Vodafone —
Bundle & Save
UX Research
2021
Glossary
-
PDP - Product details page
-
X sell - Cross-Sell or second service
-
B&S - Bundle and Save
- VCA - Vodafone.com.au
-
CTA - Call-to-action
-
EDM - Electronic Direct Mail
- LP - Landing page
The Bundle & Save campaign is designed to increase customer retention by promoting an additional service that can be added to an existing account. The customer receives a 5% discount on the monthly fee of each of the services up to 20%.
However, a funnel analysis has been conducted and it has been observed that the conversion rate of the campaign is low.
To investigate the phenomenon, a heuristic UX review has been conducted followed by a qualitative study to generate insight and validate assumptions.
As the outcome of this qualitative study, it has been recognised that a possible link between the customers' confidence in understanding the offer and their trust in receiving the best deal leads them to look for alternatives.
Data analysis and heuristic review
1. Funnel analysis
![]()
Splitter
The splitter component is displayed in a modal after the users click on the “ check out” button in the cart. The component displays three options: “I'm a new user”, “Upgrade your device” and "Add another device or plan".
To redeem the offer the existing customers would need to select "Add another device or plan".
![]()
It has been observed a high volume of clicks (36%) on the "upgrade service" option of the splitter. This leads the customers to a wrong path and consequently, they are not able to redeem the Bundle and Save offers.
It is also important to consider that the users who select "upgrade device or plan" are not necessarily eligible for the selected device.
Breadcrumbs and related devices
It has been observed 95% CTR on any related device links.
This links move users out of the conversion funnel. However, It has been observed in qualitative studies and data analysis that customers are likely to compare devices before completing a handset order and this behavior has not a negative impact on the overall conversion rate.
![]()
2. Landing page
![]()
1. Clarity of the offer and user mental model
In the LP, the word "bundle" is used in the secondary headline about the plan and device: "We've picked a phone and plan bundle for you".
Some users may think that the bundle applies to the device and plan. Instead, the bundle consists of their existing service with an additional.
Additionally, there is no mention that the discount is conditional to an existing service.
It is possible to assume that some customers may be confused or not understand the term of the offer.
2. Plan and device details
![]()
3. Call-to-actions
It has been observed that the click-through rate on the secondary link "view all plan" is higher than the click-through rate of the primary call-to-action for both the device variations (Apple and Samsung devices).
![]()
4. Discounts
In the EDM and landing page, the discounts are expressed inconsistently.
Some are expressed as percent while others as a dollar value, per month or over the life of the contract. It can be unclear or confusing for some users.
In the PDP, the "bundle and save" discount is not displayed. Instead, a discount on the device price is highlighted in purple when applicable.
![]()
The customers may think that the device discount on the page relates to the "bundle and save" offer.
Research design
1. Potential business problem
As a result of the mapping and analysis of the SIMO and Handset Bundle and Save customer journey, it has been identified the potential of unwanted device upgrade accidents.
The resolution of accidents can request the assistance of the customer care team. it can have an impact on the ability of the team to attempt other customers, having a negative impact on the brand perception, CX, and potential revenue.
Assumptions
2. Research question
![]()
The research aims to answer the following questions
Six Vodafone customers have been recruited for the interview. The participants have been selected to be in the 25-40 age group with a household income over $100,000 per year
The interviews have been based on a script. The script has been used only as a general guide supporting the collection of comparable data while allowing the flexibility necessary in creating the environment necessary for participants to openly express their opinion.
Assuming the device is an important element for the customers, two EDMs presented to the participants featuring iPhone 12 (EDM#1) and Samsung Galaxy 21s (EDM#2). The landing page is based on iPhone 13 (LP).
Interviews synthesis
1. Participants understanding of the offer
The participants can describe the offer in EDM#1 and EDM#2 with different levels of confidence. The process requested a significant cognitive effort and took over one minute for all the participants.
It is possible to assume that the participants won't spend the same amount of time trying to understand the offer when exposed to a similar EDM in a natural environment.
During the first second of interaction, the hero image and the headline highly influence the customer's decision to continue to look at the EDM. This includes device type (Apple or Samsung), device colour, art direction.
