Make it a Better Experience (Onboarding Experience)

I leverage the Make it Toolkit in my CX Strategy and Experience Design work for clients across industries.

Each week I am posting on how to leverage the 15 makeit toolkit strategies for designing more human-centered experiences.

This week I focus on The Onboarding Experience and cover six reasons why it is a critical determinant of whether users will continue to engage with your product or service.

Hopefully, these examples will inspire you to consider leveraging a more human-centered design process, we call it The makeit Behavioral Design Sprint.

Reach out over LinkedIn or email me at [email protected] if you wish to learn more.

The Onboarding Experience

The onboarding experience is a critical determinant of whether users will continue to engage with your product (or service) or not. It not only impacts their initial experience but also influences long-term satisfaction and retention. Therefore, investing in a well-designed, user-friendly, and informative onboarding process is essential for the success of any product or service offering.

Here are six major reasons why that is the case:

1. First Impressions Matter: A positive onboarding experience can set the tone for the entire user journey, creating a favorable impression and building initial trust in the product.
2. Reduced Learning Curve: Users who feel competent in using the software are less likely to become frustrated and more likely to remain engaged.
3. Value Demonstration: By guiding users to key features and functionalities that solve their problems or meet their needs, the software proves its worth, encouraging continued use.
4. User Engagement and Adoption: Effective onboarding can increase user engagement encouraging exploration and use of different features leading to higher adoption rates and long-term retention.
5. Reducing Churn: A common reason for churn in SaaS products is the lack of understanding or perceived complexity. Effective onboarding addresses this helping users overcome potential barriers.
6. Building Relationships: Onboarding can be used to start building a relationship with the user, showing them that there is support available and that their success with the software is important to the company.

Evaluating the On-boarding Experience

In evaluating the product on-boarding process you will want to start by identifying potential barriers to progress. There are over 45 unique barriers to progress within the Make it Toolkit . Summarized below are sixteen (16) of the most common ones.

They are classified in relationship to the makeit 4th Law of Behavior B=MAP (also known as BJ Fogg model) which states that Behavior tends to follow the status quo unless it is acted upon by an increase in motivation (M), ability (A), and timely prompts (P).

The best method of identifying barriers to progress is to leverage a Behavior Map (see illustration).

After mapping the sequence of customer behaviors, starting at the end and working back, identify different barriers to progress (motivation, ability, or prompt-related) that get in the way of desired customer actions being taken.

If you wish to evaluate your own Onboarding Experience through the lens of applied behavioral science, reach out to connect. We'll introduce you to The makeit Behavioral Design Sprint.

(1) First Impressions Matter

Onboarding is often the first interaction a user has with the software. A positive onboarding experience can set the tone for the entire user journey, creating a favorable impression and building initial trust in the product.

Here are a few examples:

Mystery Trip makes it Intriguing through curiosity with its unique approach to planning outings.

Mystery introduces its unique concept of surprise outings during onboarding, instantly capturing users' curiosity.

Users are asked engaging questions about preferences and interests, creating intrigue about the personalized experience they will receive. Mystery provides teaser previews of possible outing types, maintaining curiosity and excitement without revealing specific details.

• Airbnb makes it Attractive by using visually appealing design during onboarding for a great first impression.

Airbnb’s global love story is a testament to the power of good design. It shows us that design is not just about aesthetics — it’s about the user, their needs, and their experiences.

One of the biggest design challenges we face is that, because we’re growing so fast, almost half of our guests on a trip are using Airbnb for the first time. First impressions are important for any business, but for us, it makes up a huge portion of all impressions. - Charlie Aufmann

• Canva makes it Empowering by providing easy-to-use design tools and templates for immediate creation, reducing intimidation for new users.

End users consider Canva to be one of the easiest design tools to use if you want quick designs. For most tasks, it is perfectly capable of helping them quickly and effectively create high-quality outputs. Its growth story is envied by many startup founders.

(2) Reduced Learning Curve

Onboarding that effectively educates users about the product reduces the learning curve. Users who feel competent in using the software are less likely to become frustrated and more likely to remain engaged.

A few examples:

• Duolingo makes it Easy simplifying language learning process with bite-sized lessons.

Duolingo breaks down language learning into small, manageable lessons, allowing users to absorb and retain information more easily. The lessons include interactive exercises like matching, speaking, and translation, making learning both engaging and effective.

• Slack makes it Obvious by offering clear instructions and highlights key features for easy adoption.

Slack’s user interface is designed for clarity, with key functions like messaging, channel creation, and search prominently displayed. New users receive guided tours and tooltips explaining essential features, ensuring they understand how to use the platform effectively. And immediately.

• Tableau makes it Achievable providing step-by-step guidance to create data visualizations, catering to non-technical users.

Tableau offers structured tutorials that guide users through creating their first data visualizations, making complex processes approachable. Users can practice with example datasets, reducing the intimidation of working with real or more complex data from the start.

(3) Value Demonstration

Good onboarding quickly demonstrates the value of the software to the user. By guiding users to key features and functionalities that solve their problems or meet their needs, the software proves its worth, encouraging continued use.

A few examples:

• Headspace makes it Timely by offering timely tips and practices to demonstrate value in meditation.

During onboarding, Headspace provides guided meditations that are easy to follow, allowing new users to experience the benefits of meditation immediately.

Based on the user's initial inputs and ongoing usage, Headspace offers personalized meditation suggestions that align with the user's goals or current state of mind. Finally, users can track their meditation journey, seeing the number of sessions completed and time spent meditating, reinforcing the value of regular practice.

