Redesigned Onboarding

Timeline

Q4 2024

Team

PM, Marketing Manager, 1 Engineer

Role

Product Designer

The problem

Our user activation rate has been stagnating over the past year, with a noticeable decline in conversion from trial to paid users.

While our app initially saw strong growth and high engagement, the activation process has become a bottleneck in converting new users into loyal, paying customers. This issue is particularly concerning as we know that successful activation is directly tied to long-term retention and revenue growth. Without an effective onboarding experience, users may lose interest early on, failing to realize the app’s full value and potentially leading to higher churn rates. This decline in activation presents a risk to future revenue and growth, prompting us to reevaluate and redesign the onboarding process.

Design Process

As part of the NORD onboarding redesign, I followed a structured process to improve key metrics such as t2pCVR, pCVR, and increase conversions for location and notification permissions. Here are the key stages:

Investigate

We identified that the previous onboarding flow had a low t2pCVR and pCVR. Our goal was to improve these metrics and also increase the conversion rates for location and notification permissions. To better understand the problem, I conducted a competitor analysis and reviewed the current onboarding flow. This helped us identify gaps and areas for improvement, as well as gather insights from how other products approached onboarding.

Design & Collect Feedback

Based on the insights, I created three different variations of the onboarding process with different screen orders. I organized a workshop with the team to discuss the different options and prioritize which version to move forward with. After gathering feedback, we selected the most promising variant. I then iterated on the design based on the feedback we received to ensure it met both user and business needs.

‍Implement & Measure

Once the UI was implemented, we ran an A/B test comparing the new onboarding flow with the existing one. By analyzing the data from the A/B test, we made informed decisions about whether to move forward with new iterations or invest further in optimizing the feature, ensuring we were improving the key metrics as intended.

Investigate

We noticed that the t2pCVR in the current onboarding was 29.8%. Our goal was to increase this metric by 10-15%. Additionally, we gained insights that users find the current onboarding overloaded with text and information, which makes it hard for them to understand the value of the app. This was an important factor that could negatively affect first-time engagement and conversion.

Hypothesis:

  • Users struggle to understand the value of the app from the current onboarding due to too much text and information, which makes it hard for them to see what the app offers.

  • Users are more interested in features like the live radar, forecast, and hurricane tracking (especially during hurricane season). They want to stay updated on storms and natural disasters, which is a key part of their experience with the app.

  • Users believe that the app has a good reputation in the market, and it is recommended to them by friends and family, which influences their trust in the product.

Design & Collect Feedback

After conducting our research to identify the issues, I facilitated a workshop with the marketing manager, product growth manager, and the team to discuss how we could improve the metrics and create a more engaging onboarding experience.

Sneak peek of the workshop

During the workshop, we discussed and evaluated various design options, brainstorming solutions together. As a result, we identified several key decisions to enhance the user experience:

  • Communicate the main value of the app clearly to motivate users to subscribe. We focused on emphasizing that with our app, users can stay safe during any weather conditions and be aware of any changes in the weather in their location.

  • Incorporate clear value points of the app in short, catchy phrases to quickly grab users' attention and convey the app’s main benefits.

Based on the feedback and ideas from the workshop, I iterated on the design and began working on integrating these solutions into the onboarding flow to drive better engagement and conversion.

‍Implement & Measure

Conveyed the main value of the product to users

We introduced the unique features of the app in a simple and clear way, guiding users through the onboarding process and helping them navigate NORD more effectively. By highlighting the most relevant functionalities early, we made it easier for users to understand the core value of the app.

Reduced cognitive load for users

We decreased the amount of overloaded information by simplifying the content and focusing on key value points. This helped users quickly understand the benefits of the app without feeling overwhelmed, which enhanced their overall onboarding experience.

Built trust with users

We added social proof by showcasing the best user reviews and placing them right before the subscription screen. This not only helped build credibility but also motivated users to trust the app and move forward with the subscription.

Impact

  • Increase the tCVR by 11.2% (from 12.4% to 13.8%)

  • Increased the t2pCVR by 11.9% (from 29.8% to 33.3%)

  • Increased the dpCVR by 14.9% (from 1.62% to 1.86%)

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