Sniffspot: Enhancing User Experience & Growth
PRODUCT ITERATION & OPTIMIZATION CASE STUDY
🔹 What it is: A peer-to-peer marketplace for renting private land for off-leash dog parks.
🔹 What I did: Identified pain points as both a guest and host, proposed feature enhancements, and prioritized solutions based on impact and feasibility.
🔹 Outcome: Developed a data-driven optimization strategy to improve usability, engagement, and revenue for both guests and hosts.
1. Identifying Key Pain Points: Gaps in the User Experience
Through firsthand experience as both a guest and a host, I identified usability issues, operational inefficiencies, and feature gaps impacting booking experience, communication, and platform management.
Guest Pain Points
Limited Visual Appeal: Listings feel bland unless hosts upload high-quality images.
Confusing Subscription Model: Guests pay per spot, making it difficult to justify subscribing.
Difficult Navigation: Listing details are hidden behind category filters and expanders.
No Recurring Visit Option: Guests must manually rebook instead of setting auto-renewing visits.
Lack of Calendar View: No way to track past or upcoming bookings visually.
Host Challenges
Platform-Wide Usability Issues
2. Feature Ideation - Pain Point Mapping
Guest Experience Enhancements
User Story | Features |
As a guest, I want listings to be more visually appealing so I can easily compare spots. | Revamped listing UI: Larger hero images, improved contrast, and AI-driven "Best Photos" selection. |
As a guest, I want a more intuitive subscription model so I can justify a recurring payment. | Revised subscription tiers: Pricing based on spot categories (low, mid, high-tier access). |
As a guest, I want booking details to be easy to find so I don’t miss important info. | Redesigned listing layout: Prioritized details (amenities, location) surfaced first. |
As a guest, I want to book recurring visits so I don’t have to rebook manually. | Recurring booking feature: Option to schedule automated weekly/monthly visits. |
As a guest, I want a calendar view of my past and upcoming visits for better planning. | New "My Visits" calendar dashboard: visualize bookings over time. |
Proposed Solutions for Hosts
User Story | Feature |
As a host, I want better guest messaging tools so I can manage multiple conversations efficiently. | Inbox filters & message categories: (New, Active, Resolved) for easier organization. |
As a host, I want more insights into my listing performance so I can optimize pricing and availability. | Host analytics dashboard: Tracks earnings, top-performing dates, and demand trends. |
As a host, I want to automate more guest messaging to save time. | Expanded automated messaging: Custom sequences (reminders, follow-ups, promotions). |
As a host, I want to reward repeat guests to encourage loyalty. | Promo & discount system: Hosts can send exclusive offers to past visitors. |
As a host, I want check-in verification so I know when guests arrive or leave. | Check-in confirmation tool: Guests confirm arrival/departure via the app. |
As a host, I want dynamic pricing so I can adjust rates based on demand. | Dynamic pricing engine: Automates price adjustments based on booking patterns. |
As a host, I want a better payout setup so I can easily access my earnings. | Simplified payout onboarding: More intuitive process for linking payment methods. |
As a host, I want a community for guidance and updates so I stay informed. | Host community hub: Provides mentorship, success tips, and platform news. |
3. Prioritization & Implementation Strategy
To prioritize feature enhancements, I applied:
Value vs. Effort Prioritization for host features.
Kano Model for guest-facing enhancements (must-haves vs. delighters).
Data-Driven Validation using completed bookings, subscription counts, host response rate, and retention metrics.
Value vs. Effort for Host Features
Feature | Impact (1-5) | Effort (1-5) | Priority |
Inbox Filters & Message Categorization | 5 | 2 | High |
Host Analytics Dashboard | 5 | 3 | High |
Automated Guest Messaging Sequences | 4 | 3 | High |
Promo & Discount Tools for Hosts | 4 | 3 | Medium |
Check-in Verification System | 3 | 2 | Medium |
Dynamic Pricing Engine | 5 | 5 | Low |
Insights from Value vs. Effort Analysis:
Inbox filters & analytics dashboard are immediate priorities due to high host demand and relatively low dev effort.
Dynamic pricing is a valuable long-term feature but requires more foundational work before implementation.
Kano Model for Guest Features
Feature | Category | Rationale |
Recurring Booking for Guests | Must-Have | Guests want seamless rebooking without manual effort. |
Revamped Listing UI & Navigation | Performance | Improving visuals and discoverability directly affects conversions. |
Subscription Model Overhaul | Excitement | Could drive more paid subscriptions but needs careful pricing. |
Calendar View of Past & Upcoming Visits | Must-Have | Essential for trip planning and reducing confusion. |
Check-in Verification | Performance | Increases platform trust but adds an extra guest action step. |
Insights from Kano Model Analysis:
Recurring booking & calendar view are immediate priorities since they are core usability improvements.
Subscription model revision has the potential to be a revenue driver but needs extensive testing.
Final Prioritization Output
Using the combined insights from both models, I mapped features into an implementation roadmap:
Priority | Feature | Why? |
P1 (Immediate - Low Effort, High Impact) | Inbox filters & messaging improvements | High pain point for hosts, quick dev effort. |
P1 (Immediate - Low Effort, High Impact) | Recurring guest booking | Drives retention & revenue. |
P2 (Near-Term - Medium Effort, Medium Impact) | Host analytics dashboard | Helps hosts optimize listings, increasing supply-side retention. |
P2 (Near-Term - Medium Effort, Medium Impact) | Calendar view for visits | Enhances guest planning & user experience. |
P3 (Long-Term - High Effort, High Impact) | Subscription model revamp | Requires pricing adjustments and testing. |
P3 (Long-Term - High Effort, High Impact) | Dynamic pricing engine | Unlocks revenue but requires deeper backend work. |
Key Takeaways
Short-Term Focus: Fix guest and host frustrations with messaging, recurring bookings, and dashboards.
Mid-Term Goals: Enhance visibility and planning via calendars and insights.
Long-Term Investments: Introduce subscription models & pricing automation to drive revenue growth.
4. Roadmapping & Preparing for Development
With a prioritized feature list, the next step is to outline a structured roadmap for execution, balancing user impact, development effort, and business goals. This phase involves creating Product Requirement Documents (PRDs), securing stakeholder buy-in, and planning feature rollouts.
Phase 1: PRD Development & Stakeholder Alignment
For each high-priority feature, a Product Requirement Document (PRD) would be created to ensure clarity on scope, user needs, and success metrics.
Example PRD for Recurring Booking Feature
Category | Details |
User Story | "As a frequent Sniffspot guest, I want to set up auto-renewing bookings so I don’t have to manually rebook each time." |
Scope | Add a “Recurring Booking” toggle during checkout with flexible renewal options (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). |
KPIs | Increase repeat bookings by 20%, improve guest retention by 15%. |
Tech Considerations | Requires backend updates for auto-payments & scheduling logic. |
Action Items
Draft PRDs for Inbox Filters, Recurring Bookings, Host Dashboard, and Calendar View (P1 features).
Align with engineering, design, and business teams to refine feasibility & scope.
Secure stakeholder buy-in by demonstrating expected impact vs. development cost.
Phase 2: Securing Funding & Engineering Resources
Phase 3: Roadmap & Development Timeline
Final Takeaways: Product Execution Strategy
User-Centered Discovery | Addressing core guest & host frustrations through structured enhancements. |
Scalable Execution | Prioritizing quick wins while laying the groundwork for high-value innovations. |
Data-Driven Roadmap | Aligning feature rollouts with business impact, feasibility, and growth potential. |