Agenttrust.sg - Review Website
Agenttrust.sg is a review platform I designed that enables users to share and access feedback on insurance agents, promoting transparency. Over 300k organic visits, Featured on CNA.
Inspired by a personal encounter with insurance agents, I sought to address the prevalent trust issues many individuals face within the insurance industry. This Reddit discussion exemplifies the general perception of Singaporeans towards insurance agents: https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/ue9p22/insurance\_agent\_horror\_stories/
- Crafted product strategy and discovery to validate user need for unbiased agent reviews, conducting qualitative interviews and market analysis to identify a trust gap in financial services.
- Defined MVP scope using a RICE prioritisation framework, balancing legal/regulatory constraints with user impact to deliver a compliant yet high-value V1.
- Owned and build product with low code tools to ship core features like agent profiles, verified reviews, and search/filtering capabilities.
- Drove user acquisition through SEO-led growth loops, resulting in over 300K organic visits post-launch; platform was featured on CNA, amplifying brand credibility.
✨Designing for trusts✨
Recognizing the potential to design for trust, I drew inspiration from Airbnb's successful approach in fostering trust between hosts and guests. Although not a direct parallel, their concept served as a valuable resource for this challenge. For further information on Airbnb's strategy, please refer to https://airbnb.design/designing-for-trust/.
By focusing on trust as a core design principle, I aimed to address the public's concerns and improve the overall perception of insurance agents.
Understanding the dynamics:
To gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics involved, I interviewed friends in the process of purchasing insurance. A key insight emerged: “Users wanted a way to verify that an agent is trustworthy." The idea of a review site resonated as it would serve as a useful tool to build a database.
I then consulted insurance agents to gather their perspectives.
Their primary concerns included the potential for false or misleading reviews and the impact on their reputation.
To address these concerns, I implemented the following measures:
- Established a priority ranking system for reviews with verified purchase proof, ensuring that only authenticated reviews are published.
- Added clear prompts and clarifications emphasizing that reviews are user-generated and intended as a guide rather than indisputable facts.
- Evolved the platform from anonymous reviews to a system where users must provide their names for accountability purposes.
By addressing these concerns, insurance agents recognised the value of a review platform, as well-reviewed agents could benefit from increased visibility and potential customer acquisition.
To develop the product, I began by assessing essential features and exploring various low-code and no-code tools. My objective was to identify time-efficient and cost-effective solutions that could provide a stable infrastructure for hosting the technology and database.
Key features considered included:
- User profile creation and management: Bio, contact information, profile picture, and showcase.
- Review aggregation for agents based on their ID.
- Advanced search functionality to find and recommend financial advisors.
After evaluating several options, I selected Softr, a promising new platform offering ease of use and robust functionality.
The project proved to be an engaging and rewarding social endeavor. Upon launch, the site received over 300,000 views, garnered an estimated 1 million social media impressions, and gained coverage from Channel News Asia.
Ultimately, I decided against monetizing the site, as it was not my initial objective. The experience of designing this network product provided valuable learning opportunities, and I was delighted to create something of value for users.
Throughout the project, I focused on process improvement, prioritizing features and planning, and analyzing usage metrics to enhance various aspects of the product experience. I also collaborated closely with users, incorporating their feedback to improve the overall delivery.
All in, I am proud of the successful product rollout and the product strategy that drove this project!
