Reason for Visit: unlocking growth through trial-to-activation.
Led a high-stakes product initiative that increased trial-to-activation by 19% while navigating clinician trust crisis and regulatory concerns.
The context
// ACTIVATION GAPTrial users at SimplePractice—especially new or solo clinicians—struggled to reach the “Aha! moment”: creating their first client appointment. Internal analytics revealed that fewer than 42% of trialers scheduled a session in their first 7 days, a major barrier to activation and conversion.
Our hypothesis: clinicians weren’t ready to create appointments because they were missing key intake context—specifically, understanding why a client was reaching out.
Research & insights
// N = 734We launched a user research initiative focused on early-stage private practice clinicians. Our research combined quantitative surveys (N = 734), qualitative interviews (12 in-depth sessions), and funnel analysis from sign-up to first appointment.
The solution
// REASON FOR VISITIntroduce “Reason for Visit” during client intake
We scoped and released a lightweight “Reason for Visit” field in the initial client intake form.
- Let clients share their therapy goals or concerns
- Gave clinicians immediate context before booking
- Was legally reviewed and included clear disclaimers
- Included toggles for clinician control
Rollout & instrumentation
- Canary release. Implemented across ~5% of new accounts.
- Monitoring. Watched for performance, abandonment, and CS tickets.
- Staged rollout. Rolled out in stages over 4 weeks.
User concerns
// IMPLEMENTATION FEEDBACKFollowing the release, we received increased feedback from users through social media, support tickets, and direct communication highlighting important concerns:
- Clinicians were uncomfortable with liability exposure (e.g. client mentions suicidal ideation pre-screening)
- Others were upset this was enabled by default
- Several called out lack of communication and settings control
Support tickets and community posts per day following feature release. Peak volume hit on day 7 before stabilizing.
Response & resolution
// HOW WE RESPONDED- Spoke to clinicians 1:1 and on public threads
- Partnered with legal to clarify disclaimers and update copy
- Released Vacation Mode so clinicians could pause intake
- Made “Reason for Visit” fully opt-in, with onboarding prompts
- Enabled the feature retroactively as a recommended setting for new signups
Outcomes
// MEASUREDImpact metrics
Measured outcomes after rollout and resolution.
Why it mattered
// LESSONSThis project required us to navigate complex tradeoffs while managing unexpected user concerns. After the initial rollout and feedback, we needed to evaluate what to modify, what to maintain, and how to respond thoughtfully. Our focus remained on improving the user experience, taking responsibility for the outcomes, and rebuilding trust through meaningful changes and clear communication.
Validated a real user need with data and empathy.
Handled backlash without blaming users.
Balanced legal, user trust, and product goals.
Shipped, learned, adapted fast.
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