Brief
Non-Language Subjects on the Homepage
Description
Project name: Expansion — Non-Language Subjects on the Homepage Squad: Expansion Quarter: Q2 2026 Problem statement: Preply has a growing catalogue of non-language subjects but the homepage experience is built entirely around language learning. Learners with interest in maths, music, coding, or other subjects have no clear entry point from the homepage, making NLS effectively invisible to a large portion of potential learners. This suppresses NLS discoverability and limits NTGMV share. Objectives: Introduce NLS as a credible, discoverable category on the homepage without undermining the core language value proposition Understand how learners currently discover NLS tutors and where the journey breaks down Identify the lightest intervention that drives meaningful NLS entry and conversion Primary metric: NLS NTGMV share / NLS session starts from homepage entry Related squads: Matching (tutor card and search), AI Marketplace (personalised subject ranking), Tutor Content (NLS profile data quality) In scope: Homepage subject entry points, NLS category landing experience, subject browsing and filtering Out of scope: Tutor onboarding for NLS subjects, B2B NLS, young learners (separate brief) Current state: NLS is accessible via search and direct URL but is not surfaced in the homepage information architecture. No current experiment running on homepage NLS exposure.
Synthesised 1 May 2026
Preply's homepage is a language-first surface: the subject grid shows only language subjects (English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and a "show more" link), and the hero search bar defaults to language discovery. Meanwhile, Preply has expanded its catalogue to include non-language subjects (NLS) across categories including Math/Science, Technology, Business, Arts/Music, and others. These subjects are reachable via direct URL and search, but receive no dedicated homepage real-estate. The consequence is that NLS is structurally invisible to the large share of homepage visitors who do not know to search for it. This suppresses NLS NTGMV share and limits total addressable session volume. The project is live in Q2 2026 under the Expansion squad, with the primary goal of introducing NLS as a credible, discoverable category on the homepage without cannibalising the language-learning core proposition. Scale context: the homepage receives ~4.5M+ page_viewed events per month (April 2026 data). The existing subject grid clicks ~524,681 unique users over 60 days with an overall CTR from homepage view to subject grid click of ~5.6% on desktop and ~19–24% on mobile. A parallel active experiment (exp_expansion_taxonomy_search_subject_picker-v2, launched 23 April 2026, still RUNNING) is testing a new subject picker widget in the search/matcher entry point — it directly tests NLS discoverability in the same funnel, making coordination with homepage design work critical. A scaled experiment (exp_expansion_learning_needs_for_nls, SCALED March 2026) confirmed NLS learner trial experience parity is achievable without GMV harm, providing a foundation for confidence in expanding NLS supply-demand interaction.