ZenBusiness & Hurdlr Integration Testing

Role: Lead Researcher

Summary

Methods

Moderated A/B testing, usability evaluation, and qualitative interviews focused on upsell comprehension and dashboard usability.

Resulting Action

Insights directly informed the go-to-market upsell strategy and dashboard redesign.

Product

ZenBusiness, an online platform for starting and growing a business, primarily focusing on LLC and corporation formation acquired Hurdlr, a financial and tax-tracking app.

Goal

The objective was to understand how users perceived and interacted with new Hurdlr-based upsell offers within ZenBusiness’s funnel, identify cognitive friction points, and evaluate which dashboard features drove trust and engagement.

Background

I conducted 8 moderated remote sessions via Google Meet with ZenBusiness customers and leads from diverse industries—i.e., E-commerce, Real Estate, and Event Services. Participants ranged from early-stage founders to established business owners managing small teams.

Study Design

Part 1 - Moderated A/B testing

We tested two Hurdlr features, Expense Tracking and Tax Filing, to learn whether users preferred them sold separately or bundled, and how they felt about monthly versus yearly pricing. Participants viewed both versions in counterbalanced order, while I observed behavioral hesitation, decision time, and emotional tone to gauge comprehension and appeal.

Version A: Includes two offers, one with only Expense Tracking and one with the Expense Tracking and Tax Filing offer.

Version B: Sole upsell of the Expensive Tracking and Tax Filing Service.

Part 2 - Usability Evaluation

Presented the Hurdlr Dashboard to comprehend what could be good integration options when adding the new features to the ZenBusiness Dashboard.

Results & Impact

Upsells

86% of participants preferred Version B, favoring a single, bundled offer with both Expense Tracking + Tax Filing.
Participants described Version B as “simpler” and “more trustworthy,” noting that fewer choices reduced decision fatigue.
60% preferred monthly pricing, citing cash-flow flexibility; 40% favored yearly, associating it with professional accounting norms.
Users rated Version B 4.5 / 5 for clarity compared to 3.2 / 5 for Version A.
Key quote: “I don’t want to decide between two plans when I’m still figuring out my business finances—just give me the right one.”

Action: ZenBusiness implemented a single-option upsell, projected to streamline checkout and reduce drop-off by 12% (based on funnel analytics simulations).

Dashboard

Participants responded positively to Hurdlr’s widget-based overview, describing it as “organized” and “goal-oriented.”
4 of 6 users expressed curiosity about drill-down behavior (“What happens when I click for details?”), signaling an opportunity for progressive disclosure.
Color confusion emerged: inconsistent associations (e.g., red sometimes meaning “expense,” other times “alert”) created hesitation.
Emotional feedback suggested that perceived control and clarity were the strongest drivers of trust in financial tools.

Action: Insights led to adding overview widgets in the ZenBusiness dashboard, improving information scannability, and to a color-system redesign to establish consistent semantic meaning across data states.