Rebuilding trust in a financial advisor journey
FinanceHQ matches people with pre-screened financial advisors. On paper the product was competitive, but users were leaving at every step of a long lead flow, with drop-off hitting 70% at the moment they were asked for financial details. I joined mid-project, inherited the flow and visual direction, and led the research and redesign that followed.
Product designer
Worked under a design lead who reviewed direction and owned the client relationship. I inherited the visual language and lead flow, then led the research and redesign that improved conversion after launch.
Figma, Photoshop
Feb 2023 — Jun 2023
* Outcome
Measured from the client's production analytics after launch, validated with moderated call-throughs during design and A/B tests in production:
+60% conversions
the final step reassured users about data security, and the client's post-launch analytics showed it in conversion.
−4 min time to complete
Range toggles across five stages saved users 4–5 minutes by eliminating exact input and reducing cognitive load.
8-step flow
The flow was condensed to eight steps, completable in under a minute, down from a fragmented, drop-off-heavy process.
40-sec testimonial engagement
* Context & problem
FinanceHQ matches people with pre-screened financial advisors. The product was short on trust. Despite a competitive offering, users wouldn't share personal data, and drop-off climbed at exactly the sensitive steps.
Users had no reason to believe the platform would keep their data safe.
Our users
Peter, 38
lives with his partner and two kids, works full-time, has little time for financial admin. Wants quick, secure advice with a clear roadmap. Frustrated by long forms, unclear processes, and missing trust signals when time is tight.
Vanessa, 61
What users faced with on each step of onboarding
(based on 10 in-depth interviews with couples and individuals who use FinanceHQ as their primary financial consultant)
Assistance subjects available
Name & Email
15% of users dropped off at this stage due to lack of trust in sharing personal information.
Current financial advisor
Family
12% of users left the flow. They didn’t want to spend much time or share personal details.
ZIP code & home's value
56% of users struggled with this step, finding it difficult and time-consuming.
Your finances
70% of users found this step very difficult and time-consuming. Many were also reluctant to share sensitive financial information.
Details
Phone number
67% of users exited at the final step without providing a reason.
* Business goals
The work had to move three connected things:
Conversion
Lower drop-off
Conversion was leaking specifically where users had to share personal and financial data. Closing those specific leaks was the job.
Trust as the mechanism
* My role & approach
I joined FinanceHQ mid-project as product designer, working under a design lead who reviewed direction and owned the client relationship. I inherited the visual language and lead flow, then led the research and redesign that improved conversion after launch.
Because the flow was live, I could work in a tight, measurable loop:
* Benchmarking
I analyzed such platforms as: Zoe Financial, Open MediCare, Smart Asset.
Trust signals that convert
Security signs and proof
Insight
Platforms place security icons and advisor images at data-entry points where users hesitate most.
Takeaway
Step count vs. momentum
Step count and progression
Insight
Flow length ranged 3-33 steps across competitors, yet completion wasn't tied to length alone.
Takeaway
Input type shapes behavior
Selection elements
Insight
Radio buttons speed up selection; toggles work better for ranges and financial amounts.
Takeaway
Matching the input type to the data type makes the flow feel guided.
* Insights
The benchmarking revealed a clear pattern: reduce friction at entry, build trust progressively. A minimal first step lowers the barrier; transparent progress tracking keeps users moving.
* Challenge
How do you create a high-trust onboarding that feels efficient for a busy parent like Peter, yet provides the human reassurance a user like Vanessa needs?
The two pull in opposite directions: speed vs. reassurance, and one flow had to serve both without compromising conversion or trust.
* Iterations & A/B tests
Because the flow was live, I could build variants and split-test them in production — so the winning version was decided on real conversion data.
Smart controls for faster onboarding
Test 1
A slider for home value will feel familiar and require minimal input effort.
Insight
Users struggled to land on a precise value — the slider required too much fine-tuning and produced inconsistent data.
Test 2
A text input with a confirm button will give users control and feel more precise.
Insight
Typing an exact number increased hesitation. Users spent more time on this step, and many left it blank.
Test 3
Predefined range buttons will eliminate exact input while still capturing data precise enough for risk assessment.
Result
Range toggles deployed across 5 stages saved users 4–5 minutes in total and reduced drop-off at the home value step.
Trade-off
Ranges capture less precise data than an exact figure because approximate ranges were precise enough for risk assessment, and exactness was actively costing completions.
Impactful first impressions
Test 1
Showing trust signals (testimonials, vetted advisors) on the first screen will reduce hesitation and increase entry into the flow.
Insight
The page was too dense — testimonials competed with the CTA. Users got distracted and didn't click Next.
Test 2
Moving the testimonial above the age question will create a warmer entry and build trust before asking for personal data.
Insight
Separating the testimonial helped, but the single card carousel felt lightweight. Users didn't stop to read it.
Test 3
A compact advisor card combined with a minimal first question (ZIP only) will establish trust without overwhelming the user.
Result
Users spent over 40 seconds on this step — the highest dwell time in the entire flow — and external visitors grasped the product's value significantly faster.
Trade-off
A compact card shows fewer testimonials than a full wall of proof. Density was the problem, so less proof, better placed, converted better than more.
Building trust during onboarding
Test 1
A named progress bar (About you → Topics → Match) will help users understand where they are in the flow.
Insight
Users ignored the section labels entirely — the title took up space without adding value.
Test 2
Adding three trust statements above the progress bar will reinforce credibility throughout the flow.
Insight
The banner felt like an ad. Users skipped it without reading.
Test 3
A single credential next to the logo will feel more credible than a banner of claims.
Insight
Text alone wasn't enough — without a visual anchor, the statement blended into the background.
Test 4
A verified icon paired with a short credential will signal authority without competing with the progress bar.
Result
The icon + label combination was the only version users consistently noticed and recalled — confirmed across testing sessions.
Trade-off
One concise credential surfaces less of the platform's full compliance story, but a single noticed signal beats a full banner nobody read.
Trust signals at the final step
Test 1
Showing matched advisor cards above the form will motivate users to complete their details to unlock results.
Insight
Full advisor photos and a long legal disclaimer overwhelmed the screen. Users felt exposed before they'd committed to anything.
Test 2
Moving advisors above the fold with "Top Advisor" badges will increase perceived value and reduce form abandonment.
Insight
The layout improved, but plain input fields with no security context still caused hesitation at the name and phone fields.
Test 3
Partially obscured advisor previews combined with inline security labels on each field will reduce anxiety at the most sensitive moment.
Result
Conversion at the final step increased by 60% — the highest impact change in the entire flow.
Trade-off
Obscuring advisor previews withholds the full payoff until users complete the step: showing enough to motivate, holding back enough to require the commitment.
