SaaS: Leveraging Client Retention
with CRM Systems

The problem
Creating a web-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for a digital agency, Visual Fix, that shifted to a subscription-based business model to increase customer retention, revenue, and operational efficiency.
overview
This research explored strategies to enhance customer retention and ensure stable income for creative agencies through a web-based CRM system. The findings showed that retention strategies integrated into the CRM can significantly boost customer loyalty, emphasizing user-centered design.
MY ROLE
Team lead - Project Management, Stakeholder Communication, User Research, Interaction Design, Visual Design, Rapid Prototyping
TEAM
Dalibor Branny
Sidsel Qvistgaard Imer
TIMELINE & RESULTS
πŸ—“οΈ 4 months
πŸ“ˆ15% increase in customer requests
Tools
Scrum, Kanban, Gitlab, Figma, Firebase
EMPATHIZE
DEFINE
IDEATE
PROTOTYPE
TEST
🚩
Problem Definition
SWOT Analysis
βž•
❓
Hypotheses formulation
SPRINT 1
πŸ’Ό
Business Market Segmentation
πŸ“‹
Requirement Specification
πŸŽ™οΈ
User interviews
πŸ“Š
User surveys
🧒
Personas
πŸ“‚
Information Architecture
πŸ—‚οΈ
Card sorting
SPRINT 2
πŸ—ΊοΈ
Customer journeys
✍🏻
Low-fidelity prototypes
πŸ“±
Wireframes
βœ…
User test
SPRINT 3
πŸ–₯️
High-fidelity prototypes
πŸ’»
Implementation
πŸ’Ž
Quality check
βœ…
Validation usability test
πŸš€
Deployment
SPRINT 4

Approach

Implementing a CRM system can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty while streamlining data management, but it may be costly for smaller agencies and requires careful planning, training, and consideration of data security and communication challenges, ultimately positioning it as a valuable tool for improving customer relationships and driving economic performance.

Scope

The project aimed to develop a communication platform between Visual Fix and its clients, featuring two separate interfacesβ€”one for clients that includes subscription management, a control panel, and an activity log, and another admin interface for managing clients with essential CRUD functions, both of which must be accessible through all browsers and will include design deliverables.

Research & Analysis

A mixed-method approach was employed:
β€’ SWOT Analysis: Evaluated both the business and CRM platform’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
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β€’ Target Group Analysis: Collected qualitative data from 16 client companies to understand user expectations, needs, and motivations.
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β€’ Customer Retention Hypotheses: Formulated hypotheses to determine effective strategies for user retention, including external rewards, ease of use, and loyalty programs.

Defining business needs

β€’ Client Base Development: Establishing a steady and reliable client base is crucial to mitigate business risks and ensure sustainability.

β€’ Resource Management: Increasing workforce capacity to handle workloads effectively and maintain product quality, addressing the current limitation of employees.

β€’ Improved Data Management: Transitioning from Excel sheets to a more secure and efficient client management system is essential for streamlining data handling and enhancing security.

β€’ Customer Loyalty Programs: Implementing strategies to enhance client loyalty, recognizing its critical role in the company's survival

Design Process

Through user interviews and customer surveys, B2B personas were developed to analyze customer motivations and inform the creation of a loyalty reward system.

Key findings showed that users needed:
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β€’ A streamlined and transparent overview of their subscription services and usage.
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β€’ Motivation to remain subscribed through loyalty programs and personalized recommendations.
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Low-fidelity prototypes were created using paper prototypes and wireframes, allowing the team to visualize concepts and determine the optimal layout for content based on proposed information architecture validated through card sorting.

Key Features

Subscription Management: Users can track their current subscription, update it, and see which services have been used.

‍Loyalty Program: A point-based rewards system was implemented, encouraging users to use more services and remain subscribed.

‍Personalized Recommendations: Based on previous usage, the platform provides recommendations for additional services users might benefit from, helping them make informed decisions.

Key takeaways

This project emphasized the importance of user-centered design and creating solutions tailored to the specific needs of small businesses. Through continuous iteration and real-time feedback, we developed a system that not only enhanced the operational efficiency of Visual Fix but also supported stronger client relationships.
πŸ–₯

Usability

Conducted with several clients from Visual Fix, including business owners and marketing managers, usability tests demonstrated that the platform was intuitive and easy to use.
πŸ‘πŸ»

Feedback

Users appreciated the transparency of the system and found the loyalty program motivating, with over 80% expressing interest in continuing to use the platform.
πŸ“ˆ

Impact

The CRM system reduced subscription cancellations by 15% within the first three months of launch, and 60% of users engaged with the loyalty program to access additional services.

Final product

CRM system admin dashboard view

Admin view

The CMS system for admins provides comprehensive client management, including subscription updates, client notifications, activity tracking, loyalty program management, and ensures data protection compliance, all within a user-friendly and consistent interface.
βœ… Full overview of all clients and their history.
βœ… Ability to create new clients and modify current subscriptions or services.
βœ… Option to add hours to client accounts.
βœ… Ability to send notifications to clients.
βœ… Visibility of changes made by employees.
βœ… Management of client loyalty program currency.
βœ… Consistent design with the client interface.
CRM system Client view dashboard

Client view

The CMS system for clients ensures seamless access across devices, secure payments, clear tracking of activities, data protection compliance, a user-friendly interface, and a loyalty reward system, all designed to enhance user satisfaction and engagement.
βœ… Responsiveness for access across all devices.
βœ… Activity log to track product-related processes.
βœ… User-friendly UX tailored to client needs.
βœ… Intuitive design for clear understanding of functions.
βœ… Reward system to enhance client loyalty through incentives and benefits
βœ… Compliance with EU GDPR regulations on data protection.

ℹ️
This project is in private use.

Please reach out if you'd like to learn more about it.