Increasing Seller Submissions 288% with Conversion-Focused Redesign
Hagerty Marketplace
Role & contributions
Lead Designer — layout design, content strategy
Impact
288% increase in auction submissions year over year, and 47% reduction in seller acquisition cost
Redesigning the “Sell a car” landing page
Business problem: Marketplace revenue relies on auction inventory. Classifieds are user-run and generate no revenue. Analytics show that 50-70% of users were opting into classifieds instead of auctions on the sell page. Additionally, users were submitting low-quality vehicles because the page gave no visual indication of what auction-worthy inventory looked like.
User problem: Users had difficulty understanding the full scope of auctions benefits and services, leaving them to make assumptions and primarily choosing the classifieds route.
What the previous design got wrong
The previous design gave equal weight to both auctions and classifieds, leaving users to assume classifieds was the simpler or cheaper route, and most chose it. With no visual examples of auction inventory, it also gave sellers no quality benchmark, resulting in a high volume of low-quality vehicle submissions.
The page asked users to make an informed decision without giving them the information to do so.
Making auctions the more obvious choice
To steer sellers toward auctions and support revenue growth, the redesigned page needed to:
Clearly communicate the benefits of selling via auction
Explain the selling process so users knew what to expect
Show proof of value through past sales highlights and testimonials
Set a visual quality bar by showcasing the types of vehicles that sell well on the platform
Leading with the auctions value proposition
Rather than asking sellers to choose between two options upfront, the redesigned page opens by making the case for auctions by surfacing the key benefits immediately.
Building trust by showcasing past sales
Sellers need to believe Hagerty can deliver results before they commit. Highlighting past auctions with strong sale prices and high engagement stats makes the value tangible, while also setting a visual quality bar for the types of vehicles that perform well on the platform.
Humanizing the page with seller testimonials
Data builds credibility, but real stories build trust. Adding testimonials from satisfied sellers humanizes the page and gives prospective sellers a point of reference from those who have firsthand experience selling with Hagerty.
Impact
By making auctions a clearer and more compelling choice, the redesign gave sellers the context and confidence to submit an application. Auction submissions grew 288% and seller acquisition costs dropped 47%, validating that clearer information and stronger social proof drove conversion.
288%
increase in submissions year over year
47%
reduction in seller acquisition cost year over year