Streamlining Corporate Membership Management for L&DI: a SpotDev Case Study

The Challenge

L&DI struggled with a time-consuming and error-prone membership management process that relied on spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls. They needed a more dynamic solution that allowed corporate administrators to manage memberships directly, reducing the need for constant staff intervention. Additionally, L&DI faced challenges with its outdated website, which was difficult to use and update. The fragmented tech stack, with multiple suppliers, and the overly complex nine-step membership sign-up process created further issues. Members had limited control over managing their profiles, and there was no option to purchase event tickets or courses. The website also lacked essential corporate membership functionality.

The Solution

The first step in addressing L&DI's challenges was to conduct thorough UX research, which included usability tests, interviews, and customer satisfaction surveys. Key findings from this research revealed several pain points: the homepage and navigation were cluttered and confusing, the membership sign-up process was frustrating and lengthy, course and event booking was difficult due to redirects to external websites and PDFs, and corporate membership management was highly manual and error-prone.

Enhancing User Experience: Streamlined Membership and Booking Processes

To improve the user experience, several key changes were made across different areas. For membership sign-up, the process was streamlined by reducing the steps from nine to five, grouping relevant information, and enabling users to skip adding qualifications, with an option to join as an affiliate member. The pay-by-invoice option for individual members was removed, simplifying the payment process. Tooltips and pop-ups were added to clarify membership levels and guide users.

For course and event booking, the confusing calendar view was replaced with tabs for "past" and "upcoming" events (see image above), and progressive disclosure was used to break booking forms into manageable chunks. Additionally, tooltips were added to explain specific questions, especially for Skillnet grant qualification. For corporate memberships, a dedicated admin section was designed with separate views for admins and corporate members, alongside a bespoke corporate sign-up flow and automated corporate code allocation.

Streamlining Membership Management and Event Booking with HubSpot CRM

Leveraging HubSpot's CRM, SpotDev helped L&DI create a seamless membership sign-up process (see image below). Automation was implemented to streamline processes, including automated membership tier allocation and welcome emails, as well as automated tier reviews and membership lapsed notifications to reduce churn. Additionally, HubDB was used to create dynamic event and course pages with customised pricing for both members and non-members.

The Results

After implementing our automated membership management system, L&DI experienced significant efficiency gains. Manual intervention was eliminated, saving substantial time for staff. Corporate members were empowered to manage their employee memberships independently, providing a self-service management experience. The system simplified membership adjustments, reducing delays and administrative bottlenecks. Upsell prompts generated new revenue growth opportunities by encouraging membership expansions. Furthermore, this scalable solution, acting as a bespoke app, ensured flexibility and long-term use for L&DI.

Key result highlights include:

• Reduced bounce rate from 60.75% to 51.41% in the first three months.
• Increased Individual Membership sign-ups by 33.33%.
• Streamlined tech stack with all purchases and bookings on a single platform.
• Automated booking process with discounted rates for qualifying members.