- Users struggle to find products they saw elsewhere on the site
- Users struggle to select devices based on the information in the cards
This presented a huge opportunity. Improving the Compare experience to increase completion could also augment conversion rates, delivering more product and business value to users and Microsoft, respectively.
Making informed decisions
Feature prioritization
To take an à la carte compare selection experience and imbue it with features to help users navigate the experience, I proposed the following features.
They are listed from highest to lowest in how they weigh against the priority of offering flexibility and narrowing product selection.
Product process
Rocket launched
The Compare Tool client proposal was followed by excited discussion of implementing this incrementally and A/B testing along the way. The changes mentioned above led to a ↑14% increase in device selection, ↑13% increase in Compare completion, and ↑18% increase in orders! 💻 🚀
