4 Ultimate Keys for UX Onboarding Optimization
Why is UX onboarding optimization key to success?
Technology has reached the most hidden corners of the world, and every day more and more applications are developed to address their current needs.
As there are many applications, it is customary to find more than one that offers the same functionalities. To differentiate itself from the others, it is essential to emphasize some aspect to stand out.
The first contact of the prospect with the application is key to his conversion into a regular user. Studies have revealed that over 21% of users abandon an app after a single use. The most common causes for their bailout are the following:
- Complex user experience with the user interface
- Having expectations that aren’t met
- Not seeing enough value after the first or second use
- Technical flaws or bugs that make the user experience frustrating or annoying
Tips for UX onboarding optimization
To reduce the chances of these things happening and eliminate any hesitancy of the application’s functionality, we advise implementing the following tips:
1. Make the first impact memorable
Create a “wow moment.” It is believed that attention spans last between 5 and 8 seconds, which means that that’s the amount of time we have to hook our users. There are plenty of ways to grab a user’s attention, but we like to use animations or short, catchy videos.
An animation can be utilized to communicate the app’s purpose, how it works, or the problem it solves.
2. Learn by Doing
Learning by doing is known to be one of the most effective methodologies to retain and understand underlying concepts. Most of the best onboarding flows choose to use this since it eliminates some of the most common doubts users have.
An example to carry out this is to develop a screen with brief instructions that users can skip or complete to move on. The screen should not be overloaded with information or explanations. If you need a lot of text and illustrations to explain something, we recommend you rethink your UI and UX to simplify things.
3. Make onboarding optional
Not all of our users are the same, so it is imperative to contemplate all possible use cases.
While some are more familiar with technology and applications and might already know what specific features are supposed to do, others may have no clue and want to learn more about them. To keep all users happy, we suggest making walkthroughs an option, meaning they can quit in any step of the progress. One of the most common practices is including a “skip” button.
4. Use Progressive Hints
The user should always know where he is standing and should have an idea of what’s coming ahead. To make this happen, you can include progressive visual hints or progress bars. These tell the user what has already been completed, what is going on in the present moment, and what’s coming up next. These hints should be strategically placed and should have the option to disable them. Guiding the user the first time is a straightforward way to reduce confusion and make their experience better, in this way improving UX onboarding optimization.
Onboardings we love
The LinkedIn app has a progressive onboarding flow, where the app guides you into setting up your profile. 
Tinder
The app onboarding lets the user discover the main features of the app within seconds by showing the existing use cases.
Foursquare
This onboarding lets the user use the app without making him sign up. This removes one of the most common pain points of apps. The app later shows messages in between to guide the user.
Conclusion
The user’s permanent relationship with the app is one of the hardest things to achieve for developers. First impressions matter, and they matter A LOT. UX onboarding optimization allows us to communicate brand relevance, introduce the main problems your product is solving, and explain some of the main functionalities. Creating an adequate mobile app onboarding flow is key to keeping the user engaged beyond the launch screen. Start applying the tips we’ve shared and seen how your users will remain loyal.