PRE-UX RESEARCH / 21 SEPTEMBER 2026 / v0.01
Four providers, compared with our navigation, wording and eight customer journeys. The strongest direction for silent.link: explain the product before payment, make returning to the right eSIM obvious, and name actions by what they actually change.
Read alongside our current navigation, flow efficiency and recovery audit and agreed installation direction.
Research, not implementation. Competitor evidence comes from public English web pages and official help content. These are desk-audit findings, not completed purchases, signed-in account tests, mobile-menu tests or measured usability results. Recommendations below are proposals for review.
THE FINDINGS / IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Each card explains one finding and what it could mean for silent.link. Suggested changes are for the redesign; they are not changes to the live site.
TOPIC / MAIN MENU
Our menu puts buying, adding money, renewing a number and getting help side by side. Competitors give shoppers and existing customers clearer places to start.
For us: make those two starting points easier to recognise, while keeping top-up and renewal easy to reach.
See the comparison →TOPIC / PAGE NAMES
“Buy” does not name the product. “Pricing” does not explain that the page shows country rates. “Renew” does not say that it renews a phone number.
For us: try “Buy eSIM”, “Coverage & rates” and “Renew number”. Test whether people understand them before changing the menu.
See the wording proposals →TOPIC / CHOOSING WHAT TO BUY
The sampled providers help people choose using destinations, trip length or data allowance. Our customers need to understand starting credit and what using data will cost.
For us: make it easy to check a country’s rates and understand what the purchase includes, without making informed buyers take extra steps.
See the provider examples →TOPIC / RETURNING LATER
Customers use it to come back to their eSIM. Other providers offer account or order routes. Ours works quickly when the customer has saved the link, but losing it creates a problem.
For us: clearly explain how to save and reopen it. A new “Manage eSIM” menu item must not suggest that a lost link can always be recovered.
See the returning-customer flow →TOPIC / ADDING MONEY
Our top-up form asks for a technical identifier. Starting from the customer’s existing eSIM would make it easier to know which one will receive the money.
For us: explain the identifier, show the chosen eSIM and keep that choice throughout payment. Say “Top up balance” because this adds money, not a fixed bundle of data.
See the top-up labels →TOPIC / RENEWING A NUMBER
Our renewal keeps a phone number for another year. Elsewhere, renewal can mean renewing a data package. The same word can set the wrong expectation.
For us: say what is being renewed, show the price and make the new expiry date clear once it is confirmed.
See the renewal comparison →TOPIC / PAYMENT
On our default purchase path, choosing payment already opens the invoice automatically. The audit found more important problems around returning after payment and knowing what happened when payment is interrupted.
For us: keep buying quick. Make payment status, the next action and the route back to the same eSIM clear. We have not proved competitors handle failures better.
See the existing flow audit →TOPIC / INSTALLATION
Competitor guidance offers simpler installation routes alongside QR codes and manual setup. We have already agreed to explore direct installation in the redesign.
For us: offer “Add eSIM to this phone” where supported and keep alternatives visible. Tapping the button starts setup; it does not prove installation succeeded.
See the agreed installation direction →TOPIC / HELP
Our FAQ contains useful information, but the earlier audit found broken or empty payment-help links. Competitor pages put useful explanations near product choices and setup steps.
For us: put the right help beside the action and make contact options easy to find. Calling the page “Help” will only work if its contents support that promise.
See the help and recovery findings →TOPIC / BULK ORDERS
Buying for several travellers or giving an eSIM as a gift does not show that a competitor can handle our bulk delivery and CSV workflow.
For us: keep the dedicated bulk route and clearly show how many eSIMs are ready. Do not replace it with a cart based on this research.
See the bulk comparison →TOPIC / WHAT TO KEEP
Our short purchase path and private order link are useful strengths. Accounts, apps and subscriptions would change how the service works.
For us: borrow clearer wording and better guidance. Only add new requirements if they solve a real customer problem.
