WP Engine Hosting Plans
Six years of iterating on WP Engine's core purchase funnel, from an agency-built static page to a React-powered, geolocated, A/B-tested swimlane experience that drove the company's most significant conversion lift.
2021 Q4 A/B Test Results
The Problem
The plans page offered solution-based packages with 5 unique plan sizes across 4 different tabs. Most plans were hidden behind tab interactions, making it unclear what options existed. WP Engine wasn't effectively showcasing the value of each solution, causing confusion and decision paralysis, particularly for the new eCommerce tier.
The Goal
Reduce the number of visible plan options. Surface all solution types simultaneously so users could self-identify their swimlane before selecting a size. Increase overall signups, grow eCommerce plan adoption, and route dedicated and enterprise prospects into sales-assisted channels.
Evolution
Inherited from Agency
The original plan tiles when I joined as an intern. Inherited from an agency using the Genesis theme: static, no multicurrency, no localization.
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4-Column Layout
A 4-column layout showing per-plan feature lists inline. Better than the original but created friction when users tried to compare add-on pricing across plans.
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Tabbed Plan Slider
A tabbed slider letting users navigate across product types and plan sizes. Added multicurrency and geolocated pricing via the in-house billing API. The tabs solved product navigation but hid plans behind clicks; most users never saw what was behind each tab.
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Swimlane Redesign
The swimlane redesign surfaced all plan types simultaneously, leading users to self-identify their solution before selecting a size. Dramatically reduced decision paralysis and increased eCommerce plan purchases by 185%. Dedicated and enterprise tiers routed directly into sales-assisted flows.
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Chat Trigger State
Dedicated and enterprise plan selections triggered a proactive chat prompt, routing high-value prospects directly to a sales rep rather than a self-serve checkout. Contributed to +25% SDR chats and +38% opportunities created.
Localized Pricing (GBP)
Geolocated pricing rendered in the visitor's local currency (GBP, EUR, AUD, CAD), powered by the billing API. Prices updated without a page reload based on detected region.
Current: React + Redux
The final form of the plans page, built in React with Redux for global state management. The eCommerce swimlane became its own full-page experience, purpose-built for high-traffic storefronts with distinct plan sizes, messaging, and a sales-assisted path for enterprise tiers. That separation is what drove +185% eCommerce plan purchases and +289% sales-assisted bookings. Much of the reactive state has since been simplified as the page stabilized, but the swimlane structure and UX patterns established here remain in place today.
