What are effective techniques for mobile app onboarding?

Mobile app onboarding is the process of guiding new users through the features and benefits of your app, and motivating them to sign up, explore, and engage. It can make or break your app's success, as users often decide within minutes whether to keep or delete an app. In this article, we'll share some effective techniques for mobile app onboarding that can help you create a positive and memorable first impression, reduce churn, and increase retention.

1 Know your users

Before you design your onboarding, you need to understand who your users are, what they want, and what problems they have. You can use user research methods such as surveys, interviews, personas, and user journeys to gain insights into your target audience. This will help you tailor your onboarding to their needs, expectations, and preferences, and avoid irrelevant or confusing information.

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Ahmed M. Osman

Frontend@Shory. React & React Native Developer. AWS Certified. Cairo, Egypt.
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Understanding your users is one of the fundamental steps in designing a mobile app. Let's consider an example: Imagine you're designing an app for Uber drivers (not passengers). Knowing that many drivers use Uber as a side hustle, you might question whether including animations is truly necessary. Choosing the right target audience can significantly impact the design. Older users generally prefer calmer aesthetics, while teenagers often appreciate more vibrant and dynamic experiences. While knowing your users well can significantly decrease the risk of losing them, it's not a guarantee. Building trust, providing value, and constantly iterating based on feedback are also crucial factors in user retention.

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2 Define your value proposition

Your value proposition is the core message that explains why your app is worth using, and how it can solve your users' problems or improve their lives. You should communicate your value proposition clearly and concisely in your onboarding, using catchy headlines, compelling visuals, and benefit-oriented copy. You can also use social proof, such as testimonials, ratings, or awards, to reinforce your credibility and trustworthiness.

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3 Simplify your sign-up

Your sign-up process should be as easy and frictionless as possible, as it is one of the main barriers to entry for your app. You should only ask for the essential information from your users, and offer options such as social login, email login, or guest mode. You should also provide clear feedback, validation, and error handling, and explain how you will use and protect your users' data.

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4 Educate your users

Your onboarding should teach your users how to use your app effectively, and highlight the key features and functionalities that can help them achieve their goals. You can use different methods to educate your users, such as tutorials, tooltips, walkthroughs, or videos. You should also consider the level of complexity and familiarity of your app, and provide the right amount and timing of information, without overwhelming or boring your users.

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Dimitri Criona

Retired :-) at Uncle Sam
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This is erroneous. You will never overcome intuitive software. Depending on the culture of your potential user any non-intuitive software is a Kiss Of Death. Test the software with an average Joe and see how they react. Do not rely upon what your programmers think is a reasonable logic path, programmers use a special class of logic.

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5 Engage your users

Your onboarding should not only inform your users, but also inspire them to take action and explore your app further. You can use various techniques to engage your users, such as gamification, personalization, incentives, or feedback. You should also provide clear and consistent calls to action, that guide your users to the next steps or features that can benefit them.

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6 Test and optimize your onboarding

Your onboarding is not a one-time event, but a continuous process that requires testing and optimization. You should measure the effectiveness of your onboarding, using metrics such as completion rate, retention rate, activation rate, or user satisfaction. You should also collect feedback from your users, using methods such as surveys, ratings, or reviews. You should then use the data and feedback to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your onboarding, and make improvements accordingly.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are effective techniques for mobile app onboarding?

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1 Know your users

2 Define your value proposition

3 Simplify your sign-up

4 Educate your users

5 Engage your users

6 Test and optimize your onboarding

7 Here’s what else to consider

Software Design

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What are effective techniques for mobile app onboarding?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your users

2 Define your value proposition

3 Simplify your sign-up

4 Educate your users

5 Engage your users

6 Test and optimize your onboarding

7 Here’s what else to consider

Software Design

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