Avoid app abandonment by getting mobile app onboarding right

Dami Famuyibo

mins read

When users interact with your product for the first time, it takes them just a few seconds to evaluate it. In app design, user onboarding is generally the first point of contact of users with the app, this is an opportunity to create a lasting impression. These first few interactions help you create bonds and build habits for your user.

If users are not content with the onboarding experience, they’re likely to abandon your app. Hence why, it’s important to pay attention to small details such as the tutorial, user guide, sign-up process, etc. Great customer onboarding not only lowers user abandonment rates but can also help encourage long-term success metrics like user retention and user lifetime value.

Mobile apps need to be a seamless experience for users for user retention to increase. This article describes the best practices for creating an effective user onboarding experience on turning initial downloads into active users.

When it comes to user-friendliness, making everything as simple as possible is typically the best route to go down. For every additional button, image, and icon makes the screen and the product’s user flow more complex. It’s important for designers to eliminate anything that isn’t necessary for the mobile app’s onboarding sequence. It’s a best practice to keep content and interface elements to a minimum and only present the user with what they need to know to start using the product right away.

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How does app onboarding help users?

There are millions of apps available in today's massive mobile applications ecosystem, so businesses are trying to figure out how to stay ahead of their competitors. A successful and engaging onboarding process is important in this situation as it helps set the tone of your app and cements the user's interest. We'll explore what kind of impact app onboarding can have on your app's success and why it is so important.

1. Your app's value is clearly communicated to users.

Are you aware that 25% of app users abandon an app after just one use? Although the reasons why a user downloads your app, uses it only once, and then promptly uninstalls it may differ, it still leads to a crucial question - did the user realize the value your app provided? However, this doesn't mean your app has no value. It just means that your application may not have been able to summarize what your app will offer and how it will benefit the user. A good app onboarding can set expectations for the users, making them excited to use the app.

2. Helps you stand out from your competitors.

In a world of 6.36 million apps, your app faces stiff competition. The number of apps available in Google Play is about 3,14 million, and about 2,09 million apps on Apple’s App Store, while there are about 1,13 million apps elsewhere. In 2020, 218 billion apps were downloaded.

App stores are flooded with apps, as you can see. With so much competition, business apps cannot hope to survive without leaving a lasting impression. Users are more likely to be impressed with your app's value if you provide an excellent onboarding experience.

3. Enhances retention rates

71% of all app users across industries churn within 90 days? A well-designed onboarding process can increase retention by 50%. It is important for the users to know what the app offers them, otherwise they will abandon it.

There are different types of app onboarding

Your app will not be used if the users do not understand it. By choosing the right onboarding type for your app, you can better engage your users. Discover them all below:

1. Benefits-based onboarding

The goal of benefit-based onboarding is to explain how your app will benefit your users and what value it will provide. It works best when the goal of onboarding is to boost your app's conversion rate and motivate people to use your app more often. By using this onboarding type, you can focus on describing what your app does rather than explaining how to use it. If you emphasize the value your users get from this app instead of describing how it works, they will continue to use it.

2. Function-based Onboarding

In a function-based onboarding approach, users are guided through all of your app's standard functions. It uses a step-by-step approach to show how the app's UI will work before moving on to the next step. A function-based helps clarify any confusion new users may have regarding the features and functionality of your app.

3. Progressive Onboarding

One of the most important ways to onboard new users is to use a progressive onboarding approach. As the user navigates through your app, new information is displayed to them. Using an onboarding approach like this is the most effective because it is direct and encourages users to take action.

4. Account Setup Onboarding

The account setup onboarding approach involves registering and setting up an account in advance of the user using the application. It works best with social media and messaging apps that require users to set up an account to use the app's features. It might be useful to build a walkthrough of a simple account setup process. It is important to not ask too much of your new users, as this may frustrate them and turn them away. Make the account setup and onboarding process as simple and straightforward as possible.

If companies want to increase retention, they need to pay more attention to the onboarding experience. Customer retention is one of the biggest challenges companies face when developing apps. Acquisitions and downloads are crucial, but determining the success of a mobile app depends on the retention rate, which is an indication that users continue to find value from it. Make sure your onboarding process is modified to suit the needs of your users by collecting feedback and modifying it in response to it. You will be able to increase user engagement and enhance the user experience of your product by following these best practices.