PayKickstart, despite its complete checkout, recurring billing, affiliate management and retention solution recognized the untapped potential of psychological triggers—social proof, scarcity, urgency, and credibility—to boost conversions. The primary motivation behind developing the social proof web app was to fill this gap and enhance PayKickstart’s offering by encouraging user actions through these psychological triggers, which are well-documented to increase engagement, trust, and ultimately, conversion rates.

Rapid User Growth vs. Limitations: The initial release of Provely as a minimum viable product (MVP) quickly attracted around 10,000 users. This unexpected rapid growth highlighted the MVP’s limitations, including a lack of advanced features and integrations, which were crucial for meeting the diverse needs of a growing user base.

Modernizing the Design: The original MVP’s design was not aligned with the latest standards in UI/UX, making it less competitive and potentially hindering user engagement and adoption. The interface and user experience were not optimized for the expanded feature set planned for the new version of the app. This posed a significant challenge as the app’s effectiveness heavily relies on its ability to engage users and provide them with intuitive navigation and interaction. Ensuring the app was both aesthetically appealing and functional was crucial for its success.

Inadequate Feature Set: Users expressed a need for more comprehensive features, such as additional integrations with major platforms (e.g., Google My Business, Facebook, Shopify, and BigCommerce), and more versatile notification types (e.g., reviews, recent purchases, low-stock alerts). The original MVP lacked these functionalities, limiting its effectiveness in leveraging social proof to boost conversions.

Technical and Integration Hurdles: Integrating new features such as real-time social proof notifications from various platforms, and ensuring seamless operation across different e-commerce platforms, required substantial technical development. Additionally, creating a new Zapier app for broader integration capabilities presented its own set of technical challenges.

Data Privacy and Security: With the integration of third-party services and handling more sensitive user data, ensuring the highest standards of data privacy and security became paramount.

Monitoring and Analytics Enhancement: Developing a comprehensive analytics dashboard that could provide actionable insights into the performance of the various new features required advanced data analysis capabilities.

To overcome the challenges faced by the original MVP and meet the demands of a growing user base, a comprehensive solution was implemented. This involved a two-pronged approach: a technological upgrade using modern development frameworks and a strategic segmentation of the app into two versions.

Frontend: The app underwent a complete redesign, transitioning to a Single Page Application (SPA) utilizing Vue.js. This choice was driven by Vue.js’s flexibility, ease of integration, and its capability to provide a dynamic and responsive user experience.

Backend: API development was carried out using Laravel, a robust PHP framework known for its expressive syntax, security features, and scalability. This backend upgrade was crucial for supporting the advanced functionalities of the new app version and ensuring efficient data handling.

V1 (Original App): This version retained all the original features, catering to existing users who had purchased lifetime access. It ensured that their investment remained valid and they continued to benefit from the functionalities they were accustomed to.

V2 (New App): Representing the next evolution of the app, V2 introduced a host of new features, integrations, and an improved UI/UX design. It was built to address the growing needs of users and to harness the latest technological advancements for enhanced performance.

Provely has captured over 100 million conversions and ensuring that Provely App remained high-performing and scalable, a Redis Caching layer was implemented between the application and its MySQL database. This move effectively reduced the load on the database by caching frequently accessed data, significantly enhancing system responsiveness and efficiency. The integration of Redis allowed for improved data retrieval times and scalability, ensuring the platform could handle increased data volumes without compromising performance.

To further enhance the tracking capability of Provely, a Tracking Script was developed. This lightweight, easy-to-implement script allows users to add it to their websites, enabling automatic tracking of any form present on the page.

Shopify Store App

• Objective: To enable real-time display of recent purchases on Shopify stores, enhancing social proof and boosting user engagement.
• Development Approach: The app was designed to be a 1-click install and seamlessly integrate with Shopify’s API, fetching order and inventory data and displaying it through customizable widgets. Attention was paid to ensuring data privacy and security in compliance with Shopify’s standards.
• Features: Real-time purchase notifications, low-stock notifications, and customizable display options to match the user’s branding.

BigCommerce Store App

• Objective: Similar to the Shopify integration, the aim was to integrate Provely with BigCommerce stores, showcasing real-time purchases and activity.
• Development Approach: The app utilized BigCommerce’s extensive API capabilities to implement real-time notifications. The development team focused on creating a 1-click install app for users, with easy setup and customization options.
• Features: Automated recent purchase and low stock notifications, dynamic social proof widgets, and the ability to tailor the look and feel according to the user’s website design.

Dual Access: Existing V1 users were given the option to upgrade to V2 through a subscription model. This strategy allowed them to enjoy the best of both worlds—retaining access to the original features while also benefiting from the new enhancements.

Independent Data Management: Data for V1 and V2 were managed independently to ensure seamless operation and user experience. This separation was crucial for maintaining the integrity of user data and facilitating the specific functionalities of each version.

New User Onboarding: New users were onboarded directly to V2, focusing on a forward-looking strategy and ensuring new customers had access to the most advanced features and integrations available.

This strategic overhaul led to:

Increased Adoption of V2: The clear upgrade path and the compelling new features encouraged a significant portion of V1 users to transition to the subscription-based V2, increasing revenue and user engagement.

Positive Reception from New Users: New users were impressed by the modern, intuitive interface and the comprehensive feature set of V2, leading to positive feedback and increased sign-ups.

Sustained Satisfaction Among V1 Users: By maintaining access to V1, existing users who chose not to upgrade immediately still expressed satisfaction with PayKickstart’s commitment to supporting their initial investment.

The redevelopment of PayKickstart’s social proof web app, characterized by the introduction of modern technologies and the strategic segmentation into V1 and V2, exemplifies a successful pivot in SaaS product development. This approach not only resolved the initial challenges but also set a new standard for customer-centric innovation, demonstrating the potential of thoughtful technology upgrades and strategic planning in enhancing user experience and business outcomes.