How right app on-boarding can help in its retention
An impressive on-boarding contributes to the longer retention. The more an app is prefer at its on-boarding, the better it is at keeping users. This article discusses the same.
The on-boarding of an app is the critical point for users to go with or return from. It decides whether users will use an app or will discard and forget about it. Even a single-time experience of better on-boarding can uplift user retention.
But it’s not easy to boost the retention of app, particularly if it’s for business operations.
The app should be able to deliver consistent user-experience, build-up user appeal and of course, add a lot of significant value to itself.
In this post we will try to explain the best of the practices for making practically useful on-boarding that will transform an apathetic app downloader into an extremely connected user.
Build the app with utter simplicity
When users on-board an app, what they immediately expect is the utter simplicity. Easiest way to sign-in if it’s required, well-defined user-manual if adding it is compulsory and quick access to key functions are what every user expects when on boarding an app. No one likes to go through a mind-boggling process to reach the key features of an app for the first time. This increases the rate of deserting.
There are different techniques which can be applied for a successful and long-standing user on-boarding. These techniques depend on both app-utility and which one of following four is the on-boarding based on:
Lessening Signup/Login Fields
If there is sign up / log-in even for the first run, make it as simpler as possible. Smartphones have limited screen-space and with longer signup or login process, consider you are deliberately discouraging users to return. You can try social signup / login process, instead. And if you still need offering your own method, do not add more than 3 fields. With easy signup or login process, the app on-boarding for users will also turn easier too.
Following the rule - “One Screen, One Concept”
Users absorb only precise and focused information and leave the rest. Try to format on-boarding information in way which is complete yet compact and can be displayed on single screen. Describe the concept perfectly and precisely to provide information to users. This makes on-boarding simpler.
Following this practice is important when the on-boarding is benefits-oriented and function oriented. The purpose of this is to show key app functionalities or communicate value.
Giving Feedback rapidly
The successful on-boarding depends on feedback too. In fact feedback, apart from adding to successful on-boarding, serves a lot of other purposes such as indicating errors or succeeding in the validation process. App developer can also use animation acting as a positive reinforcement for filling the gap in interactions.
Let’s take an instance to make it clearer. Users often fail to meet password-criteria to be accepted while signing-up or logging-in. When it happens, what app can do is intently popping up information that first informs them about what they have done wrong and then suggest ways to create better password.
Use guided interaction to drive app progress
Complex app uses progressive on-boarding approach such as providing tutorials / manual on how to use the app. But this tutorial / user manual can still provide the fun of discovering. Make sure creative approach does not lessen the worth of app itself or impede its user experience.
When guiding users about using the app, make sure you choose the way of creating an engagement, rather than telling what to do. Take inspiration from popular games. They apply quite engaging and interactive way to help users understand everything about the game and its motive.
Use animation with purpose
Using animation in an app makes it more interactive but while using it for on-boarding, it must serve following purposes:
Test, test, test…
On-boarding is like “first impression is the last impression”, and testing is what can make this impression more impressive. The on-boarding-experience decides whether user will keep or discard an app. The success of a mobile application development fully depends on on-boarding-experience and, it can be bettered only with testing – finding errors, making corrections to them and then finding errors again and making correction to them again and so on…
Source: Whatech.com
The on-boarding of an app is the critical point for users to go with or return from. It decides whether users will use an app or will discard and forget about it. Even a single-time experience of better on-boarding can uplift user retention.
But it’s not easy to boost the retention of app, particularly if it’s for business operations.
The app should be able to deliver consistent user-experience, build-up user appeal and of course, add a lot of significant value to itself.
In this post we will try to explain the best of the practices for making practically useful on-boarding that will transform an apathetic app downloader into an extremely connected user.
Build the app with utter simplicity
When users on-board an app, what they immediately expect is the utter simplicity. Easiest way to sign-in if it’s required, well-defined user-manual if adding it is compulsory and quick access to key functions are what every user expects when on boarding an app. No one likes to go through a mind-boggling process to reach the key features of an app for the first time. This increases the rate of deserting.
There are different techniques which can be applied for a successful and long-standing user on-boarding. These techniques depend on both app-utility and which one of following four is the on-boarding based on:
- Benefits-Oriented: communicate value of the app
- Function-Oriented: demonstrate key functionalities
- Progressive: educating through guided interactions
- Hybrid: a combination of two or all of the above
Lessening Signup/Login Fields
If there is sign up / log-in even for the first run, make it as simpler as possible. Smartphones have limited screen-space and with longer signup or login process, consider you are deliberately discouraging users to return. You can try social signup / login process, instead. And if you still need offering your own method, do not add more than 3 fields. With easy signup or login process, the app on-boarding for users will also turn easier too.
Following the rule - “One Screen, One Concept”
Users absorb only precise and focused information and leave the rest. Try to format on-boarding information in way which is complete yet compact and can be displayed on single screen. Describe the concept perfectly and precisely to provide information to users. This makes on-boarding simpler.
Following this practice is important when the on-boarding is benefits-oriented and function oriented. The purpose of this is to show key app functionalities or communicate value.
Giving Feedback rapidly
The successful on-boarding depends on feedback too. In fact feedback, apart from adding to successful on-boarding, serves a lot of other purposes such as indicating errors or succeeding in the validation process. App developer can also use animation acting as a positive reinforcement for filling the gap in interactions.
Let’s take an instance to make it clearer. Users often fail to meet password-criteria to be accepted while signing-up or logging-in. When it happens, what app can do is intently popping up information that first informs them about what they have done wrong and then suggest ways to create better password.
Use guided interaction to drive app progress
Complex app uses progressive on-boarding approach such as providing tutorials / manual on how to use the app. But this tutorial / user manual can still provide the fun of discovering. Make sure creative approach does not lessen the worth of app itself or impede its user experience.
When guiding users about using the app, make sure you choose the way of creating an engagement, rather than telling what to do. Take inspiration from popular games. They apply quite engaging and interactive way to help users understand everything about the game and its motive.
Use animation with purpose
Using animation in an app makes it more interactive but while using it for on-boarding, it must serve following purposes:
- Drawing user’s attention to elements aimed at user-progress
- Providing feedback such as positive reinforcing of action taken
- Concept of space (providing new content without user to let feel they are leaving the screen)
- Note: Don’t use animation during on-boarding if it does not serve the above mentioned purpose.
Test, test, test…
On-boarding is like “first impression is the last impression”, and testing is what can make this impression more impressive. The on-boarding-experience decides whether user will keep or discard an app. The success of a mobile application development fully depends on on-boarding-experience and, it can be bettered only with testing – finding errors, making corrections to them and then finding errors again and making correction to them again and so on…
Source: Whatech.com
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