See the proposed direction →TOPIC / CONFIDENCE
We reviewed public pages and provider instructions. We did not complete purchases, enter private accounts or watch customers use the sites.
For us: test whether people can find the right action, understand what they are buying and get back to their eSIM. There is no measured speed or conversion ranking here.
See the validation plan →01 / COMPARISON FRAME
Airalo: catalogue discovery and account-based management. Holafly: trip-duration selection and installation guidance. Nomad: plan comparison and a visible route for existing customers. Bitrefill: crypto commerce and order-page continuity. This is a purposeful sample, not a market ranking.
Current header: Buy · Top up · Renew · Pricing · Bulk Order · FAQ. It mixes acquisition, maintenance, comparison and help at one level. The private order page is the management hub but has no equivalent entry in that header. Sources: views/partials/header.ejs, views/order.ejs and our navigation map.
Interpretation: destination-led shopping fits travel bundles. silent.link’s balance, rate and number-lease concepts need a different explanation. Borrow clearer task grouping and stronger continuity; do not assume we need an account, app, subscription or destination-specific catalogue.
02 / PROVIDER BREAKDOWN
Menu labels: “Home”, “eSIM Store”, “How Airalo Works”, “About Airalo”, “Magazine”, “Help”. Account access is separate. Discovery groups coverage geographically. Homepage ↗
Product labels: “Check compatibility”, “Data / Calls / Texts”, “Unlimited”, “Fixed data”. The US page puts network and package options together and offers wider-area alternatives. US product ↗
Public: location → package choice → checkout entry.
Documented return: account → “My eSIMs” → “Top up” → eligible package.
Rechargeability is conditional; its help article explains that an unavailable top-up may require another eSIM. Official top-up guide ↗
Our assessment: strong separation of shopping and existing ownership. Give our private order the same clarity of purpose without adding account friction. Keep recharge eligibility visible. Account/payment screens and exact checkout fields remain unverified.
Discovery labels: “Destinations”, “Where are you traveling?”, “For how many days?”, “Search plan”. Country/region browsing sits alongside ongoing plan offers. Homepage ↗
Product labels: “Trip duration”, “How many travelers?”, “Total”, “Get unlimited internet”. The US page explains one eSIM per device and includes a compatibility route. US product ↗
Public: destination → duration + travellers → purchase CTA.
Documented: purchase → email/app setup guide → installation → connection at destination.
The setup explanation offers direct installation, QR and manual alternatives. Official setup explanation ↗
Our assessment: asks questions a traveller can answer. For us, explain starting balance and usage rates just as plainly; do not imply unlimited service or automatic expiry rules. Good reference for distinguishing installation from use. Full header hierarchy, checkout transitions and extension/account screens were not established.
Navigation labels: “View eSIM Plans”, “My eSIM”, “Sign in”, “Cart”; education includes “About eSIM” and “Using an eSIM”. Existing customers have a recognisable destination. Homepage ↗
Product labels: “Plan Details”, “Add to Cart”, “Buy Now”. Package choices expose data and validity; supporting content explains add-ons and links to wider coverage. US product ↗
Public: destination → package details → cart or direct purchase entry.
Documented: install → connect → eligible add-on; return entry is visible, signed-in steps unverified.
Our assessment: separate browsing from managing, and keep a fast purchase action. Our single-eSIM path does not need a cart just because a competitor has one. A benefit-led credit label is clearer than importing “add-on”.
Navigation labels: “Gift Cards”, “eSIMs”, “Phone Refills”, “Help”, “Login”, “Cart”. eSIMs sit inside a wider store. Delivery is described as on-screen plus email; usage is available on the order page. eSIM landing ↗
Product labels: “Add to cart”, “Purchase as gift”, “Top-ups available”, “No calls/SMS”. The Europe page combines package allowance/validity, coverage and payment information. Europe product ↗
Public: destination → package → cart entry.
