QuickBooks Setup Checklist

Rethinking how might we give custom setup to QBO customers based off of input gathered during onboarding.

Developing a tailored and dynamic onboarding checklist for new QuickBooks customers.

Duration

January-April 2021
Product designer & researcher

Customer problem

I am a new customer struggling to set up correctly, as QuickBooks lacks guidance. This uncertainty makes me question whether QBO is suitable for me and consider switching to a more user-friendly accounting solution.

Business goal

Develop a robust and dynamic setup process for new franchise small business owners, while also driving ecosystem revenue.

Success metrics

Lifetime revenue, 45 day trial to sub conversion, 30 day retention, % of users in first 30 days that create 1+ transaction(s).

Why is this interesting?

The current setup checklist was static and lacked customization based on customer onboarding.
This presented an opportunity to reinvent the setup process for all QuickBooks Online (QBO) customers.
The new setup needed to scale across the entire QBO ecosystem, encompassing over ten teams and products.

Research themes

Customization is nice, but it wasn’t necessary
- New customers didn’t know what to set up and wanted us to guide them. Customization was more beneficial for experts assisting their clients in getting situated in QBO.
In this case, less is more
- Beyond promoting ecosystem products, we aimed to streamline the setup process and highlight the most time-sensitive items, minimizing the noise QBO can create.
Customers do not want to learn our logic
- Initially, we aimed to be transparent with customers about what we showed them, but it only caused confusion. Most customers did not question the default list we provided.

First Quarter Results

1.3%

lift in revenue = $5.1M annually

142

Payments gross new active

187

Payments sign-ups

449

QBO checkings sign-ups

Each checklist task opens a corresponding workflow. The image here corresponds to "Get ready to invoice."

If a customer indicates during onboarding that they are "interested in online payments," we display tasks to provide more information.

My first big project

This project laid a strong foundation for my future work at Intuit. I gained valuable experience in aligning stakeholders and leadership around a unified vision, engaging in numerous discussions about trade-offs involving my team, other teams, and leadership. Working alongside highly talented senior professionals was a pleasure, and witnessing them excel in their roles was truly inspiring.

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San Francisco, CA