The participants expect that the hero image and headline will give them the essential details to understand the offer.
1.1. First few seconds of interaction
When the participants are exposed to EDM#1, they focus their attention on the device specifications. Only after looking at the hero image and the header, they scroll and skim through the body copy. The offer details in the body-copy are perceived as secondary information.
![]()
1.2. Customers mental model associated with device and plan bundle
It is important to notice that the participants at the early stage of interaction with EDM#1 refer to the offer as an upgrade or talk about the device and plan as two independent items.
When exposed to EDM#2, all participants indirectly refer to plan and device as two independent services making them both are eligible for the Bundle and Save discount in their eyes.
1.3 Call-to-action
The Participants express confusion towards the call to action labels in EDM#1. The reaction is associated with the inconsistency of the labels.
Even if not directly stated by all the participants the CTA label "save now" seems to confuse them.
The participants also mentioned that they expect to select a plan and choose device configuration after they clicked on the EDM call-to-action button.
This interest in comparing different plans is supported by a high Click-through rate on the "view all plans" links.
2. Lack of clarity in the offer details leads to a lack of trust and a delay in redeeming the offer
2.1. Attitude toward promotional offers
When the participants described their experience of proceeding with a promotional offer, they mentioned that they rely on inspecting the term and conditions or talking with a representative seeking clarifications before proceeding.
The inability of the participants to confidently understand the promotional offers impacts their trust toward the provider and the feeling of not receiving the best available offer.
A survey conducted by WhatPhone in August 2017 showed that more than 20% of people surveyed don’t trust their telco “at all”.
2.2. Purchasing process
Participants #1 and #2 stated that they would do further research before redeeming an offer received via email. In the specific example of participant #2, the research for an alternative led to a more beneficial outcome.
The customer attitude of browsing alternatives has been also observed on the website. Users visit several product pages when moving through the cross-sell funnel.
Some examples:
1. Visual impact of the EDM template
The EDM is considered a medium to engage with the customers before directing them to the LP.
The first few seconds of interaction with the EDM are crucial to conveying the information that drives the customer's decision to visit the LP.
Brand recognisability is fundamental to conveying a sense of trust. This has been achieved by creating a curated template that aligns the typography and colours to the brand guidelines and ensures consistency in the visual elements between the EDM and the LP.
The headline has been changed to directly address the benefit of the offer clearly stating the discount while the visual showcases the device without being specific and featuring multiple device colours when possible.
Participants mentioned they only scan body-copy. The section has been kep concise and strictly related to the offer and highlighting to help the user in reading process. Highlighted keywords has been used to capture the user attention.
2. Relation between trust and customer’s attitude to look for alternatives
It is expected from discount offers to positively impact product sales by
However, the collected data shows the opposite inclination due to the customer's lack of trust in the offer (4).
In fact, It has been observed a high click-through rate on links allows the user to explore alternative plan or device options (LP "view all plans": 20%, PDP "related devices": 95%).
Additionally, participants stated they would normally look for alternatives or visit the website before accepting a commercial offer.
![]()
It is assumed that the poor understanding of the offer induces customers of seeking clarifications through other channels such as retails or customer care.
By talking with a representative or exploring alternative offers, the customers may perceive that other offers or products are better aligned with their preferences.
Once this belief is established in the customers, they will continue to look for alternatives when they receive a commercial offer. Clarity and transparency are two repeating themes that surfaced during the customer's interviews. It is necessary to address these aspects to increase customer trust.
2.1 Landing page design
Lack of clarity and transparency in the offer is a repeating theme that surfaced during the customer's interviews. It is necessary to address these aspects to increase customer’ trust.
To achieve so, the LP has been redesigned with the focus on adding:
![]()
The insights collected in analysis and customer interviews have been collided and structured in the Value Proposition Canvas.
The Value Proposition Canvas is a detailed look at the relationship between two parts of the Osterwalder's broader Business Model Canvas: customer segments and value propositions.
This tool helps ensure that a product or service is positioned around what the customer values and needs.
When used in conjunction with other artifacts such as competitors landscape analysis, the Value Proposition Canvas can be used to identify areas of improvement which can be further broken down into testable hypotheses and actionable items.
