What caused the sudden 30% decrease in affiliate link clicks for Finder's home loan comparison service last week?

Introduction

The sudden 30% decrease in affiliate link clicks for Finder's home loan comparison service last week is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This significant drop in a key performance metric could have far-reaching implications for our business model and user engagement. I'll approach this problem systematically, focusing on identifying the root cause, validating hypotheses, and developing both short-term fixes and long-term strategies to address the issue.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking there might have been a recent change to the affiliate link placement. Has there been any UI/UX update to the home loan comparison page in the last two weeks?

Why it matters: Recent changes could directly impact user behavior. Expected answer: Yes, there was a minor update to the page layout. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on A/B testing the new layout against the previous version.

• Considering the magnitude of the decrease, I'm wondering about potential technical issues. Have we noticed any errors or increased load times specifically for the affiliate links?

Why it matters: Technical problems could explain such a sudden drop. Expected answer: No major errors reported, but there's been a slight increase in page load time. Impact on approach: If true, we'd prioritize performance optimization in our solution.

• Given the specificity to home loans, I'm curious about market conditions. Has there been any significant change in interest rates or lending policies in the past week?

Why it matters: External factors could be influencing user behavior. Expected answer: Interest rates have remained stable, but there's been media coverage about potential policy changes. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd need to consider how to adapt our service to changing market conditions.

• Thinking about user segments, I'm wondering if this decrease is uniform across all user types. Do we see any difference in the click reduction between new and returning users?

Why it matters: Different user segments may be affected differently, pointing to specific issues. Expected answer: The decrease is more pronounced among new users. Impact on approach: If true, we'd focus on improving the onboarding experience and first-time user journey.