App Onboarding: What Happens After Users Sign Up?

Many businesses make a critical mistake by celebrating a customer signing up for their app or service, believing they've "won" them. However, the truth is that a significant number of users abandon apps after their first login. In fact, research shows that 40-60% of software users only open an app once and never log in again. This is a dangerous mindset.

The reality is that for most businesses, there are two key milestones that need to be reached before a customer can reach their full value potential:

The gap between these two milestones is where a disproportionate amount of customer churn occurs. Customers often abandon your app because they get lost, don't understand something, don't get value from the product, or simply lose interest.

Importance of App Onboarding for Customer Retention

Bad onboarding can have a devastating impact on your retention rate and undo all the hard work you put into converting customers in the first place. Effective onboarding is crucial for transforming new sign-ups into loyal, long-term customers. It's your job to make the transition from sign-up to success as fast and smooth as possible. This is where great onboarding comes in.

8 Steps to Improve Your App Onboarding

1) Set the Expectation of Excellent Customer Service

Even if you offer the best customer service in the world, it won't matter if your customers never experience it. You can create tremendous goodwill with new customers by proactively demonstrating your commitment to support.

• Send a personal, genuine email from a team member welcoming the customer and letting them know you are there to help.
• Consider making a phone call (this can be a great way to stand out, especially if your audience appreciates personal interaction).
• Send an in-app message with a warm welcome (ensure it's personal and not a generic "You're signed up!" message).

2) Make Help Easy to Find

Your customers should never have to work hard to reach your support team. Make sure it's easy for them to get help from any point in their experience with your app.

• Use an in-app support widget that's readily accessible.
• Display your support email address or phone number prominently on every page of your site and/or app.

3) Figure Out Customer Goals

Understanding what success actually means to your customers is essential for helping them achieve it. While you might have your own definition of customer success, customers don't think in those terms.

• Ask your customers directly: "What would success with [your app] look like to you?"
• Use a welcome email to ask customers why they signed up for your app, as this can reveal valuable insights into their goals and expectations.

4) Figure Out Success Triggers and Guide Users

Identify the specific actions that your most valuable customers typically take within your app. These "success triggers" can be used to guide new users towards key features and functionality.

• Analyze your user data to identify common behaviors of successful users.
• Design your onboarding flow to encourage users to take these actions, making the steps clear and easy to follow.

5) Figure Out Failure Triggers

Just as successful users share common behaviors, so do those who churn. Understanding the "red flags" that precede churn can help you intervene and prevent customer loss.

• Monitor your user data for patterns that suggest potential churn, such as users who take significantly longer than average to complete certain tasks.
• Reach out proactively to users who exhibit these red flags, providing additional support and guidance.

6) Determine Additional Friction Points

While setting up tracking for red flag metrics is helpful, it's not always necessary at first. One simple and effective method for identifying friction points in your onboarding flow is to observe user behavior directly. This gives you valuable insights into how users interact with your app.

• Use a session replay tool like Inspectlet to watch user sessions and see where they get stuck or frustrated.
• Pay attention to the actions users take right before they leave your site or app, as this can reveal valuable clues about potential pain points.

7) Use Email to Bring Customers Back

Just because a customer hasn't returned to your app after a few days doesn't mean they're gone for good. Sometimes, a gentle reminder or nudge is all they need to come back.

• Send winback emails to users who haven't logged in within a certain timeframe, reminding them of the value of your app and encouraging them to return.
• Make your winback emails personal and informative, offering additional support or guidance to help users get back on track.

8) Never Stop Iterating

Your onboarding flow is a living, breathing process that should be constantly improved. As your app grows and evolves, your onboarding process should be adapted to reflect these changes.

• Conduct regular reviews of your onboarding flow to identify areas for improvement.
• Gather feedback from your users to gain valuable insights into their experiences and needs.