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GENERAL MOTORS INSURANCE

Boosting Conversion by Motivating Users at the Moment of Decision

Overview

At General Motors Insurance, we identified a key drop-off point in the sales flow: the 6-month summary screen. Nearly 40% of users clicked “Save & Return Later” at this step, and only a small fraction ever returned to purchase.

In collaboration with product, research, and engineering, I designed and tested a simple but timely urgency message aimed at nudging hesitant users to complete their purchase rather than defer.

Goals
  • Increase digital policy conversion rate on the 6-month summary screen

  • Address hesitation at the “Save & Return Later” moment with a motivational nudge

  • Support our broader 2027 business goal of 250,000 policies sold

Collaborators
  • Product

  • Research

  • Engineering

My Role

As lead product designer, I crafted the messaging component, integrated it into the flow within our design system, partnered with research on tone, and worked with product and engineering to deliver an A/B test in LaunchDarkly.

Timeline
  • Test launched: January 2025

  • Run time: 3–4 weeks

  • Measurement platform: LaunchDarkly (50/50 traffic split)

  • Applied variant to 100% of audience in March 2025

The Challenge

Business Need
  • Nearly 39.6% of users clicked “Save & Return Later” at Rate Quote 2, but only 5.4% of them returned to buy, compared to a 25% conversion rate among those who didn’t click it. This was a critical moment of lost momentum and revenue.

User Need
  • At this stage, users are evaluating cost and often hesitate without a clear reason to commit. They needed a gentle nudge to move forward.

Problem to Solve

How might we nudge users toward completing their purchase, rather than deferring, at the moment they’re most likely to abandon?

Discover & Define

Discover
  • Funnel analysis identified “Save & Return Later” as a key driver of drop-off.

  • Research revealed users were open to time-sensitive nudges if framed clearly and empathetically.

Define
  • Opportunity: Convert hesitation into action by reframing commitment as easy and low-risk.

  • Success metric: Increase conversion rate at Rate Quote 2.

Opportunity Solution Tree

A visual is a tool that supports product discovery by illustrating the path from the desired outcome to validating solutions

Urgency Tree.png

Develop & Deliver

Develop
  • Designed an urgency message to appear after a user clicked “Save & Return Later,” but before the exit survey:

  • “This is a limited-time offer. You can secure your rate today with your first payment on a new policy.”

Messaging goals:

  • Highlight time sensitivity.

  • Emphasize actionability (“secure your rate today”).

  • Reassure users they didn’t need to pay in full upfront.

Deliver
  • A/B tested in LaunchDarkly:

  • Control: Standard flow (no urgency message).

  • Variant: Urgency message before exit survey.

  • Test setup: 50/50 split, January 2025 run for 3–4 weeks.

High-Fidelity Instant Quote Flow

Urgency.png

Results

  • +3 percentage point lift in conversion rate for the variant vs. control (statistically significant).

  • Since full launch in March 2025, ~5% of users who see the urgency message purchase a policy.

  • Validated the hypothesis: a small, well-timed message can meaningfully influence user decisions.

Reflection & Next Steps

  • Key Learning: Users respond positively to nudges when they are timely, actionable, and reassuring — not aggressive.

  • Strategic Impact: Demonstrated that micro-interventions can directly improve conversion rates without requiring major redesigns.

  • Design Growth: Learned how to balance urgency messaging with trust and tone, ensuring alignment with brand voice.

Next Steps
  • Expand motivational messaging to other high-drop-off points in the funnel.

  • Explore personalization (e.g., tailoring urgency to user context like expiring policies).

  • Test alternative nudge formats (e.g., highlighting savings, providing reassurance about switching carriers).

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