Case Study: How Cars24 can Boost User Engagement, Auto Bidding Adoption for dealers app

🚀Context

Cars24 dealers app-Car Dealers use an App that is a platform that is used by pan India used car dealers to buy a used car via auction model.

Problem 1:

In short — Auction engagement is low; users don’t browse many cars due to inefficiency.

1. A user on average scrolls up to the 25th car auction car in a scrollable position in 1 session (say 50 seconds).
2. If they don’t find any car of their interest, then they decide to leave by either backgrounding or closing the app.
3. If they view an auction that is of interest, then the session time increases.

Problem 2:

In short — Autobid adoption is low, dealer shy away from setting true value of the car.

1. There are two ways to participate in an auction for a user(dealer). Place Bid and Auto bid.
2. An auto bid is a better functionality for the user because it saves the user’s effort to stay in the auction for the entire duration.
3. Out of 100 auctions, auto bid is used in only 7 auctions.
4. Even in these 7 auctions, dealers shy away from setting true value that they can actually give. They take less risk. For example, if they know the true value of the car is 4 lacs and the floor price is 3.5 lacs, they will set an auto bid to 3.7 lac only.

To understand the problem better i went to a car dealer.

After analyzing the problem statement, I concluded that three major improvements are needed:

1. Enhance app engagement to encourage users to browse cars of their interest.
2. Increase the adoption of autobid without reducing regular bidding.
3. To motivate dealers to offer accurate prices for cars in auctions.

🕵️‍♀️Competitive analysis

To achieve the best results, I conducted moodboarding across various industries, seeking inspiration and understanding the most effective solutions.

1. Engagement.

In order to improve app engagement, I explored various apps such as Nykaa, YouTube, Swiggy, and Meesho. I studied how they address the challenge of having a wide range of product categories and guide users towards making the perfect purchase.

• Nykaa enhances search results by incorporating different filters within various cards.
• YouTube employs diverse layouts, using a horizontal format for various categories and a square layout for shorts. This strategic use of layouts disrupts visual attention patterns.
• Swiggy utilizes different layouts, such as horizontal for popular brands and a square layout for quick picks.The platform also features effective filtering options for fast delivery, cuisines, and sorting, prominently placed in the top section & same with meesho.

2. Auction, autobid adoption.

In order to grasp the workings of online auctions and bidding, I explored several online auction platforms.

• The screens above display an auction for a specific item, showcasing details such as the current/highest price, number of bidders, timer, and the estimated price, providing insights into how live auctions unfold.
• It illustrates an ongoing auction where the proxy bid feature allows users to enter their maximum price and effortlessly navigate through the auction.

3. Honest pricing for cars.

To solve this, I brainstormed and found a solution. It requires approval from the business, and it involves understanding human psychology. I will explain the solution thoroughly in the final designs.

🎯Solution

1. Engagement.

• Home Screen Layout- Revamping the car listing layout according to user behavior. Implementing a horizontal scroll layout based on car categories, dealer budgets, and trending cars.

• UX Flow- Improving the UX flow to enhance user engagement.

• Notification- Add a bottom sheet notification banner displaying all information about cars the user has already bid on.
• Card Design- Redesign the home screen car listing card to improve auction comprehension. Introduce distinct card states for better tracking of a particular auction’s progress.

2. Auction, Auto-bidding adoption

• Auction Details- Creating a tab for detailed bidding information, adding a notification bar for updates related to bidding like promoting autobid adoption and this solution is scalable for business itself.
• Live Timer-Emphasizing the live timer for improving the overall auction experience.

• Bidding Process- Allowing users to bid easily by clicking on the tab, entering the value, and submitting to complete the bidding, whether through regular or autobid.
• Nudging User- Encouraging autobid adoption by prompting users through the notification bar. Providing the flexibility to switch between regular and autobid without disrupting the bidding flow.

• Auto-Bid Info- Explaining autobid as a user-friendly feature with a brief explanation, reducing friction for easy bidding. This is crucial as many dealers may not be tech-savvy to grasp the backend workings of autobid.

3. Honest Pricing for cars.

• Buy Directly- To tackle dealers not offering honest prices, the business can introduce a direct buy option after car reevaluation. This leverages human psychology by setting fictional price range of a car in the user’s mind, promoting more accurate bidding and enhancing the overall auction experience.
• Price Chart- Price trends give dealers insights into auction performance over time.

🤩What are your thoughts on the case study?

This project served as the capstone for a design cohort of 10 designers working on Cars24, with Jeevanshu leading from the Cars24 side.

Thanks to all who took the time to go through this case study. Please feel free to share feedback.

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😎Bye!