It might feel like we didn’t do much in terms of product development in 2023 since there were no big product updates or announcements, but we’ve actually been cooking up a lot of exciting things. We ran over thirty tests for various features and improvements, big and small. We also did a lot of back-end work and began planning for some huge changes in 2024. Read on for all the details!
🧪 It’s a test! When you see a test tube (🧪) emoji with a product update below, that indicates the feature is only currently visible to half of our existing users. We are still testing to ensure it will not harm any important metrics.
Priority #1: Lead Quality
Almost every GigSalad update blog post will feature a section dedicated to our work improving lead quality for our members. It is always at the heart of any of our efforts. We have one particular new feature we’re excited about launching soon!
Set your travel preferences
In recent years, we’ve been slowly working toward improving travel details by collecting exact addresses and giving more accurate travel calculations for potential gigs. But one big thing has still been missing, and that’s more accurate travel preferences in general.
An exciting new feature we’re launching in early 2024 will allow members to set a preferred travel distance by “as the car drives” instead of “as the crow flies.” So, rather than a circle radius of miles from your location, you can choose to say how many miles or minutes you want to drive to your gigs. You can even customize for each of your categories and locations.
📢 Coming soon! You’ll see a feature announcement in your control panel and receive an email once the new travel preferences have launched.
Doing a little spam control
The unfortunate side of having a successful website is the inevitability of scammers and spam leads. In 2023, we added an additional check to our quote request process that prevents users from submitting a form with an undeliverable email address. This helps deter fake emails from being used for bogus leads and helps ensure planners will get notifications for your messages and quotes.
We know there’s more we can do, though. In 2024, we will explore new technologies for battling scammers to protect our members. We want you always to get great leads and legitimate bookings.
👉 Learn more about protecting yourself in our guide to spotting scammers on GigSalad.
🧪 Quote Request Tests
The quote request form is one of the most important ingredients in a successful GigSalad experience. It’s how event planners begin their journey and how our members collect leads that will hopefully turn into bookings. Therefore, improvements to the form are always at the forefront of our product updates.
In 2023, we began testing different variations to the order of questions to see how planners responded. The most notable test currently running puts category-specific questions earlier in the process rather than at the end. This will bring us a step closer to allowing you to finely tune your offerings to get leads that more accurately match your services.
🧪 Search Result Tests
Another way to improve lead quality is by improving the profiles potential customers browse when searching GigSalad. The theory is the better the profile appears, the more likely serious event planners will click to see more and request a quote.
Our 2023 updates included two tests that are still running on the profile cards in search results. One shows a Watch button when the profile has at least one video. The other test shows pricing details if that information has been provided in the profile.
✏️ Update your profile! Add your fee range and upload videos to make sure your profile is in tip-top shape in case these tests show positive results and get fully launched.
Bigger and Better Bookings
The ultimate goal with higher-quality leads is to see our members get more successful bookings. We continue to run tests and launch product updates to improve the user experience and your booking rate.
Pay with PayPal
In 2022, we launched a PayPal Credit option to give planners a more affordable way to pay for bigger bookings. Last year, we added a complete PayPal booking checkout option for planners to pay with their PayPal account without setting up credit or payment plans. We have seen an overall increase in bookings as a result!
🧪 VIP Leads Test
Another big initiative we tackled in 2023 was testing a concierge-type service for planners who want to use it. Essentially, when a planner indicates they have a higher budget, we offer them the opportunity to work with one of our agents to find and book talent for their event.
If they choose a VIP experience, we take a more hands-on approach by following up with them personally to see what they want and hand-picking possible members to send their requests to. We will also follow up with the talent to help push the booking along if needed. We’ve found this to be successful in getting members more high-dollar bookings, but we’re still testing it.
🥇 Make sure you have a VIP profile! High-end planners deserve high-quality talent. The only way for us to ensure that happens is if profiles have great media, reviews, and service details to rely on. Create a great profile to get great gigs!
🧪 Venue Address Test
There’s nothing worse than trying to chase down essential event details in the days leading up to a gig. The most important detail is, of course, the correct venue address. We don’t require this information to be exact with the initial request because planners often don’t have that info upfront. We have been testing a venue address confirmation step at booking checkout, and so far, so good.
No Test Too Small
Sometimes even the smallest changes can have a big impact, and the only way to know that is through testing. We’ve outlined some of the biggest tests above, but we have a plethora of smaller updates we started testing in 2023 that are still running as we continue to evaluate their potential success.
🧪 Reviews Tests
Reviews are a very important part of GigSalad profiles, so we try to find small ways to improve them so they serve as better tools for event planners. Here are a few of our current tests:
📆 Sort by event date – Rather than showing reviews based on when they were submitted, we’re testing showing them based on the recency of the reviewed event.
⭐ Hide rating when there are no reviews – It can be hard to get a profile off the ground if it doesn’t yet have any reviews. This often feels like a catch-22 for those just starting out. So, we’re testing not showing a rating at all in this case.
📝 Ask for private feedback – For both positive and negative reviews, it can be helpful for planners to be able to send a private message of thanks or criticism with their review that doesn’t get posted publicly.
🧪 Inbox Tests
The inbox is your main hub for reading and responding to leads, and we want to make that experience more efficient in every way possible. We’re currently testing a couple of alerts that might be useful:
⚠️ Warning for unsent messages – If you write a detailed message or build the perfect quote but try to leave the page before you’ve hit send, we are testing showing an alert so your work isn’t lost.
📩 Direct lead indicator – It can be helpful to know immediately if a lead comes directly from the client or if they sent a general request that GigSalad distributed for them. We want to see if a more obvious note at the top of the lead details improves booking percentages.
If you have more changes you’d like to see to the inbox or message threads, don’t hesitate to reach out. User feedback is super valuable and insightful—no one knows GigSalad like our members!
Fresh GigSalad—Coming Right Up!
Now, for the fun stuff! Although, if you ask our product manager, nothing is more fun than a bunch of A/B testing. The new contender for “most exciting upcoming changes” is related to the work we’ve been doing to give GigSalad a glow-up in 2024.
Did someone say rebrand?
The GigSalad brand and website you know and love was designed over seven years ago. We think it’s high time for a fresh coat of paint. Our team spent over five months in 2023 brainstorming, deliberating, and designing a new and improved GigSalad that we cannot wait to show everyone later this year. We think you’ll love it as much as we do!
Laying the groundwork
There are a lot of technical aspects to maintaining a successful gig marketplace. We won’t bore you with the details, but we did think it is worth mentioning that our engineers have been working hard to implement a vast new back-end framework alongside all of the ongoing tests and myriad improvements. This work will continue unseen but play a big role in successfully launching our new design later this year.
Building our team
While the new branding has been cooked up, and the designs are being molded as we speak, there is a lot of development work still to be done in actually applying the changes. Luckily, we’re gonna have some additional help. Two new and highly experienced front-end developers have joined the product team for the new year and will make all our design dreams a reality in the coming months.
👋 Say hello! Please join us in welcoming Tony and Jeramy to the GigSalad family.
There you have it. Last year was a busy one as we prepared for one of our biggest years yet. We will continue testing, improving, and building a better GigSalad for all our users. We appreciate your support and couldn’t do any of this without you. Here’s to an amazing 2024! 🥂
Not a member of GigSalad yet? Start the new year right with a free profile and start getting gigs!
Heather is the Content Manager and a GigSalad veteran of 15+ years. She loves helping event planners create unforgettable celebrations and talent make a living doing what they love. When not at work, she enjoys reading romance and fantasy books, bingeing TV shows, playing board games, and spending time with friends.