References
Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y., Bernarda, G., Smith, A. (2014) Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want, John Wiley & Sons
EDM redesign
The objective of the EDM is to give the customers the essential information such as monthly cost and Bundle and Save discounts before the next step of the funnel.
The EDM has been redesign to increase brand recognition and avoid information overload.
![]()
Landing page redesign
Page structure
Data analysis and interviews uncover the user attitude to explore and compare different products. The landing page has been strucutured to showcase the product vertical eligible and allow the users to explore them.
![]()
Device and plan details
The information architecture of the landing page has been improved so to reduce perception overlap by removing irrelevant information.
The dollar value has been removed from the plan name. They are used only to display the actual repayments.
A breakdown in bullet points has been added under the total repayment.
![]()
However, a funnel analysis has been conducted and it has been observed that the conversion rate of the campaign is low.
To investigate the phenomenon, a heuristic UX review has been conducted followed by a qualitative study to generate insight and validate assumptions.
As the outcome of this qualitative study, it has been recognised that a possible link between the customers' confidence in understanding the offer and their trust in receiving the best deal leads them to look for alternatives.
Data analysis and heuristic review
1. Funnel analysis
Splitter
The splitter component is displayed in a modal after the users click on the “ check out” button in the cart. The component displays three options: “I'm a new user”, “Upgrade your device” and "Add another device or plan".
To redeem the offer the existing customers would need to select "Add another device or plan".
It has been observed a high volume of clicks (36%) on the "upgrade service" option of the splitter. This leads the customers to a wrong path and consequently, they are not able to redeem the Bundle and Save offers.
It is also important to consider that the users who select "upgrade device or plan" are not necessarily eligible for the selected device.
Breadcrumbs and related devices
It has been observed 95% CTR on any related device links.
This links move users out of the conversion funnel. However, It has been observed in qualitative studies and data analysis that customers are likely to compare devices before completing a handset order and this behavior has not a negative impact on the overall conversion rate.
2. Landing page
1. Clarity of the offer and user mental model
In the LP, the word "bundle" is used in the secondary headline about the plan and device: "We've picked a phone and plan bundle for you".
Some users may think that the bundle applies to the device and plan. Instead, the bundle consists of their existing service with an additional.
Additionally, there is no mention that the discount is conditional to an existing service.
It is possible to assume that some customers may be confused or not understand the term of the offer.
2. Plan and device details
Different information is grouped under a long paragraph.
The data allowance is state and part of the "no access data changes" paragraph concerning the Infinite data.
This format doesn’t match the way the data allowance is displayed on the Vodafone website and makes it harder for the user to find the information.
The data allowance is state and part of the "no access data changes" paragraph concerning the Infinite data.
This format doesn’t match the way the data allowance is displayed on the Vodafone website and makes it harder for the user to find the information.
- The plan data allowance is not displayed on the page
- It is not explained the relation between "Speed of up to 2Mbps" and the concept of infinite data express above.
- "Speed of up to 2Mbps" can be understood as the actual speed of the plan.
- the device specifications are missing on the page or not highlighted (ie capacity).
3. Call-to-actions
It has been observed that the click-through rate on the secondary link "view all plan" is higher than the click-through rate of the primary call-to-action for both the device variations (Apple and Samsung devices).
- "Shop now" - iPhone pages: 10.3%
- "Shop now" - Samsung pages: 5.7%
- "View all plans": 20%
4. Discounts
In the EDM and landing page, the discounts are expressed inconsistently.
Some are expressed as percent while others as a dollar value, per month or over the life of the contract. It can be unclear or confusing for some users.
In the PDP, the "bundle and save" discount is not displayed. Instead, a discount on the device price is highlighted in purple when applicable.
The customers may think that the device discount on the page relates to the "bundle and save" offer.
Research design
1. Potential business problem
As a result of the mapping and analysis of the SIMO and Handset Bundle and Save customer journey, it has been identified the potential of unwanted device upgrade accidents.
The resolution of accidents can request the assistance of the customer care team. it can have an impact on the ability of the team to attempt other customers, having a negative impact on the brand perception, CX, and potential revenue.
Assumptions
- Customers don’t clearly understand the offer details and beleive the EDM is promoting a device upgrade.
