We're going monthly

Run! When the alien cloud invaded Brighton

Is it lazy? Possibly, but I like to think that it's just us settling into a more stable routine. Either way, I'm moving this blog to monthly, and I'll post at the end of each month with a more info-packed update and all the excitement of ClearSavvy.com towers.

Week 18: Action Reaction

YakTrax Rule

What happens after the high of go-live? Well, I guess the low of unfulfilled expectations. Well, yes in some respects, but a massive NO in others.

We watched the payments coming in, but they didn't hit the volumes we were hoping for. As we analysed the data, we saw that there was a big 80% black hole where people were looking at our offers and then leaving. What were they doing? Didn't they understand our calendar?

We changed the design of the calendar a little, simplified it, made it more obvious, but there was only a small uplift. In the end we decided to chance our arm and implement a quick "So, what's the reason you don't want to take our offer" feature, not holding out much hope for feedback.

Incredibly, as soon as it went live, it was like the lights being turned on. Not in just one room, but a whole town of lights. Each person telling us their current situation, what they could and couldn't pay. Information was streaming in and with that information came new ideas, new opportunities, and new solutions. We've immediately switched development to solving these problems, answering our users' needs, and giving them a route to solve their situation without any human contact.

This week has reinforced not just the power of a well-designed system, more importantly it's shown all of us that people don't just tolerate managing their lives online; they actually prefer it. That's all the motivation we need to continue making great software. We helped people this week; a lot of people.

Excitement levels:  Information is binary gold
Office music this week: Panpipe version of Aha?