Convoi by Citrix Dials Up Company Innovation with the Help of UserTesting

Carey Caulfield and her tiny but mighty team (a four-person lean startup team inside Citrix) had a big problem to solve, and they were up for the task! With a little help from UserTesting, they were able to get the feedback they needed to build an easy-to-use app that makes a big difference for entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, and consultants.

Carey and the team experimenting with an early build of Convoi

The problem

No one likes using their personal cell phone number for work, but for small business owners, independent contractors, and other everyday people, giving out a personal phone number is often easier and more economical than getting a business phone line.

Citrix knew there had to be a way to help people keep their business and personal phone communications separate and avoid giving their personal phone numbers out.

The solution

Citrix’s new iPhone app, Convoi, aims to solve this problem. (Don’t worry, Android users---the Android version is coming soon!)

With Convoi, users can get a virtual business line for their cell phone that keeps business phone calls, texts, and voicemails separate from personal communications. It lets users receive business calls and messages on the go without needing a separate phone, and it allows users to avoid putting their personal phone number on websites and business cards. It also includes a conference calling feature that can be saved for future conference calls with the same group of people.

The method

When Carey’s team set out to build Convoi, they knew they were going to need to get frequent user feedback from their target market. The team operates on a rapid development cycle, and they don’t have the time to wait for days or weeks to start on the next iteration. The key to success was going to be fast, reliable user feedback throughout each stage of development.

That’s where UserTesting came in.

The team started ordering tests on their current build in the afternoon and getting user videos and verbal feedback the same day. Before they left work for the evening, they already had ideas about what changes they could make the next day. The next morning, they came in to work ready to iterate. They didn’t have to wait for weeks of research and reporting, like they would with traditional lab testing.

The team reviewing their UserTesting videos together

Carey said, “It’s like having your very own dedicated User Research department, but without the overhead and long lead time.”

As Product Manager, she loved being able to share UserTesting videos with the team, which eliminated time-consuming debates over whether a feature made sense to users. As soon as the team saw the videos, they knew what issues they needed to fix right away.

The user feedback also helped Citrix validate the market’s need for the product. They don’t have to worry about whether anyone will actually use their app—they can be certain that they’re creating something of value. (So far, 100% of the test participants continued to use Convoi after the test was over!)

Carey’s favorite part about working with UserTesting was the fast turn-around time. “You can get as many tests as you need and you’re not dependent on anyone else for recruiting or conducting the tests. They just happen.” She also worked closely with her Client Success Manager to set up the test plans that would get her the feedback she needed. “It feels like they care about your product and your success, your customer happiness, which means a lot.”

We’re really thrilled to be able to help teams like Citrix build awesome products! To learn more about Convoi, you can sign up for free or follow @convoiapp on Twitter. And if you want to learn how your team can get started with UserTesting, you can sign up for a free Pro trial.