- Customers find the device presented attractive and try to upgrade their current plan or device.
2. Research question
The research aims to answer the following questions
- What is the customer's understanding of the offer?
- What is the customers' attitude toward the offer?
Customer intervirews
Six Vodafone customers have been recruited for the interview. The participants have been selected to be in the 25-40 age group with a household income over $100,000 per year
The interviews have been based on a script. The script has been used only as a general guide supporting the collection of comparable data while allowing the flexibility necessary in creating the environment necessary for participants to openly express their opinion.
Assuming the device is an important element for the customers, two EDMs presented to the participants featuring iPhone 12 (EDM#1) and Samsung Galaxy 21s (EDM#2). The landing page is based on iPhone 13 (LP).
Interviews synthesis
1. Participants understanding of the offer
The participants can describe the offer in EDM#1 and EDM#2 with different levels of confidence. The process requested a significant cognitive effort and took over one minute for all the participants.
It is possible to assume that the participants won't spend the same amount of time trying to understand the offer when exposed to a similar EDM in a natural environment.
During the first second of interaction, the hero image and the headline highly influence the customer's decision to continue to look at the EDM. This includes device type (Apple or Samsung), device colour, art direction.
The participants expect that the hero image and headline will give them the essential details to understand the offer.
1.1. First few seconds of interaction
When the participants are exposed to EDM#1, they focus their attention on the device specifications. Only after looking at the hero image and the header, they scroll and skim through the body copy. The offer details in the body-copy are perceived as secondary information.
Participant #1 said "I generally look at that image first and if there's any text on the image, that's probably what I did first."
Participant #2 said "I would not read this fine print below. At all, I probably would just skip over it and definitely would not read all that."
Participant #3 said "I personally am not the one who reads everything but I will read the Bold titles and subtitles and having's. So that was one that said Apple TV subscription and then I was like that included. And then I have to go back and read this more interest, but it kept scrolling for the moment. So you sort and just wanted to keep scrolling to get a kind of a picture of everything first."
1.2. Customers mental model associated with device and plan bundle
It is important to notice that the participants at the early stage of interaction with EDM#1 refer to the offer as an upgrade or talk about the device and plan as two independent items.
When exposed to EDM#2, all participants indirectly refer to plan and device as two independent services making them both are eligible for the Bundle and Save discount in their eyes.
Paticiant#2 said "And the iPhone Pro to your current photo field plan, so maybe for an upgrade or just to add it on."
Participant#3 said "Hoping that is a promotion that will allow me to include a new phone. In this case, the iPhone 12 to my account to save some money. So if I want to have more services like my home internet or maybe another number in the phone, I can save money if I have two or three or four or five services in just one account."
1.3 Call-to-action
The Participants express confusion towards the call to action labels in EDM#1. The reaction is associated with the inconsistency of the labels.
Even if not directly stated by all the participants the CTA label "save now" seems to confuse them.
The participants also mentioned that they expect to select a plan and choose device configuration after they clicked on the EDM call-to-action button.
This interest in comparing different plans is supported by a high Click-through rate on the "view all plans" links.
2. Lack of clarity in the offer details leads to a lack of trust and a delay in redeeming the offer
2.1. Attitude toward promotional offers
When the participants described their experience of proceeding with a promotional offer, they mentioned that they rely on inspecting the term and conditions or talking with a representative seeking clarifications before proceeding.
The inability of the participants to confidently understand the promotional offers impacts their trust toward the provider and the feeling of not receiving the best available offer.
Participant #1 mentioned that if an offer is only available online, she would visit the store and then go online to redeem the offer
Participant#3 mentioned that if she is interested in an offer she will spend time fully understanding Term and & conditions before clicking on the call-to-action in the EDM.
Participant#2 said "So that is kind of the problem that a lot of people have with phone companies. [...] there's probably something in the Fine detail, [...]. So then it would be more trustworthy."
A survey conducted by WhatPhone in August 2017 showed that more than 20% of people surveyed don’t trust their telco “at all”.
2.2. Purchasing process
Participants #1 and #2 stated that they would do further research before redeeming an offer received via email. In the specific example of participant #2, the research for an alternative led to a more beneficial outcome.
