SHIQIU
B2B ∙ VISION
Redesign eBay sellers’ task handling process
OVERVIEW
Since 2014, eBay experienced a constant decline in sellers and retention rates. Our agency was tasked with establishing a 2-year user-focus strategy to address seller loss, inspiring solutions.
With significant time and resource constraints, I led the strategy, designed every piece, and ensured alignment with our client.
TEAM
Solo designer with 1 Project Lead, 1 Product Manager, 1 Engineer, and eBay product team.
ROLE
User research; Heuristic UX audit; Product strategy & roadmapping; Wireframes & prototypes; Usability testing; Pitching
TIMELINE
6 months
CLIENT REQUEST
When 2,700 new sellers flocked into Esty every day, eBay seller base shrinks by 19% since 2018
Despite the rapid growth of e-commerce, eBay has been losing market share since 2014, with an accelerated decline from 2018. Though eBay Seller Hub, a central place to help run business, was updated monthly, over 20% of sellers were dissatisfied with its usability, prompting eBay to attribute the seller loss to poor UX.
Retention Rate
6%
Annual GMV
26.8%
25M
2014
2023
18.1M
RESEARCH
Overly complex UX isn't the biggest cause but the ONLY aspect to currently change
To verify client request within 2 weeks and limited resources, I adopted Desktop Study, Analytics Review, and Moderated Interview for quick, valuable insights. The research revealed that while UX isn’t the main cause of seller loss, it’s the most cost-effective to improve. Sellers found the task-handling process too time-consuming and complex. Enterprise sellers noted a lack of key features such as inventory management.
Dispute resolution
Policy
Complex process
Competion
High fees
0
60%
My ONLY area of influence
Top 5 reasons why eBay sellers left
“Too laborious”
“No feature I want”
User Problem
The dashboard overview was designed to help sellers fulfill orders and respond to buyers quickly, but high bounce rates revealed they avoid using it. I confirmed this by running interviews, which showed 38% of sellers asking for an all-in-one place task management hub, highlighting that current overview fails to meet their needs.
Dropout begins even from the dashboard overview
PROBLEM I
Hypothesis: sellers are overwhelmed by a messy dashboard with FLAT info architecture
Hypothesis: sellers are overwhelmed by a messy dashboard with FLAT info architecture
SOLUTION
From “equally important” to Prioritization & Grouping
The dashboard overview aims to quickly engage sellers in time-sensitive tasks, and support growth with at-a-glance data. The current flat hierarchy is inefficient, as equal emphasis on all makes nothing stand out. Therefore, I prioritized content by 1) listing, grouping & ranking based on intent and functionality; 2) arranging each section by considering location, size & visual engagement. e.g. Most urgent tasks were prioritized by an F-shaped scanning pattern.
Gain insights effortlessly by right data representation
PROBLEM II
Streamline Reordering for enterprise Sellers
Inventory management is a top request for enterprise sellers managing multiple sales channels. Research showed the main issue is to make reordering decisions, which is time-consuming and prone to errors due to lack of real-time data. Therefore, we proposed a dashboard to enable quick, data-driven decisions, helping maintain optimal stock levels and boost profitability.
Consolidated data insights
Top Selling Bundles
Month-to-date
Dec 1, 2023 - Dec 22, 2023
SuperWidget Deluxe Edition
$18.99
In Stock
SuperWidget Deluxe Kit
$26.99
In Stock
$45.98
QTY SOLD
12
SuperWidget Deluxe Kit
$26.99
In Stock
EZ Widget for Mac/PC/...
$12.99
In Stock
$39.98
QTY SOLD
7
Go to Inventory
1-click automating suggestions
PROBLEM III
Simplify Order Operations for control & efficiency
eBay sellers expressed frustration with current order operations due to multiple clicks and a lack of task visibility, causing a loss of control. In response, I redesigned the info architecture & workflow, categorizing tasks by status for bulk handling. This change improves efficiency and helps enterprise sellers scale business.
All Orders
Awaiting payment
Awaiting shipiment
Paid and shipped
Cancellations
Returns
Requests and disputes
Shipping labels
Open orders
Order record
Preparing
Label printed
Shipped
Requested
In Review
Approved
Open returns
Before
After
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