In this digital world, every second a new app is launched; and as a mobile app publisher, you only get one chance to make a difference. Now, the question is:
How can you possibly make this difference? What are the challenges that you need to overcome?
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As a mobile analytics firm, the first-hand challenge that app publishers face is the on-boarding experience of customers. In this article, we will go through the importance of using visual mobile analytics to measure the users experience from the very first day, so that you can make effective and perfect on onboarding experience and increase your app’s retention rate.
While there is no magic dart for creating a perfect onboarding experience to hit a bull’s eye, your focus and commitment to monitor your onboarding experience will take you further than any other strategies. The article will provide you knowledge that you can apply to your own mobile app adventure, whether you are a publisher or a developer.
You can check the numbers from your analytics account and keep an acute look on how many people are returning. If the figures come out to be low; try to make out why! Why are users dropping out on the fifth screen? It may be because your on-boarding experience is not solid. So, what you can do about it? Check the points below.
On-boarding post-download is a technique to keep users engaged on their first visit to your app; turning first-timers into active and engaged users creating the ultimate onboarding experience. Web based application and native mobile app work more differently. Native apps that invite, create an account through one-click registration by using their details stored on the device gives an easy onboarding experience whereas web-based apps redirect users to a Facebook page and they will be required to enter their email address and password and then return to the app’s page.
Considering many elements while designing an on-boarding experience, psychology should be at the core; you need to read the minds of target audience and should know about the devices they use, as well as about the demographic language users may prefer. It should be a wow experience to your users, otherwise, they might just say bye-bye to your app.
A few right techniques can be used to grab users and make them coming back. One of these is: inline hints. Inline hinting is a way to give the user a freedom to explore, while progressively disclosing your app’s features. It’s like educating them during the exploration phase, giving guidance at every turn.
Another technique is Tutorial design. A tutorial interacts and guides the user in an orderly fashion. It says short and to-the-point messages that in a simple way comprehends the user. This keeps audience engaged in the onboarding process, while educating on the key features, yet going forward.
Poor App Flow and Overwhelming the user are some of the wrong way to onboard your audience. When app is launched, a screen opens saying that it’s loading. The seven-step of processing set up the app is a lesson in ineffective design. Also, if app takes your user to a page with really small text and images, it gives a bad impression about your app.
Overwhelming the user is a big mistake. On the very first visit, a massive amount of information to the user will just overwhelm them. You have few seconds, your user is hungry; if you are not fast then you might loose the user. Don’t provide too many options. The ultimate trick is to show just what users need to know to get started — not more, not less.
This enables your audience to see the important areas they are looking for. There must be a connection between the information you provide and how the user can apply that information in their day-to-day life.
Show your audience what your app has got. Point out the values of your app and explain it in a few screens; display them what they want and exactly what they will be getting so that they feel encouraged to start using the app.
Mobile analytics runs upon launch in order to identify hiccups in the onboarding experience.
A mandatory three-screen tutorial informing how to use the app follows registration; traditional mobile analytics shows that users did not complete the onboarding process. Users quit you app after one or two screen of the tutorial, failing onboarding experience. Also the users dropped off, most of them never to return. Mobile visual analytic tool requires the integrate SDK, integration process to be simple, taking only a few minutes. It should have auto-detect buttons, screen and user action. Aggregating gestures like taps, swipes, pinches and recording user sessions into visual touch heat maps are done automatically, so all a publisher need is to integrate the SDK.
Some of the noteworthy tools like monitoring the user experience; recording where users are clicking most, recording user actions, allow you to look over their shoulder; one of the simple example of such tool is Heatmaps. Such tools are essential in mobiles due to the compulsion of operating system, screen size and the potential to connect with users instantly.
The onboarding experience is absolutely important for the success of your app. Through techniques like inline hinting, tutorial design, you can impart value to the on-boarding experience; hence, engaging your audience and teaching them how to navigate through your app. Also, now you can say that overwhelming information can drive your audience away.
Give an importance of on-boarding. Monitoring the user experience closely through visual mobile analytics is essential. The tools like touch heatmaps, user recordings, A/B testing are simple to integrate from the very first day, and will give you the intuitiveness to make the best of your app and increase its potential.
