Introduction:
Stay Inc., led by Canadian television star Scott McGillivray, is a virtual marketplace revolutionizing the long and short-term rentals space.
Stay Inc. was facing an inventory problem when I started working on the project. They were able to bring on potential renters, but did not have enough properties to fulfil the client demand.
This lead them to developing a new onboarding feature for hosts to upload their properties to the app. I was the lead front-end architect for this project, and after the successfull implementation of this feature, the number of properties on the app increased by 718%.
Follow along as we dig into how we were able to get Stay Inc these results:
Problem:
Stay Inc. encountered several issues with their previous onboarding feature, which halted marketing efforts to bring hosts onto the platform, and lead to a lot of churn once hosts began uploading their properties.
Outdated and Buggy Feature: The previous onboarding feature did not contain all of the features hosts needed to add their properties. This incomplete feature set further pushed hosts to post their properties on competitors websites, such as Airbnb. The codebase was built by an off-shore team and was buggy. This did not allow the current development team to easily add new features to the application.
Hindered Marketing Campaigns: Due to the lack of necessary features of the onboarding feature, the team at Stay Inc. was reluctant to launch large marketing campaigns aimed at attracting hosts. They felt the onboarding feature would turn away the professional hosts that they wanted to attract to the website.
Bottleneck in Property Inventory: The poor user experience and technical issues created a significant bottleneck in increasing the number of properties on the platform. While Stay Inc. successfully attracted potential guests, they struggled to onboard professional hosts, this lead to the site getting very few bookings on the website.
Solution:
To tackle the challenges Stay Inc. faced with their outdated onboarding feature, we set out with a clear objective: build a new onboarding feature that could be implemented and delivered in time for a major marketing campaign aimed at attracting hosts to the platform. Here's how we achieved this:
Implementation of Figma Designs: The solution began with implementing the meticulously crafted Figma designs. Our goal was to architect the new onboarding feature in a way that allowed new fields to be easily updated or changed, ensuring flexibility and future-proofing the feature.
Pattern Recognition and Component Design: By thoroughly analyzing the 12-step feature designs, I identified recurring patterns within the steps. This insight enabled me to design reusable components that could be applied consistently across each step of the feature.
Efficient Development Process: With the reusable components in place and a clear architectural plan, the development of the onboarding feature proceeded swiftly. The patterns identified in the onboarding feature steps not only streamlined the design process but also enhanced developer productivity. These reusable patterns became integral to the entire app, further boosting efficiency.
Rapid Deployment: Once the components were built and the architecture was defined, we quickly and efficiently completed the onboarding feature. This allowed us to meet the deadline for the large marketing campaign, ensuring that Stay Inc. was ready to onboard a substantial number of new hosts seamlessly.
By leveraging reusable components and a well-thought-out architecture, we delivered a robust and flexible onboarding feature that significantly improved the user experience for hosts. This not only met Stay Inc.'s immediate needs but also positioned them for future growth and scalability.
Results:
The implementation of the new add property feature brought about transformative results for Stay Inc., addressing their critical challenges and achieving remarkable success:
Modern and Polished feature: The result was a brand-new, modern, and polished onboarding feature for hosts to add their properties to the platform. This new feature significantly enhanced the user experience and usability for hosts.
Significant Increase in Property Listings: Within three months following the release of the new onboarding feature, the number of properties on the platform increased by an impressive 718%, surpassing the team's goal of 10,000 properties. This milestone marked a major achievement for Stay Inc., greatly expanding their inventory.
Bug-Free User Experience: Hosts did not report any major bugs during the months following the release of the new feature. This stability demonstrated the effectiveness in providing a seamless and reliable user experience.
Inspiration for Architectural Re-write: The success of the new architecture patterns inspired a re-write of the codebase to implement these patterns throughout the app. This architectural overhaul led to a 30% reduction in the lines of code and a 40% decrease in build times.
Increased Developer Productivity: The reduction in build times allowed developers to focus more on building new features, resulting in cost savings of over $800 per month in developer time, not including the increased efficiency in releasing new features.
These achievements were made possible by leveraging my expertise in architecting React.js applications. By identifying patterns in the designs and creating an architecture that met the application's needs, we were able to deliver a robust and scalable solution. If you want to learn more about my React.js architecture philosophy, check out this article.
Overall, the new add property feature not only met Stay Inc.'s immediate goals but also set the stage for future growth and continuous improvement, solidifying their position as a leading virtual marketplace for short and long-term rentals with experiences.
The Future:
Stay Inc. is continuing to build a name for itself in the long and short-term rentals space. With leadership from one of the biggest names in Canadian television, Scott McGillivray, Stay Inc. has gained significant recognition. McGillivray's influence and the company's innovative approach have led to numerous features on his HGTV series, "Income Properties," further establishing their reputation.
Stay Inc. has a bright future ahead of them, with plans to expand their platform and continually improve the user experience for both hosts and guests. As they continue to innovate and grow, Stay Inc. is poised to become a leader in the rentals market, offering unparalleled service and value. The journey ahead is promising, and Stay Inc. is well-equipped to achieve even greater success.
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