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Member privacy settings

Giving more control to Wix users on their members' privacy

Product context

Wix Members Area serves as a platform and is integrated with 13 other products. It can be adapted to fit e-comm and community site needs, or a mix of both.

Platforms

User Dashboard

Wix Spaces, Fit, Branded apps

Contributions

User research

Wireframing

Prototyping

Usability testing

User interface

Noticing user needs

"As a Wix Store.. I find the app very intrusive. I would not want, nor do I want anyone who signs up for an account to have their personal info made public or available for other members to see."

 - Wix user review

What do users worry about?

  • Users run privacy-sensitive businesses and also have community apps like Blog installed on their sites;

  • The community apps enable Members Area social features, like profile privacy, blocked members, etc. Members can be visible to one another and site visitors in some parts of the site;

  • Users are worried the community-oriented features make their site feel unreliable;

  • Users try deleting public member pages like Profile, which is not enough to solve the problem.

Community apps enable privacy settings that let members become public to others.

Product team concerns

  • User concerns in the App Market negatively affect the product's rating;

  • Users try deleting public member pages like Profile, which isn't enough to solve the problem.

In search of a solution

Mapping the privacy gaps

As a site visitor is signing up to the site, there are already indications about public profiles.

Members' identities can be revealed in places like comments.

Mapping the Members Area app with all its integrations, I saw that privacy trust issues can come at various stages of a member's funnel.

Iteration 1

Enabling or disabling community

Pros:

  • Simple one-button solution;

Cons:

  • Risk of easily ruining social sites;

  • Lack of flexibility;

Limitations:

  • Unable to use the term "community", since it's being used in other contexts. Also, Members Area doesn't equal community;

  • Can't delete live site content from Dashboard - must be done in site Editor.

Iteration 2

Trying to move the experience to the Editor

Pros:

  • Unnecessary member privacy features can be removed here;

  • More flexibility and controls for the user;

Cons:

  • Poor discoverability;

Limitations:

  • Can't set the member privacy from the site Editor, it must be done in Dashboard.

Iteration 3

Addressing all limitations: splitting the experience

  • Member privacy settings in Dashboard, which controls the social aspects of the app and member visibility, provided in a place with other security settings;

  • Member page settings in site Editor for members to easily remove all remains of the social aspects of Members Area, like a Profile;

  • Providing entry points to reach the other part of the settings.

Testing and improving

Linking the two privacy settings parts

First step for Member privacy settings in Dashboard.

Member profile privacy settings.

Following the usability tests, I introduced additional steps to the privacy settings on both platforms, that provide an overview on members' profile privacy status and which public Members Area pages are on the site.

First step in site Editor.

Managing public member pages all in one place.

During usability tests, the majority of users set up one part of the settings and said their users should now be private. But that wasn't always the case.

Limitations and considerations:

  • Wix's Spaces and Fit apps, unlike the desktop site version, do not have visitor mode;

  • Branded app does have a visitor mode;

  • Web and app versions of the site are connected, so must be the privacy settings.

  • Wix apps don't have pages and are built of widgets, so only the member profile privacy was implemented in the apps;

Solution for Wix Spaces and Fit apps

Solution for Branded app

Extending privacy settings to Wix apps

Measuring the impact

Stabilized app market rating

The new settings provided the extra security the users needed, which resulted in:

  • Reduced customer care support time for this issue.

  • No more complaints about members' privacy in the App Market reviews, which helps keeping the app rate higher;

View next

Member's space changes according to the privacy settings selected.

  • If anyone can be public on the site, the members have Profiles, where anyone can come over and see a member's information.

  • When no one can be public, the member's space changes to a private account, without any social cues.

Public member profile

Private member account

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