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User onboarding
best practices

What will it be about? Customization is a key element of your application. As you know, users often prefer to use those applications that are simpler and more convenient. Customization is more than just screensavers and tooltips in the user interface. This article describes the most striking examples of good adaptation. You get a lot […]

  • Rondesignlab Team

What will it be about?

Customization is a key element of your application. As you know, users often prefer to use those applications that are simpler and more convenient.

Customization is more than just screensavers and tooltips in the user interface. This article describes the most striking examples of good adaptation. You get a lot of useful tips, implementing which you will get a good result. Users more often will choose your application. You can say that you created the application with user care.

However, if you are reading this article, then you are not indifferent to whether the user is comfortable using your application. This article will solve some of your problems and difficult cases. But you must understand that in order to get complete information on this topic, you would need to write several books. And if you don’t have the opportunity to spend so much time on this, then you can turn to our specialists for help. All of our employees have extensive experience. All you have to do is send us an email. And we will contact you shortly.

 

Focus on user goals

Focus on user goals

Let’s deal with simple questions. What do you think is the main goal of the user? Why did he choose your application? For example, WhatsApp aims to simplify communication with family, friends, and colleagues.

Typically, users have to perform additional and an unrelated task that only delays the desired result. So, the number of such actions should be minimal. And the less of them, the more the user is satisfied.

 

What are cycles and why are they needed?

Of course, user onboarding is more than just thinking about the user in the process of creating the application. User onboarding is what really helps the user and what becomes a big advantage of your application. Therefore, the next step is to create a sequence of actions or, in other words, to create a cycle that a user takes to achieve his goal using your application. User onboarding is what will make your application more understandable for the user, which means it will give more positive emotions from the user’s interaction with your application.

Particular attention should be paid to key points of interaction. These may include the first opening of the application, registration, creating a profile, and so on.

 

Keep up to date on new features

new features

Alas, in most cases, users focus on only one function. Therefore, you should first determine who exactly is your target audience, and then give the user the appropriate instructions. You need to know the location, age, gender, average income and so on. All this will help you understand how exactly you should communicate with your target audience, and will also help you find the exact approach in order to show your new feature, make it appropriate and as successful as possible.

 

Drop the excess

Your goal is to explain clearly to the user why the requested information is necessary and what part of it is required. Everything else should be available for filing and updating in the future. Do it in a visual way. Let the user not have any difficulties with this. If he cannot register in your application in the first couple of minutes, then he is unlikely to continue trying. Most likely, a typical user will delete your application and download a similar one. Yes, it will be easy to do, because it’s worth admitting that now you can find any application and even several options.

In each step, focus solely on the main goal, the successful achievement of which will encourage the user to use the application again. It is unlikely that this goal is to create a profile, fill out your location or add an avatar. It’s better to generally postpone the registration of the profile to the last step. Let the user experience your application. Let him know if he likes the design, how the various elements react to his actions. The onboarding process is a complex process, but possible. In addition, you can easily find good examples.

Usually, registration in the application is required in order to associate the entered data with the profile for use on various devices. But if this is not supposed, then why register at all? Take care of users that do not force you to make their senseless actions. It annoys everyone.  

 

Are your tips interactive?

tips

Very often, tips for adapting the user are separate from the application itself. Static text is the least attractive way to explain. Always try to maximize application mechanics. A great onboarding process involves interactive hints. Such tips are usually liked by most users, regardless of age and gender. Make them stylish and simple. The purpose of this is to convey information, to teach the user to interact correctly with the application. Interactive elements are always liked by the user. Surprise your users. Make your application convenient for them, not for yourself.

 

Explain the benefits of non-obvious actions

It is well known that no one likes to fill out long forms, much fewer read instructions for filling them out. But unfortunately, there are times when this is inevitable. Everything has its own goal, and it is important to correctly explain this goal. If you force your users to action without explaining the reasons, then they are unlikely to take it with pleasure. A good explanation is your solution. This will be a good advantage.

To reduce discomfort, let the user know what information and why is required. A clear explanation will reduce the number of users closing the application before reaching the goal. Use this and you will make your users happy. And it costs a lot.

 

Users like independence

Whatever happens, do not force users to use this or that function. Users like to independently explore and study applications. This is an exciting process and does not deprive your users of this.

Make sure you can skip the prompts in the application. Quality tips are good, but the most valuable is the choice. If the user has a choice to use these tips or not, then he will definitely appreciate it. This will allow you to get more pleasure from using the application. Think of yourself as studying a new application. Do you always use tips? What tips do you usually use and which ones do you ignore? These questions will help you understand the logic of the average user. Get to know yourself to understand others.

 

Individual approach is the key

This approach is widely used in game design: some functions intended for advanced users are explained only to them. However, this does not mean at all that they should not be accessible to everyone. It is simply important to know what groups the users of your application are divided into and be able to work with these different groups. The onboarding process can be different also. 

As a result, the user will receive a longer, more balanced learning path and will not be overloaded with irrelevant capabilities. This is definitely a big advantage. The user will feel your support at all stages of using the application.

It is important to act gradually. Learn it and apply it in your product. Let your onboarding process become the most thoughtful, and users will definitely like it.

 

The best guide for you

It is important for you to understand that communicating with your user is the best instruction for improving your application. Gather information about what users think about your application in any way. It can be polls, comments, chats, online bots, anything. Do this as often as possible. There is no better source of information than talking to the person whose tasks you are solving. This will help you a lot. You will be surprised at how different and sometimes unexpected difficulties your users have. Help them solve them. Create your own statistics. This will help you and give one more reason to love your application for dedicated users. This will be the best guide for you.

 

Bottom line

Now you know enough information about user onboarding. This is enough to get in the know and understand what needs to be done to make your application more convenient for users.

The onboarding process is a process that is important for both you and your users. The onboarding process is what makes your application more user-friendly. It is definitely worth your time and effort.

If you still need a good example then look at Grammarly. They use their demo document as a part of the onboarding process. Is that effective? Of course, it is. Check it. Try to make up something similar. It can be a slideshow or something else. Make such a slideshow that is impossible not to click on. And one day you’ll do even better. 

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