LIONEL CYCLING — AUGUST 2021Find the right bike
A responsive e-commerce site and product recommendation quiz to support beginner cyclists, enabling the business owner to dedicate more time to pursuing growth opportunities.
TL;TREmpowering diversity through cycling education
Lionel Cycling introduced a product recommendation feature to automate the current process of equipping novice cyclists with the information they need to know before purchasing their first bike. This initiative allowed the business owner to concentrate on growing his product offerings.
As the Product Manager and Visual Designer, I collaborated with a UX Designer and the Business Owner to manage the launch, develop the product recommendation quiz, conduct user interviews and testing.
MY ROLEProduct Manager
Visual Designer
TEAMUX Designer
Business Owner
TOOLSFigma
Typeform
Webflow
Zapier
TIMELINE4 sprints = 8 weeks
Customers start by completing a bike quiz to provide insights into their budget, availability, and comfort level. Based on their responses, they receive a curated list of bike recommendations that they are encouraged to take to their local bike shop for a hands-on test.
THE SETUPBackstory
Meet Coach Shane, a former competitive cyclist and coach who, overtime, became the trusted expert for bike-related questions by friends.
His talent for assisting new riders and relieving their anxiety about cycling and visiting bike shops inspired him to explore ways to connect with and motivate a wider community of new cyclists.
“I’ve seen a 50% increase in the amount calls I get from people wanting advice regarding bike-related topics.”
- Coach Shane
THE PROBLEMSpike in requests
During the pandemic, Coach Shane noticed an increase in requests for help with purchasing their first bike.
Juggling this influx of questions alongside his full-time job became increasingly demanding. When he suggested specific bike shops for them to visit, many of them expressed apprehension in visiting a bike shop for the first time.
“Bike shops can be intimidating, I’ve never felt comfortable enough to ask basic questions.”
- Novice cyclist
THE SOLUTIONScaling personalized advice
During our user interviews, people expressed that they didn’t feel comfortable or knowledgeable enough about bikes to visit a bike shop on their own. Our goal was to empower people with information so they can make informed bike purchases at their local shops through:
Product recommendations for testing, renting, or purchasing the right bike style.
Visual assets and products that support marketing and promote inclusivity within the cycling community.
A user-friendly e-commerce website tailored for novice users to easily navigate cycling systems.
I prefer engaging in conversations with experienced cyclists over conducting research on my own.”
-Beginner cyclists
MY PARTNERSHIPSmall but mighty
I collaborated with a designer to conduct user interviews, develop wireframes, prototypes, and launch the site using Webflow.
Coach Shane was consulted on the project scope and timeline, and he played an invaluable role in shaping the copy and content.
What’s preventing people from making use of the existing bike resources?
During the project, we interviewed 15 of Shane's past and current clients. Initially, we considered creating an online library containing information about various bike types, parts, and use cases to address their needs. However, a quick Google search revealed a ton of existing resources. This prompted us to investigate why users were not conducting their own research despite the available information.
Our focus then shifted towards identifying what made Coach Shane's process unique and how we could recreate that experience for users.
How might we provide individuals with the tools and resources necessary to shop with confidence at their local bike shop?
To help determine the most suitable recommendations, Coach Shane asks a series of questions related to their budget, experience level, and lifestyle.
In our user interviews, past clients of Coach Shane consistently mentioned that it was his genuine warmth and enthusiasm for their desire to learn that drew them to him and made them feel much more comfortable to ask questions.
We decided to replicate and automate that process without taking away from the experience.
Our new priority was to develop a product recommendation quiz, leveraging conditional logic to deliver information that novice cyclists could share with their local bike shops. The content was carefully crafted to reflect Coach Shane personality, both in the copy and imagery.
Coach Shane requested for us to introduce two revenue-generating options on the website: a 30 min consultation for a fee and the sale of merchandise.
THE PIVOTsExperienced issues sending conditional email
We made significant enhancements to the website design with a primary focus on directing user engagement toward the product recommendation quiz.
Understanding that the ideal bike varies from person to person, our goal was to empower users with the knowledge of which bike style suits specific needs. This knowledge would enable them to ask the right questions when visiting a bike shop.
However, we encountered a challenge. At the time, Typeform did not offer the option to share email results with the level of customization we required. To address this issue, I contacted their support team, who confirmed that the feature was not yet available. They suggested that I explore connecting the results to one of their third-party integrations. After thorough research, we successfully utilized Zapier and Mailchimp to configure the results. This setup triggered an automated email containing the user's answers and a list of recommended bike styles.
Now
Product recommendation quiz
Book 30 min consultation with Coach Shane
Merchandise page with branded bike apparel
Next
Event page
Video tutorials
After completing the quiz, they’ll receive their bike style recommendations and are encouraged to visit their local bike shop to test ride.
THE TAKEAWAYSSite launch and quiz update
After numerous iterations and hard work, we successfully launched the website using Webflow, implemented a product recommendation quiz through Typeform, and introduced branded merchandise using Shopify.
Feedback from customers indicated that people learned something new, felt seen, and could feel Shane’s presence throughout the site.
Received over 300 unique quiz entries.
An impressive 60% of customers visited a bike shop after completing the quiz.