Participant #1 mentioned that she would look on the website for other offers.
Participant #2 mentioned two experiences where she has been able to receive a "better" deal after she called the customer care service.
The customer attitude of browsing alternatives has been also observed on the website. Users visit several product pages when moving through the cross-sell funnel.
Some examples:
- 50% CTR on the "view all plans" link in the iPhone12 LP
- Over 90% CTR on the "related devices" link in PDP
Conclusions
1. Visual impact of the EDM template
The EDM is considered a medium to engage with the customers before directing them to the LP.
The first few seconds of interaction with the EDM are crucial to conveying the information that drives the customer's decision to visit the LP.
Brand recognisability is fundamental to conveying a sense of trust. This has been achieved by creating a curated template that aligns the typography and colours to the brand guidelines and ensures consistency in the visual elements between the EDM and the LP.
The headline has been changed to directly address the benefit of the offer clearly stating the discount while the visual showcases the device without being specific and featuring multiple device colours when possible.
Participants mentioned they only scan body-copy. The section has been kep concise and strictly related to the offer and highlighting to help the user in reading process. Highlighted keywords has been used to capture the user attention.
2. Relation between trust and customer’s attitude to look for alternatives
It is expected from discount offers to positively impact product sales by
- acting in the consumer’s mind as a benefit to them (1)
- reducing the propensity to shop around by acting on the customer's impulsivity (2)
- creating a sense of urgency by leveraging the fear of losing the offer (3)
However, the collected data shows the opposite inclination due to the customer's lack of trust in the offer (4).
In fact, It has been observed a high click-through rate on links allows the user to explore alternative plan or device options (LP "view all plans": 20%, PDP "related devices": 95%).
Additionally, participants stated they would normally look for alternatives or visit the website before accepting a commercial offer.
It is assumed that the poor understanding of the offer induces customers of seeking clarifications through other channels such as retails or customer care.
By talking with a representative or exploring alternative offers, the customers may perceive that other offers or products are better aligned with their preferences.
Once this belief is established in the customers, they will continue to look for alternatives when they receive a commercial offer. Clarity and transparency are two repeating themes that surfaced during the customer's interviews. It is necessary to address these aspects to increase customer trust.
2.1 Landing page design
Lack of clarity and transparency in the offer is a repeating theme that surfaced during the customer's interviews. It is necessary to address these aspects to increase customer’ trust.
To achieve so, the LP has been redesigned with the focus on adding:
- Headlines that help the user to identify the information related to two products (plan and device) will help the user to navigate the page
-
A clear breakdown of the offer against the monthly repayment fee will reduce the cognitive effort required to understand the offer increasing transparency.
- Coupons.com and Claremont Graduate University Study Reveals Coupons Make You Happier and More Relaxed
- Discounts and Consumer Search Behavior: The Role of Framing
- Why Limited-Time Offers Entice Shoppers to Buy
- Measuring Trusts And The Effects On The Consumers' Buying Behavior
Value Proposition Canvas
The insights collected in analysis and customer interviews have been collided and structured in the Value Proposition Canvas.
The Value Proposition Canvas is a detailed look at the relationship between two parts of the Osterwalder's broader Business Model Canvas: customer segments and value propositions.
This tool helps ensure that a product or service is positioned around what the customer values and needs.
When used in conjunction with other artifacts such as competitors landscape analysis, the Value Proposition Canvas can be used to identify areas of improvement which can be further broken down into testable hypotheses and actionable items.
References
Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y., Bernarda, G., Smith, A. (2014) Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want, John Wiley & Sons
Ideation and design
EDM redesign
The objective of the EDM is to give the customers the essential information such as monthly cost and Bundle and Save discounts before the next step of the funnel.
The EDM has been redesign to increase brand recognition and avoid information overload.
Landing page redesign
Page structure
Data analysis and interviews uncover the user attitude to explore and compare different products. The landing page has been strucutured to showcase the product vertical eligible and allow the users to explore them.
Device and plan details
The information architecture of the landing page has been improved so to reduce perception overlap by removing irrelevant information.
The dollar value has been removed from the plan name. They are used only to display the actual repayments.
A breakdown in bullet points has been added under the total repayment.
