5 Must-Haves for Your Mobile App Onboarding

When someone downloads your custom mobile application, it’s a good first sign that they intend to use it and are excited and motivated by what they know about it so far. But don’t get too excited just yet, 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.  It’s common for users to abandon an app after they download it or fall into the “set it and forget it” group — those who hardly ever open your app. 

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. Great mobile app onboarding processes can be the difference between successful adoption and abandonment of your app.  

With that in mind, let’s explore how you can deploy the latest mobile app onboarding strategies and the details of user onboarding best practices that enhance user engagement and drive successful app adoption.  

The Benefits of Personalization in Onboarding 

When we look at the data around the best mobile app onboarding processes, it tells us that a quarter of downloaded apps are only ever used once. But if you dig a little deeper, it also tells us that those who have good onboarding experiences see a 50% higher retention rate.  

So, what distinguishes the “good” onboarding from the ineffective?  

One major factor is personalization. Here at Hexaware, 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: 

• Increased engagement and user satisfaction: When users feel like an app is tailored to them, their needs, and their goals, they’ll likely find increased value in it early on. This positive first impression can also encourage them to explore more of the app’s features and fully adopt it. 

• Improved product adoption: Personalized onboarding helps to create a more tailored experience for the end user and can shorten the learning curve of using a new app, helping users discover relevant app functionalities quickly while improving app retention rates. 

• Better trial conversion rates: For trial users of your app, personalized onboarding can showcase specific features that address their needs. This can demonstrate your app’s unique value and convince them to convert to a paid subscription. 

Ultimately, you can think of personalization as a secret weapon that helps facilitate effective onboarding and drive successful and prolonged app adoption.  

Measuring Onboarding Effectiveness 

The benefits are clear, but how do 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 performing in the most important areas.  

To do this, you must identify key metrics that determine user onboarding behavior. These might include: 

1. Completion rates: These rates tell you the number of users who complete the onboarding steps. Ideally, this number should be as high as possible. A low completion rate might indicate that users find the mobile app onboarding process confusing, overwhelming, or uninteresting. 

2. Drop-off points: Don’t just measure the overall completion rate. Dissect the data to see where users are abandoning the onboarding process. Are they dropping off after the first screen? Is there a specific step that seems to be causing friction? Understanding drop-off points can help you identify problem areas in your onboarding and point to areas where strategic improvements should be made. 

3. Time to complete: This metric helps you see the pacing of your onboarding experience. While speedy completion might seem ideal, an overly brief onboarding might lead users to miss important onboarding details. On the other hand, an excessively lengthy onboarding can leave users feeling confused. 

4. Engagement: Aside from completion and time spent, you can look at how users interact with individual elements within your onboarding process. Are they clicking on tutorial buttons? Are they reading the supplementary information provided? Can you see if they’re skipping steps altogether? This data can help you deploy improvements. For example, if users skip written tips, you can consider replacing them with short explainer videos.

When determining the effectiveness of your onboarding, remember data is not only a tool, but also your best friend. 

Trends And Innovations in Mobile App Onboarding  

The mobile app onboarding space is fast-changing, and there are many new tech trends and innovations to keep an eye on. 

These include the following.  

1. AI-powered Onboarding

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming nearly all digital spaces, and mobile app onboarding is no different. 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 or areas of improvement. 

2. Integration with AR And Wearables

As mobile technology changes, so do the possibilities for 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. 

Key Components of Successful Mobile App Onboarding 

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 seamless, 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.

1. Don’t State the Obvious

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.  

2. Count it Out

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. 

3. Keep it Quick

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 integrating email or social account logins and sign-ups for easy account setup.  

4. Give a Little to Get a Little

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 popups and permission-based requests 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. 

5. Make Assumptions (Based on Facts)

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 end users 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.  

Achieve Mobile App Onboarding Success with Hexaware 

At Hexaware, 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.