MONEY LEFT OVER APP
Launching and refining a personal finance app called Money Left Over (MoLO) to appeal to consumers of different financial savviness to increase retention 30% and earn a 4.7/5 rating.
OVERVIEW
Role
Staff UX Writer
Goal
• Launch the app
• Boost downloads
• Increase conversion rate for user monetization
Impact
• 30,000+ downloads and counting
• 1 month retention +30%
• 4.7 / 5 rating
• Featured in U.S. News 10 Simple and Free Budgeting Tools
PROBLEM
How might we clarify the financial future of our users? How can this personal finance app stand out in a competitive market?
• Research and beta tester feedback found users were confused about how their dollar amount for Money Left Over is calculated and whether it’s accurate
• Some users said the app didn’t seem different from other financial apps besides the money prediction feature
PROCESS
Focusing on principles
Findable
• Show the right content that helps users understand their financial situation
Clear
• Ensure financial content is clear and easier to understand
Helpful
• Strategize content that helps people meet their financial goals and build better financial habits
How I worked
Collaborators
• UX researcher
• Design director
• Brand manager
• Product manager
• Front-end developer
• Back-end developer
• Business intelligence
• VP of product
• Co-CEO, Achieve
• Legal & compliance (and accessibility) officers
• Brand director
• SEO director
• VP of brand
Work I did
• UX writing (H1-H3s, paragraph copy, buttons, captions, etc.)
• Input for UX research questions and copy for A/B testing
• Wrote test questions and performed my own content research in Maze
• Put together a deck to present at the Product Review meeting in front of execs
• SEO copywriting (product page, app store page)
• Legal & compliance tickets and documents
Skills/software used
• Figma
• Maze (to test content with 200 people)
• Usertesting
• Miro (to take notes during moderated user testing)
• Google suite (Slides, Sheets) for SEO research, compliance documents
• Divvy (legal & compliance tickets)
1 Discover
Solving user pain points
User profile
• 35% Living for the future - neutral to high cash flow, higher financial competence
• 27% Living in the now - neutral to high cash flow, lower financial competence
• 23% Struggling day to day - low to neutral cash flow, lower financial competence
• 15% In survival mode - low to neutral cash flow, higher financial competence
User pain points
• Some higher financial competency consumers have a proactive approach to finances, but they need reassurance
• Consumers struggling and stressed with managing money have a reactive approach to finances and they need guidance and the ability to plan ahead
Questions asked
• How might we build an app that encourages users to build skills and habits around managing money better?
• How might we create a simple personal finance app that appeals to people with various levels of financial knowledge?
2 Strategy
Clear, encouraging information so users are better informed and motivated to change their financial future
Content considerations
• With 65% of the user profile struggling with different financial aspects, the app needed to be:
° easy to understand
° have an encouraging and optimistic tone so they can picture a future where their finances are stable and more secure
° have personal insights based on what they find important so people develop better financial habits
Voice and tone
• Encouraging
• Optimistic
• Knowledgeable
• Straightforward
3 Research
User insights gathered across more than 1 year
“I see am overspending by $1,723 and want to understand where that number comes from.”
I designed and wrote copy for numerous user tests to gain insights and iterate based on feedback before launching the app. I worked with our Staff UX Researcher to include content-specific test questions. I also did research myself using Maze and took notes during moderated Usertesting tests.
“I don’t understand if the app would actually be easy to use or something really complicated that would require a learning curve before I can even start putting money into it”
“I think it’s a great app for showing you transparency on where your money is being spent. I think paying off the debt is 50/50 information and self-discipline, so it may not always work for everyone.”
-
• Beta users were confused about how their Money Left Over was calculated. I performed a content study in Maze that validated the updated explanation for the gauge calculation improved confidence in the prediction of their cash flow.
• Improvements: Updated app with the improved explanation. -
Unmoderated test of 200 people via Maze):
• Top ranked features:
1. 100% free, no fees or subscriptions2. No ads
3. Bank-level security
4. App doesn't sell your info
5. Clarity of where money is going
Improvements: I used these insights to update the landing page and app store copy, reorder the content, and focus on what participants found important in a personal finance app. -
Moderated test via Usertesting conducted by our user researcher:
• 5 of 8 participants emphasized the importance of acknowledging incremental progressImprovements: I used these insights to continue to implement motivational and encouraging language in the app to help users keep track of their progress.
-
unmoderated test via Usertesting ):
• The top 3 financial goals:
1. paying off debt (46 out of 48)2. saving more each month (38 out of 48)
3. increasing how much you make (26 out of 48)
Improvements: I used these insights to focus on debt in later “sticky” features and future updates of the landing page and app store content.
4 Iterate
Clarifying confusion and highlighting the most appealing features to update content and experience
5 Handoff
Leading compliance reviews and ensuring accessibility
Compliance review & dev handoff
• During the launch, I aimed to make sure the visuals were accessible so I included alt text for our accessibility compliance officer to check
• Used compliance doc as a source of truth for final copy for dev handoff
OUTCOME
Before
Money Left Over in-app, landing page, and app store content - before
❌ Beta testers were confused about where their Money Left Over prediction came from and how it was calculated (the cornerstone feature of the app and the first thing they saw as they landed on their Home screen)
❌ Participants in the landing page content research were concerned about security and the catch behind a personal finance app that’s 100% free
❌ Participants in the app store content research found complex visuals made the app seem difficult to use
After
Money Left Over in-app, landing page, and app store content - after
✅ Added microcopy to make it clear how the app calculates Money Left Over
✅ Created content around reassuring users about security and why the app is free
✅ Updated app store visuals from more complex line graphs to simple bar charts so users got a better impression the app was simple to use
FEEDBACK
“THANK YOU SHEENA. You’ve been amazing. You’ve gone above and beyond. We would not be in a position to launch our app so soon without you. Great partnership.”
— Travis Bjorklund, Principal Product Manager, MoLO