• Asana makes it Tangible by clearly articulating the time and resource savings compared to traditional project management methods.

Asana highlights its organizational features like task lists, calendars, and boards right from the start, showing how they streamline project management.

The onboarding process often includes a comparison of Asana’s efficiency with traditional project management methods, emphasizing time and resource savings.

• Dropbox makesit Easy by offering a straightforward, quick setup process for file sharing and collaboration.

Dropbox continues to introduce new features to create and demonstrate value -now leveraging AI and Machine Learning to offer even greater value to its users.

Dropbox's onboarding process is designed for ease, allowing users to quickly set up an account and start using the service. Dropbox highlights its cross-platform accessibility, showing users how they can access their files from anywhere, on any device.

(4) User Engagement and Adoption

Onboarding can increase user engagement by encouraging exploration and use of different features. This deeper engagement can lead to higher adoption rates and long-term retention.

A few examples:

• Spotify makes it Yours by personalizing music suggestions to match user preferences.

During onboarding, users are asked to select favorite artists and genres, immediately creating a customized experience. In addition, Spotify analyzes users' listening habits and preferences to provide personalized playlists and song recommendations, encouraging exploration of new music.

Finally, features like "Discover Weekly" and "Release Radar" provide users with new music tailored to their tastes, encouraging regular app usage and discovery.

• Trello makes it Obvious by guiding new users with predefined templates and a simple interface to start project planning.

Trello's user-friendly interface, with its drag-and-drop functionality, makes it easy for new users to start organizing projects. In addition, Trello offers a variety of templates for different use cases, helping users quickly understand how to apply the tool to their needs.

More specifically, the visual nature of Trello’s boards and cards helps users easily grasp project management concepts, increasing adoption and ongoing engagement.

• HubSpot makes it Meaningful by connecting marketing actions to tangible business outcomes like lead generation.

Hubspot is known for its higher user engagement and adoption. HubSpot's onboarding process focuses on users' specific marketing goals, such as lead generation or customer engagement. HubSpot provides a wealth of educational content, including webinars, articles, and tutorials, showing users how to effectively use its features for marketing success.

(5) Reducing Churn

A common reason for churn in SaaS products is the lack of understanding or perceived complexity. Effective onboarding addresses this by simplifying the initial use and helping users overcome potential barriers.

A few examples:

• 星巴克 makes it Tangible by rewarding users with free items, encouraging continued app use. More recently experimenting with limited NFTs with Polygon Labs to create unique web App experience you won't want to leave.

Most importantly, during onboarding, Starbucks introduces its rewards program, immediately incentivizing continued use of the app. In addition, users earn stars for purchases, which can be redeemed for free drinks and food items, creating a tangible reason to continue using the app.

• Zoom makes it Yours by allowing users to customize their meeting settings and preferences, fostering a sense of ownership and personalization that encourages long-term engagement with the service. Most recently introducing Avatars to make it a more fun and engaging experience.

Most importantly, Zoom allows users to tailor their meeting settings, such as background choices, video preferences, and audio options, directly caters to individual needs and preferences. This level of customization leads to a more personal and enjoyable experience, making users more likely to continue using the service.

• Intuit Mailchimp makes it Timely by sending reminders and tips to encourage the exploration of advanced features.

Mailchimp sends a series of onboarding emails, offering timely tips and guidance to new users. These communications highlight key features and how to use them, encouraging exploration of the platform. Most importantly, users receive prompts to try advanced features at appropriate times, helping them see the full potential of the service.

(6) Building Relationships

Onboarding can be used to start building a relationship with the user, showing them that there is support available and that their success with the software is important to the company.

A few examples:

• MyFitnessPal makes it Meaningful by focusing on personal health goals to build a relationship with the user.

During onboarding, MyFitnessPal asks users to set personal health goals, creating a tailored and relevant experience. In addition, the app provides feedback on users' progress towards their health goals, reinforcing the personal connection.

• LinkedIn makes it Social by Encouraging users to connect with professional networks.

LinkedIn guides users through creating a detailed professional profile, which is the foundation for connecting with others. In addition, The platform suggests relevant professional connections based on the user's background and interests.

• Salesforce makes it Empowering by offering extensive resources and support, building a sense of partnership with users.

Salesforce guides new users in setting up their dashboards, empowering them to tailor the platform to their specific needs. In addition, The company provides a wealth of training resources, including Salesforce Trailhead, to help users understand and utilize the platform fully.

Finally, users are encouraged to join the Salesforce community, where they can share knowledge, ask questions, and build connections with other users.

The Make it Toolkit is grounded in the Five Laws of Behavior which you can learn about yourself based upon the book recommendations, or simply reach out to connect.

In Conclusion

The onboarding experience is a pivotal phase in a user's journey with a product or service. It serves as the initial interaction point and plays a vital role in shaping users' perceptions, understanding, and long-term relationships with the offering.

Utilizing applied behavioral science ( Make it Toolkit ) in the assessment and redesign of onboarding processes can be highly beneficial. It provides deep insights into user behavior, enabling the creation of a user-centric design that effectively aligns with user needs and preferences.

This approach helps in crafting an onboarding experience that educates, motivates, and engages, while also reducing cognitive load and addressing adoption barriers. The result is an intuitive and resonant onboarding process that fosters enhanced user engagement, satisfaction, and retention