This article was originally written by Holly Norman in 2016, and since then, the Mobiquity team has updated this article to reflect new discoveries and trends in the industry.
When someone downloads your mobile app, it’s a good sign: they likely intend to use it and are excited and motivated by what they know about your app so far. But at this stage, your work is far from over.
For someone to progress from simply a “downloader” to a power user, they need to complete the mobile app onboarding process. And in many cases, this is easier said than done—it’s common for people to abandon apps after downloading them or open them only a handful of times.
In fact, worldwide, people downloaded 257 billion mobile apps. However, about 25% of the time, downloaded apps are only used once.
This is where the power of onboarding comes into play. Mobile app onboarding can be the difference between successful adoption and abandonment of your app.
With that in mind, we’re exploring how you can deploy the latest mobile app onboarding strategies and detailing user onboarding best practices to enhance your user engagement and drive successful app adoption.
As mentioned, about a quarter of downloaded mobile apps are only ever used once. Not only that, but further data shows that apps with a good onboarding experience see a 50% higher retention rate.
So, what distinguishes the “good” onboarding from the ineffective?
One major factor is personalization. Here at Mobiquity, we believe that personalization is all about creating a unique digital customer experience that targets specific personas to improve engagement and unlock new opportunities.
Some of the benefits of personalization in onboarding can include:
Ultimately, you can think of personalization as a secret weapon that helps facilitate effective onboarding and drive successful and prolonged app adoption.
The benefits are clear, but how can you know if your app onboarding is really working? Put simply, you need to monitor, measure, and track how successful your mobile app onboarding is in the most important areas.
To do this, you must identify key metrics that determine user onboarding behavior. These might include:
When determining the effectiveness of your onboarding, remember data is your friend.
The mobile app onboarding space is fast-changing, and there are many new tech trends and innovations to watch for in 2024 and beyond.
These include the following.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming nearly all digital spaces, and mobile app onboarding is no different. In particular, AI can be used to improve the mobile app user experience and drive personalization. For example, AI-powered chatbots can provide users with personalized guidance and answer real-time questions.
Additionally, machine learning algorithms can analyze user behavior during onboarding and recommend relevant follow-up actions.
As mobile technology changes, so do the processes around app onboarding. For apps that deal with physical products, for example, developers can use augmented reality (AR) to create interactive tutorials that overlay virtual objects into the real world.
Additionally, onboarding experiences can be tailored to suit smart wearable devices. For instance, bite-sized information and quick tutorials can be seamlessly delivered to wearable devices to enhance the user experience.
The rollout of 5G networks opens doors for a richer and more immersive onboarding experience. For example, with 5G’s high speeds and low latency, mobile app onboarding can incorporate high-quality video tutorials and interactive content without long loading times. This can significantly improve user engagement and knowledge retention.
We’ve seen the benefits of effective mobile app onboarding. Now, imagine the increase in the likelihood of abandonment if your app onboarding isn’t a quick, easy-to-follow experience. You’ll encourage users to move away from your app before they even get a chance to see the value that it delivers.
To avoid this, adopt these five strategies of mobile app onboarding that can help you ensure success.
Assume your users have common sense and a fair understanding of common technology. What does this mean?
You likely don’t have to start with rudimentary information.
Chances are, if you’re following innovative trends and your app design is human-centric, your users will be able to find their way around your app in no time. Don’t test their patience explaining the simple things.
Rather than dropping your users into a seemingly never-ending introduction to your application, tell them where they are in the onboarding process. This lets them know that the process won’t go on forever, and they’re just a few steps away from being able to enjoy their newest download.
The last thing a user wants to do after downloading your app is spend too long clicking through a tutorial or onboarding screens. Shorter is sweeter, and the less text-heavy, the better.
Additionally, try using email or social account log-ins and sign-ups to cut down on even more onboarding time.
Don’t start the experience by requesting access to endless functions within your user’s phone. Start it off slow, and only request permission when it’s necessary.
Take the lead from Airbnb, which only requests permission to use the user’s location when they search for accommodation nearby. The less clutter your user has to click through in the beginning, the happier they’ll be, the longer they’ll stay, and the more likely they will come back.
You should be aware and acknowledge that your users don't care about the same things you care about; they want the experience on their terms. By thoroughly understanding your user and their needs plus leveraging common sense and fact-based assumptions, you will ultimately be able to provide a better experience during the user’s first few times in the app.
At Mobiquity, we’re committed to bringing digital products to life with innovative strategies and forward-thinking solutions that ensure an enhanced, frictionless user experience.
To learn more about how we can optimize your mobile app onboarding, reach out to our team of experts today.
We believe that addressing customer challenges gives you opportunities to delight. Using our proprietary Friction Reports and strong industry expertise, we dig deep into customer sentiment and create action plans that remove engagement roadblocks. The end result is seamless, relevant experiences that your customers will love.
