The user onboarding process can be a huge deal when your startup is just getting started. This will make or break a user’s initial experience with your app. It’s essential to keep in mind that users lose interest quickly. This is why designing an effective UX onboarding will help you grow your startup.
This article will highlight how to build the best user onboarding experiences for your startup and why it’s so important. We’ll also discuss the best practices of onboarding user flow and some mobile apps that have a fantastic user onboarding flow!
What Is Onboarding And Why Is It Important?
When a customer first signs up, you want them to have the best onboarding UX possible. You also want your product to look attractive and appealing when they use your mobile app for the first time.
Onboarding usually occurs after a user signs up for a new mobile app or service. Do you remember when you first signed up to Instagram and made you feel that you wanted to post many pictures and gain tons of followers? That’s what you want your new users to feel.
You want to ensure that your users will enjoy their experience with your mobile app. Other than that, you also want to make sure that the onboarding user flow is seamless for them. Your onboarding process must be intuitive and generally easy to follow.
Think about app onboarding as the first impression you give to a new customer. You wouldn’t make someone wear some raggedy old clothes their grandma gave them, would you? No! You’d dress them up in something nice and exciting so that they can make an excellent first impression.
Onboarding Examples UX
Onboarding provides you with the opportunity to give them that same excited feeling when they sign up for your product! We’ll talk about some of the best user onboarding practices below. But for now, let’s look at some mobile apps with a great user onboarding flow.
Onboarding Example UX #1: LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an excellent example of a mobile app with an excellent onboarding user flow. This professional-networking site has a consistent and easy-to-understand onboarding user flow. When you first sign up, LinkedIn takes you through a series of steps to help you get started.
After completing these steps, LinkedIn provides you with a list of suggested groups to join. The mobile app onboarding process includes asking for your name, email address, and job title. They also show you how to add a profile picture and connect with friends.
LinkedIn‘s onboarding user flow is efficient and helps you get started right away. They make sure that you’re familiar with all the app’s basic features so that you can start using it immediately.
Onboarding Example UX #2: Tinder
Tinder is another excellent example of onboarding. This hit dating mobile app has a simple yet effective onboarding user flow. Once you’ve completed the sign-up, Tinder takes you through some brief screens to show how they can help you find matches in the app.
They also give you suggestions for people to connect with. Tinder also ensures that everything about your profile looks excellent before they send you off to find your perfect match. After this quick onboarding user flow, users swipe left or right depending on who catches their eye.
This onboarding experience is fast-paced and easy to understand. This allows users to get started quickly without overwhelming new app users.
Onboarding Example UX #3: Duolingo
Duolingo is an excellent example of allowing the experience to push users to sign-up. This language learning app allows unregistered users to experience the mobile app first before registering. Once a user registers an account, they will unlock other mobile app features.
Moreover, this mobile app onboarding includes asking you a series of questions to assess your level of knowledge. In addition, they will also ask about your goals and how much time you can dedicate in a day to learn a language. Once they have this information, they will create a customized learning path for you.
The Best Practices For Onboarding A Startup
All great mobile apps have one thing in common. They all follow the UX onboarding best practices. You must know what these are and how to use them in your mobile app.
UX Onboarding Best Practices #1: Take Action
You want to ensure your customers that they have a good first impression of your mobile app. A startup founder can do this by giving them a series of quick tasks to complete. This will give them a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Make sure that your onboarding user flow steps are easy to follow and generally intelligible.
It’s also important to understand what your users expect from your mobile app. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself: “How do I use this app?”
UX Onboarding Best Practices #2: Make it relevant
Your mobile app features will change as your app gain more users. You must keep your mobile app onboarding process up to date with your recent changes. Moreover, it’s also vital that you show existing users how to use your new features.
UX Onboarding Best Practices #3: Make it about the user
App onboarding shouldn’t take too long. Moreover, a lengthy app onboarding process can deter your new user. Focus on making your app onboarding process brief and direct.
Make your app onboarding design consistent, clean, and straightforward. Don’t get too carried away with designing your app, or you can make the design complicated for the user. You must also ensure that your users will enjoy your app’s stay.
How To Establish An Effective User Onboarding Flow For Your Startup
Your user onboarding flow should be quick and straightforward. Avoid overwhelming new users with complicated app functions. To ensure that your user gets the best out of your user onboarding flow, we compiled a short how-to list for you!
- Get to know your users: Understand who your users are. In most cases, your user has an existing problem that you can solve. Identify what is that problem so you can address that and provide a solution during the app onboarding.
- Introduce your mobile app first: Allow your new user to get to know your mobile app. You can also include here how you can help them with their problem. In addition, this is where an app’s unique selling point is introduced.
- Show the essential functions and your mobile app’s main feature: Ensure that your user onboarding instructions are easy to follow. Use everyday language and encourage users to take action. For example, you can use phrases such as “try clicking this icon to…” or “make your first post by clicking…”
- Gather data and update regularly: In some cases, a user would leave a review describing their app onboarding experience. You must take this review into account and identify your opportunities to improve.
Tips To Make Sure Your App’s User Onboarding Flow Is Successful
Now, we were able to discuss the what’s and how’s of user onboarding. Here are some helpful tips to get you started:
- Include a prompt at the start of onboarding to let them know they’ve arrived
- Make sure visuals are simple and effective.
- Limit time on each feature so people don’t get overwhelmed
- Have an FAQ section available in case new users have questions during their experience with your product. This will help them become familiarized with your service/product in a short amount of time.
- Keep the app onboarding process fun and easy to follow by keeping it simple but effective!
Remember, a first impression is more likely to last. You need to ensure that your user has a great introduction to your app so they will keep using it.
In Conclusion
App onboarding is crucial for the user’s first experience with your product. After reading this article, you will be able to understand the app onboarding process better. This can help you create a lasting impression with your new users.
If you need help designing an excellent app onboarding process, you will need an experienced designer. Find your perfect design match now with Design Match! At Design Match, we pair you with a highly-skilled designer who has experience creating compelling designs.
