POST PURCHASE INNOVATION

Personalizing Amazon’s retail experience for device owners

Introduction

Until this project, my focus at Amazon was exclusively on helping customers make informed purchase decisions. In the spring of 2021, we asked ourselves: can we also support our customers with their devices post-purchase? Research revealed that 25-55% of customers return within 90 days after purchasing a device, seeking more information. However, they often find generic content that doesn’t address their specific queries, leading 43% to turn to external sources like search engines and YouTube.

Defining the challenge

Implementing Post Purchase Innovation posed formidable challenges. Customers demanded tailored post-purchase guidance, yet existing infrastructure was ill-equipped. Balancing profit-driven initiatives with Amazon’s customer-centric principles—Earn Trust and Customer Obsession—necessitated a strategic alignment across teams and departments.

Securing funding with a vision

Securing funding for our Minimum Lovable Product (MLP) required a compelling vision. As the lead designer, I orchestrated alignment among stakeholders from Alexa App, Devices-Retail, and Shopping Design to secure backing from Dave Limp, VP of Devices at Amazon. By leveraging comprehensive customer insights, I articulated how enhancing post-purchase education would bolster customer loyalty and engagement.

Resolving conflict and aligning the team

With this vision, we secured funding for an MLP. However, I noticed a problem: the minimum lovable product was not lovable. Leadership prioritized quick returns over education, conflicting with Amazon’s principles of Customer Obsession and Earn Trust. I believed in earning customers' trust by educating them about their devices before upselling additional products.

Leadership instructed the team to launch quickly, focusing on profit. I gathered my core team—2 SDMs, 1 PM, 1 principal engineer, and 8 SDEs—and highlighted how neglecting education strayed from our vision. Leveraging Amazon’s principles, I motivated my team to prioritize customer education and aligned leadership with this approach.

Building a Minimum Lovable Product

Guided by principles of Education, Personalization, and Habituation, I spearheaded the development of the Owner Zone—a personalized section on product pages curating device-specific post-purchase content. Collaborating closely with a cross-functional team, we meticulously designed the Owner Zone to educate customers, personalize their experience, and habituate return visits for ongoing support.

If a customer owns another smart home device or subscription, they will see personalized cards featuring high-value actions that demonstrate how to integrate and use their devices together.

If a customer didn’t own a smart home device, the business goal was to encourage them to purchase one. In the Owner Zone, I aimed to make this upsell personal and relevant to their ownership experience. I designed introductory cards that showcased the benefits of adopting smart home technology, emphasizing that they were already halfway there with their existing Echo device. These cards provided a seamless link to purchase smart home accessories, enhancing the functionality of their current device.

Collaboration & Execution

Launching the Owner Zone involved intensive collaboration across teams to craft actionable content and seamless integration points. By partnering with Smart Home teams, Alexa App designers, and Online Experience marketing managers, we ensured every aspect of the Owner Zone aligned with Amazon’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Launch & Impact

After 28 days of testing, in April 2022, we launched the experience for all customer owners on Amazon. The launch yielded significant improvements in engagement metrics and sales. Customers embraced the Owner Zone as a valuable resource for post-purchase support, validating our approach and paving the way for scaling across additional product lines and platforms.

Ask me more

For deeper insights into my strategic approach, design iterations, and the impact on customer engagement, feel free to connect with me.