Written by Yiling Wang 2022 Cohort
The mobile app onboarding process takes several steps before new users begin to use the app. In many cases, it usually starts with searching on the app store. When people see the information page of this app, they typically look for some words up to a point and briefly describe the main functions and features. Other than this, rating and comments are other essential parts that affect the user’s first impression and decision to download.
After downloading the app, people usually see a pop-up: “Allow xxx to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites?” From my point of view, this is not a good idea. Most of the time, I will click the “Ask app not to track” bottom since trust hasn’t been built between me and this app. Then it comes to the first theory. Respect is more important than data. Once users feel their privacy and feeling are respected and enjoy the process of using the app, they are more likely to provide more information. Also, the app should explain why they need these data and how they will use them.
However, since users muddle through this, it usually comes to the next hard part. The app may ask you some questions to personalize your experience. For example, social media may recommend some popular influencers, and an e-learning platform may ask you to set a learning goal. Yet, progressive disclosure is the key here. Instead of promoting to people what you can do, ask them what they want to accomplish is the right way. Also, people may be less overwhelmed if exposed to complex features later, which means that the onboarding process is as simple as possible.
In the onboarding process, it is essential to present the content carefully. Since people may have anchoring bias – they heavily rely on the first piece of information they see or use so that they may stay the same behaviour pattern they learned in the first place. For example, if people were told to push the space button to navigate to the next page, they would always keep pushing; therefore, changing the navigation method in the middle would be a bad idea. In conclusion, the onboarding process is crucial in setting users’ expectations. If the app delivered an excellent service, the activation and retention would be improved. Nevertheless, if something is done wrong, it may be worse than no expectations at all.