Documented: delivery → QR/manual setup → order-page usage.
Our assessment: closest sample for payment context and receipt continuity. Explicitly state what the user receives and where they return. “Phone Refills” is a separate store category, not evidence of its eSIM top-up path. We did not test lost receipts, expired invoices or top-up checkout. Gifting/quantity controls do not establish CSV bulk provisioning.
03 / WORDING AUDIT
Competitor vocabulary is cited in the provider cards above. The wording below is proposed for silent.link, not a record of approved product changes. Actual template wording takes precedence over simplified labels in our wireframes.
| Current silent.link label / location | Comparison and problem | Proposed wording | Meaning to preserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy · header | Competitors usually name the product/category. A bare verb requires context. | Buy eSIM | Keep the short route to plans; no extra catalogue page required. |
| Pricing · header | Here it leads to country/network rates, not just initial purchase prices. | Coverage & rates | Show destination availability and usage costs; retain clear purchase price on plan cards. |
| Top up · header/order | Airalo tops up packages; Nomad sells add-ons. Our operation adds monetary balance. | Top up balance | Do not use “Add data” when the user is buying credit rather than a fixed GB allowance. |
| Renew · header | Ambiguous object. Airalo describes renewal of a data package, unlike our annual number lease. Renewal explanation ↗ | Renew number | State the one-year extension and distinguish it from adding balance. Current order button already says “Renew number lease”. |
| Bulk Order · header | Specialist procurement shares the same level as basic customer tasks. | Bulk orders | Sentence case; retain direct access. Test whether it belongs in secondary navigation before moving it. |
| FAQ · header | Describes a document format; users may need setup or active support. | Help | A broadened help entry should include installation, payments, recovery and actual contact routes. Renaming alone is insufficient. |
| No public management entry | Nomad exposes a clear ownership destination. Ours relies on possession of the private order URL. | Manage eSIM | Proposed entry must explain opening a saved private link. It cannot promise account lookup or recover a lost credential. |
| IMSI · top-up field | Protocol terminology becomes a customer task. Our navigation wireframe abbreviates this as SIM ID; the live template still says IMSI. | eSIM ID (IMSI) | Add “Find this on your private order page”. Keep IMSI visible to avoid confusion with ICCID; prefill only from the correct eSIM. |
| Payment icons + “pay with” | Symbols identify methods but leave the next transition less explicit. | Pay with Bitcoin / Lightning / Monero | Use method-accurate visible text and accessible names; show amount/currency before opening an invoice. |
| Activation details / QR / copy controls | Provider setup guidance separates installation methods. Technical data is a fallback, not the task name. | Add eSIM to this phone · Show QR code · Enter details manually | Agreed install direction remains conditional on provider and device validation; native confirmation is still required. |
| Private order link | A receipt is also a long-lived access credential in our model. | Save your private eSIM link | Explain that it is needed to return and should not be shared. No promise of email/account recovery. |
| Check now · pending order | Current template is more specific than a generic Refresh, but does not name what is checked. | Check payment status | Use only in payment state; use fulfilment/status-specific copy after settlement. Checking is not paying again. |
04 / ALL EIGHT JOURNEYS
Our existing conditional action budgets remain the baseline. Competitor arrows above describe stages, not measured activations. Checkout gates, native setup and settlement times are not comparable from this evidence.
