When working on an investment app, we encountered a problem: after opening a brokerage account, new users seldom added funds to their accounts and bought stocks.

This is what their portfolio screen looked like before adding funds (displaying a list of the most popular stocks) and after (showing the amount of cash and an empty state encouraging users to explore available stocks).

Here's how the "Portfolio" screen looked before (left image) and after (right image) adding funds:

Our hypothesis was that the UI made it unclear about the next steps users should take after they opened an account.

After research, I suggested rethinking the portfolio screen. The list of stocks seemed overwhelming and not eye-catching, while the empty state was not motivating enough. I assumed users faced other barriers:

• not knowing which payment option (card or bank transfer) is preferable in their case;
• not knowing the amount needed to buy stocks;
• being afraid to add funds to an account in an unfamiliar app;
• not knowing what stock to buy.

So, I proposed the idea of a widget:

• highlighting the preferable payment method and its benefits;
• containing bite-sized yet comprehensive step-by-step guidelines on adding funds;
• suggesting a comfortable amount that still allowed users to buy some prominent stocks;
• including a list of affordable stocks to alleviate the burden of choice for the user;
• incorporating a powerful CTA.

After consulting with a product manager, we agreed on the suggested amount of $20 and created a list of stocks under $20. I presented a draft to the UX/UI designer, and here's what we got:

Conversion into the first purchase rose by 4%.

We believe it could have been even higher if not for the acquiring provider's screens that did not look native in our app. Another issue was that one of the most frequently bought stocks didn't perform well, which could deter new users and make them abandon the idea of investing. These were our key considerations for further improvements to this widget.