Crafting B2B Personas for a User-Centric Property Platform
BuyRentKenya.com, a leading property marketplace, set out to improve its desktop experience for B2B customers, including real estate agencies and professionals. The project aimed to better understand customer needs, challenges, and behaviors to inform user-centric product design. By addressing pain points, segmenting the market, and providing actionable insights, the research guided product teams in enhancing digital experiences.
Team: Lead UX researcher (SA), UI/UX designer (Mauritius), agile coach (SA) and client liaisons (Kenya).
Timeline: 5 weeks.
Client
BuyRentKenya | BRK
Year
2021
Methods
UXR, B2B Persona Generation
Role
Situation
In July, BuyRentKenya.com (BRK), a leading property marketplace, aimed to enhance its desktop experience for B2B customers. The platform needed a deeper understanding of its customer base, primarily real estate agencies and professionals, to create user-centric solutions. The primary goal was to identify the needs, challenges, and behaviours of these B2B customers, ultimately guiding product teams in designing improved digital experiences.
The scope of the project spanned Kenya and involved close collaboration with product teams in Mauritius, Kenya and South Africa. The research focused exclusively on desktop users, as it was the primary platform for conducting business transactions.
The project was driven by the necessity to:
Address pain points in the digital journey of B2B customers.
Segment the market effectively and develop tailored solutions.
Equip the product team with actionable insights for better decision-making.
Image: Screenshot of BRK listing page.
Task
As the UX Research Lead, my primary responsibilities were to:
Design and execute a comprehensive research plan that aligned with stakeholder goals.
Develop all necessary research artifacts, including briefs, scripts, and tools, to support data collection.
Conduct remote interviews and facilitate collaboration among cross-functional teams across three countries.
Analyze qualitative data to uncover key themes and insights.
Share findings in a clear and actionable format tailored to both executives and the development team.
Action
Methodology: Qualitative interview + analysis | Tools: Condens
Planning and Coordination:
I developed a detailed research plan outlining objectives, methodologies, and timelines.
Scheduled interviews with 9 Kenyan B2B customers, representing small, medium, and large agencies.
Coordinated logistics with the product team across Mauritius and Kenya.
Data Collection:
Conducted remote one-on-one interviews with participants, using a pre-approved script to guide discussions.
I (lead UX researcher), in collaboration with the business and product leads, developed research materials (such as scripts and questions) to identify the key areas of inquiry for both the business and product teams.
Ensured a diverse sample: 4 small agency representatives, 2 medium agency representatives, and 3 large/corporate agency representatives.
Data Analysis:
Transcribed interviews and performed thematic analysis to identify key patterns and themes.
Organized findings using Google Sheets and thematic analysis tools, ensuring clarity and accessibility.
Collaboration and Communication:
Maintained regular updates with stakeholders to keep them informed of progress and preliminary insights.
Facilitated weekly meetings and daily check-ins with cross-functional teams (Mauritius, South Africa, and Kenya) to address any roadblocks.
Image: Screenshot of Condens analysis tool. Image (left below) Team locations and sample size with tools used for study.
Image: Screenshot of findings.
Results
The following results were recorded:
Persona development
Created three detailed B2B persona profiles:
Wide Persona: Included demographic, professional, and behavioral details such as age, marital status, location, occupation, experience, aspirations, education, and technology proficiency.
Narrow Persona: Focused on market segmentation, sales insights, and lead management processes.
Painpoint identification
Documented over 70 unique pain points, categorized into:
Platform functionality issues.
External challenges, including the impact of COVID-19.
Communication and marketing hurdles.
Communication and marketing hurdles.
Customer journey mapping
Recorded and analyzed B2B customer journeys and processes.
Highlighted opportunities for product development to address key challenges.
Impact
Provided actionable insights to guide the product team in improving BRK’s desktop experience.
Enabled data-driven decisions for market segmentation and sales strategies.
Strengthened collaboration between teams, resulting in a unified approach to user-centered design.