| Journey | Competitor reference | Our current position | Design implication / limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 · Buy | Airalo and Nomad foreground package details; Holafly foregrounds trip inputs; Bitrefill integrates payment context. | Known-plan purchase already starts payment with one activation; order creation and first invoice opening are automatic. | Preserve speed. Add a readable price/credit/rate summary and compatibility help beside the choice, not a compulsory extra screen. |
| 02 · Install | Airalo homepage and Holafly setup guidance describe direct, QR and manual methods; Nomad advertises direct/QR setup. | Current flow exposes QR/manual details; direct handoff is accepted for redesign. | Lead with device-appropriate installation, preserve other-device QR and manual alternatives. Separate paid, ready, installed and connected states. |
| 03 · Return/manage | Airalo documents an account route, Nomad surfaces an ownership entry, Bitrefill documents order-page usage. | Saved private URL is fast when available; absent link has no equivalent account route in our audited flow. | Make saving/reopening the link a first-class task. “Manage eSIM” requires an honest no-link state and a privacy review before any local-history feature. |
| 04 · Top up | Airalo selects an owned eSIM before choosing an eligible recharge; Nomad and Bitrefill disclose availability. | Generic form asks for IMSI and amount; stored context can refer to a different order. Return to balance is weak. | Show which eSIM receives credit; confirm amount, payment and updated balance. Preserve origin rather than guessing from the latest stored record. |
| 05 · Renew number | Airalo’s package renewal illustrates the terminology collision; sampled travel flows do not establish an equivalent number-lease task. | Number lookup and payment exist; explicit before/after expiry receipt is missing in the audit. | Explain exactly what is extended. Show old/new expiry when verified; do not copy a subscription or data-renewal model. |
| 06 · Bulk | Holafly asks for traveller count; Bitrefill offers quantity/gifting. Neither proves the same provisioning/export workflow. | Dedicated quantity purchase and CSV delivery; processing/polling recovery needs work. | Keep our specialist route, completion counts and deliberate partial-download choices. No claim that a consumer cart replaces bulk tooling. |
| 07 · Rates/help | Destination selection and nearby compatibility/details help reduce the distance between question and decision. | Rates are a separate page; comparing plan families can repeat a country choice. FAQ audit found broken/empty payment links. | Retain country/plan context when checking rates; link to specific answers. Validate help destinations before changing their labels. |
| 08 · Interrupted payment | Provider delivery/management routes show where success should lead. No competitor failure path was exercised. | Resume depends on a matching session record; expired/unknown invoice recovery is incomplete. | Persist an understandable next step and origin. Status checking, safe resume and confirmed-expiry replacement are separate actions; backend feasibility remains open. |
05 / PROPOSED DIRECTION
Buy eSIM · Coverage & rates · Manage eSIM · Help
Secondary: Bulk orders · How it works
This is a navigation hypothesis, not an approved replacement. Until management has a usable destination, keep direct Top up balance and Renew number links discoverable. Moving them behind an empty “Manage” screen would make the current experience worse.
Understand data / number options → check destination rates and device → choose plan + starting credit → pay → ready order → install → connection help.
Keep rate lookup optional for informed buyers. Present the total and what it includes near the existing payment action. Pair plain-language product benefits with precise limitations.
Open saved private link → identify eSIM → balance / number expiry → top up or renew → confirmed result → same eSIM.
Group maintenance around the owned eSIM. Show identifiers safely and carry context throughout. When someone has no saved link, describe the actual available support path without inventing recovery guarantees.
Keep our advantages: the existing short purchase path, private order access and dedicated bulk workflow. An account, app download, cart, email requirement or recurring plan would be a product decision; competitor prevalence alone does not justify one.
06 / WHAT REMAINS TO VERIFY
No conversion ranking, “fastest provider” claim, measured time saving or full accessibility assessment is supported by this desk audit. Competitor pages can change after the review date; revisit exact labels during design.
07 / EVIDENCE REGISTER
Reviewed 21 September 2026. Links beside claims identify the relevant page. Public product samples were US for Airalo, Holafly and Nomad, and Europe for Bitrefill; this is a UX comparison, not a price or coverage comparison. Web extraction returned different locales/currencies, so prices are deliberately excluded.
views/partials/header.ejs, views/topup.ejs, views/renew.ejs, views/order.ejs; behaviour: frontend/src/pages/order.js.Competitor observations are limited to retrieved public content; visual prominence, mobile interaction quality and real transaction outcomes were not tested. Our own source-based audit is likewise distinct from production testing.