Final prototype available here!

Challenge: At GoDaddy, providing and ensuring website security to their customers is one of their top priorities. However, new and returning customers around the world have reported problems in effectively setting up their security SSL credits. As the lead designer on this project, my role was to redesign the current experience to tailor to and guide customers so they may confidently set up with their security, regardless of their experience with the product or with GoDaddy.

Approach: I took a user-centered approach in which I designed a step-by-step experience that allows any user, whether they are hosted with GD (GoDaddy) or a 3rd party service provider, to set up their SSL credit for website security. This redesign informs the user and sets expectations from the beginning on what the process entails, what is required of them and how they can ensure they have successfully set up their security credit.

RESEARCH

After working closely with my Product Manager (PM), it was clear to me that customers found the overall process to set up their SSL Certificate challenging. I probed deeper to define the problem further with questions such as:

• Is there a subset of our audience that struggles more than others?
• Have there been previous studies conducted on similar issues?
• Is there any data available to support the existence of the current issue at hand?

The root of issue was conveyed from a collection of negative feedback from customers all over the world describing their problems with the lack of flexibility in the functionality in generation of a CSR (Certificate Signing Request), the option to choose a domain hosted with GD vs 3rd party or providing the option to provide a CSR the user had and submit their request. In the following screenshots, its evident of the lack of flexibility present.

"

Based on my PM’s background knowledge, customer feedback and the heuristic findings, my goal as the lead designer, was to redesign the current setup process for standard SSL certificates as a means to streamline a sense of familiarity throughout each step, inform customers of what is required of them for a successful setup and tailor the process to each type of customer.

DESIGN

Initially, my main focus was incorporating the new functionality for both customers with a few domains and hundreds to select which domain they wanted, options for CSR generation and CSR input, and overall, how to present the information in a digestible, user-friendly way. I realized, however, there were several mini paths that led to each screen and that the design needed to reflect that.

Start of Flow

Hosted with GoDaddy

Hosted with 3rd Party Service

I Have a CSR

I Do Not Have a CSR

Flow Map

TESTING

Shortly after the prototype had been created, I went straight to the research team for guidance in utilizing the UserTesting.com platform for testing. I used a screener to find small business owners or partners with knowledge in SSL’s, Domains, own domains and 3rd party hosting customers, to avoid any bias from current GD customers as they are already familiar with the process.

Test plan & questions available here!

The objective of the study was to have a clearer understanding of 3 vitals things in the end to end experience of the set-up process: 1) ease of use, 2) understanding of the process, & 3) confidence setting up their security credit.

In a ‘think aloud’ exercise, they were asked questions and given tasks to understand the overall usability, ease of use an understanding as they were going through the process. As they went, I asked their opinion of how they felt and what they thought about the information on the screen. To close up the study, a few rating scale questions were asked as well.

FINDINGS

• Customers would like more context on the idea that the name of their domain will ONLY BE used for the purposes of certificate set up. (security purposes - that their information won’t be leaked or used anywhere else)
• They would like more context on the timeline of the credit approval process
• They would like to know if there is a process for assigning several domains to the same SSL certificate.
• The simplicity and organization of the process allowed customers to set expectations at the beginning and felt that it was a “step by step” instruction as they went on.
• They understood that they will need a server to set up their credit and acknowledged the perk of a CTA available on the confirmation page to learn more about that process.

Behaviorally coded qualitative participant data available here!

• 80% of users found that the process was simple
• 80% Found that the process was clear
• 80% felt confident submitting a CSR key for approval
• 60% fully understood the overall process of submitting a CSR. 40% felt that there was still more context to be given but still rated highly that they understood the process.
• 60% felt that they knew the next steps for setting up their SSL certificate. 20% felt they needed more context on the timeline but still rated highly. 20% were fickle/unsure.
• 80% felt that the information provided was clear throughout the set-up experience.

NEXT STEPS

• Customers would like more context on the idea that the name of their domain will ONLY BE used for the purposes of certificate set up. (security purposes - that their information won’t be leaked or used anywhere else)
• Provide detail of the timeline for approval time for 3rd party hosted customers
• Discuss the effectiveness and security assurance of including another screen in the path in which the user is asked to verify that they are indeed the owner of said domain they are listing.
• Find a way to allow customers to assign multiple domains to the same SSL credit.
• Provide option for White Labeled products