I led the research and design for the strategic expansion of Domain Group's commercial real estate offerings into the "Businesses for Sale & Franchises" category. This initiative proved to be a pivotal driver of revenue growth, ultimately becoming the most profitable vertical within the commercial real estate portfolio. My role involved leading initial research, rapidly iterating on designs, and ensuring seamless alignment with business development to achieve a successful go-to-market strategy.
The decision to delve into the "Businesses for Sale & Franchises" market was a strategic move to capitalize on a significant opportunity within the broader commercial real estate sector. Our initial research, which combined ethnographic and quantitative methods, revealed valuable insights into the user journeys of those looking to buy or sell businesses and franchises.
This research highlighted a key unifying factor: the desire to become a business owner. We discovered that while the end goal was the same, the path varied depending on the individual's risk tolerance and budget. We identified three primary pathways: starting a new business from scratch, buying an existing business, and investing in a franchise. Recognizing these as interconnected stages in a larger journey was crucial to our approach.
One area we focused on was improving the franchisee journey. We understood that for franchisors, attracting the right candidates is paramount. Therefore, we paid close attention to designing an effective and user-friendly application process, which became a unique selling point for the platform.
Another critical consideration was how users access and discover information. We carefully defined the data access points for franchise and business-for-sale listings, ensuring optimal information architecture for both search engines and users. This involved understanding the different search behaviors and information needs of each user type and optimizing the platform to facilitate efficient information retrieval.
Developing this entirely new business area for Domain Group was a significant undertaking. However, by grounding our decisions in thorough research, employing lean UX principles, and fostering close collaboration with the business development team, we achieved a swift and successful go-to-market strategy. The new business unit experienced rapid growth, quickly becoming the number one revenue generator within the entire Commercial Real Estate division.
Map based comprehensive business for sale search with powerful filters
No matter the option, the user was guided throguth the process to open a business
Easy to navigate franchise catalog, with complete information and end to end process
We offer support through the whole journey utilising the Commercial Real Estate and Domain resources
Research insights
Deep user research informed the platform's foundation, ensuring it addressed real-world needs.
One user base, 3 pathways
The design unified distinct user journeys (new business, buy, franchise) to provide comprehensive support.
Improving the franchisee journey
We focused on optimising the franchisee application process for a better user experience.
Defining the access points
Information architecture was strategically designed for efficient user and search engine discoverability.
Our research into the process of opening a new business served as the foundation for the platform's design and strategy. We employed a combination of ethnographic and quantitative methods to gain a holistic understanding of the user journey, including:
These research insights allowed us to identify key user needs and pain points, informing the platform's features, functionality, and overall user experience.
A crucial insight from our research was that the decision to become a business owner often leads to a fork in the road, with users choosing from three primary pathways: starting a new business from scratch, buying an existing business, or investing in a franchise. Recognizing this, we designed the platform to:
This approach allowed us to create a more comprehensive and valuable platform for users, regardless of their specific business ownership aspirations.
To quickly validate our assumptions and refine the platform, we employed a lean UX approach, emphasizing rapid iteration and experimentation. This involved:
This iterative and collaborative process allowed us to quickly adapt to user needs and market feedback, resulting in a successful and impactful product launch.
