Easy SSL Install

An Easier way for subscribers to provide a secure experience.

Simple SSL


As Users become increasingly concerned with protecting their shoppers' security, they have begun taking advantage of the free SSL service introduced over a year ago. 

  • We needed to introduce an on page wizard that would make it easier for our Users to secure their sites. 

  • While the existing tool was simple enough for advanced users, only 34% of active users had configured their free SSL. 

  • For this project to be successful, we needed to bring attention to the buried SSL configuration section. We needed to make it a more communicative experience for the customer, and finally explain the value of installing the SSL certificate. 

  • Working with a talented team of front and backend developers, I was responsible for the UI planning and design and writing UX copy. 

The Old Way

Although we had strong suspicions about why customers hadn't set up their free SSL,  we needed to be sure we were targeting the exact set of problems keeping them from taking advantage of this part of the platform. 


  • When purchasing your license, were you aware of the security features included with your subscription?

  • Were they familiar with the advanced settings area of their configuration panel?

  • How comfortable are they with their domain provider's configuration panel?

Only 34% of active users had configured their free SSL.

User Journey

User's begin their journey when purchasing a license for the platform. While configuring their account settings, they must secure their third party domain name, to avoid a bevvy of potential issues. These issues could prevent a customer from completing their purchase, or even block access to the site. 

  • This is a very hands-on and robust shop management platform. A large percentage of it's users are new to SAAS business tools.  

  • Before this initiative, Users were required to simultaneously work in two systems to configure their SSL. Often, they were seeing both of these systems for the first time. For this reason, securing their online store was time consuming, and confusing. Many Users avoided securing their store until it was too late — when a customer was locked out or unable to complete checkout. 

  • I found that users and support staff alike felt lost when installing their security certificate. 

    • It seemed to them like they were doing a lot of work to set up something without clearly understanding the function. 

    • They were not confident configuring their SSL, because they were not receiving enough on-page system communication to grasp what was happening with their SSL.

Whiteboarding!
Image Modified to protect proprietary information.


Iteration Notes.

Process

The design process begins for me with a conversation with our developers about what is possible. During these whiteboarding sessions, I iterate until there is a discernible direction. With a solution in mind, I begin building mockups. 

  • For this project, sketches were critical to mapping out the user journey and planning interactions. 

  • After 3 iterations, we came to a decision on the final design. 

  • In the end I moved away from a guided wizard, and designed a simple on page component, that communicated the importance of SSL.