From Conversation to Conversion:
Turning Messaging into a Revenue Engine
Messaging Platform: Vagaro Connect
When messaging becomes the missing link between customer interest and business growth
The Project
ROLE
Design Lead
COLLABORATED WITH
Development lead, engineering lead, product marketer, and product researcher
TIMELINE
10 Months
Company Background
Vagaro is a comprehensive business management platform designed primarily for service-based industries like beauty, wellness, and fitness. The platform offers a suite of tools that help businesses of all sizes streamline their operations, manage bookings, handle payments, and market their services.
The Strategic Insight That Changed Everything
While competitors were building generic chat tools, I identified that Vagaro's service businesses didn't need another messaging app, they needed a conversion engine disguised as communication.
The moment of clarity: During user interviews, I noticed businesses were losing potential revenue not because they couldn't talk to customers, but because conversations never converted to bookings. The real problem wasn't fragmented communication, it was fragmented intent capture.
The Business Problem Others Missed
Vagaro businesses were leaking potential revenue because customer inquiries were getting lost across 4+ communication channels. I identified this wasn't a tools problem, it was a workflow design problem.
Surface-level thinking: "Businesses need better messaging tools"
My strategic reframe: "Service businesses are bleeding revenue because conversations die in communication limbo"
The Revenue Leak I Uncovered:
1. $47K average annual loss per business from inquiries that never converted
2. 67% of customer touchpoints ended without clear next steps
3. 4 apps average businesses were juggling to manage customer communication
3. Personal phone dependency creating legal liability and staff turnover issues
The Insight:
Every message should either move someone closer to booking or provide data to improve the next interaction.
My Strategic Design Approach
01
Conversation as Commerce Strategy
Instead of building another messaging interface, I designed a conversion-optimized communication system.
My bet: Messaging success isn't measured by messages sent—it's measured by revenue generated per conversation.
Design philosophy I championed: Every interaction should reduce friction between customer intent and business outcome.
Features Driving Business Impact
Quick Links for Booking Conversion
Turn every message thread into a potential sale
Customer Lifecycle Visibility
Staff could see appointment history, purchase patterns, and upsell opportunities instantly
02
The Adoption Psychology I Solved
The hidden barrier: Even perfect messaging tools fail if businesses don't adopt them consistently.
My solution: I embedded messaging triggers throughout the existing Vagaro workflow, making it impossible to ignore conversion opportunities.
Strategic decision: Created a separate app for messaging (against initial resistance) because I recognized this needed to scale beyond Vagaro's current vision. This positioned the company for future monetization strategies they hadn't considered yet.
Finding the Solution
PROBLEM
Multiple and Fragmented Communication Channels
SOLUTION
Created a 1-stop shop and consolidated business communication to one platform within the product. Especially for our enterprise businesses that need consistency with multiple locations.
Missed Revenue Opportunities
Reduced the time and effort required for businesses to manage customer interactions, leading to increased productivity and transformed conversations into actionable outcomes, such as booked appointments or completed purchases, directly through the messaging interface.
THE IMPACT
54%
of businesses had increased
appointment conversions
25%
month-over-month user
growth in company's revenue