5 Deadly Onboarding Mistakes

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It was 10:03 PM...

...An alarm clock that wakes you up at the optimal time according to your sleep cycles!

When I found something reaaaally promising on the App Store...

After downloading the app, I was pumped to give it a try...

Just imagine if I could wake up refreshed every day...

Psych level: 80!

Sadly, the best part of the experience was...

...waiting for the app to load in my bed...

Psych Level: 80%

Earn Trust first

Timing is everything. Never ask for reciprocity if you haven't given anything.

Ask for notifications after users have their first Aha-moment.

That's when they'll trust you the most to have the keys to their attention.

¹Lynn Perkins, How You Get People to Trust Your Product (2018)

99% of the time, that's a no for me... but I really want to wake up happy!

I'll give it a chance... {TAP}

Sadly, that wasn't the last "surprise"...

Oof... Notification screen right away...

Be Specific in your Copy

Another way to earn people's trust is to be very specific with the words you use on screen.

In this case, why not list all the different notifications instead of keeping the user guessing?

...And what does "relevant notifications" mean?

That makes me worry... Ironic!

✏️

At least, they explain why you need them, but...

✏️

...What is this at the bot... { }

the promised land

Users come to your app with a specific intent. Always remind them why they should use your app during their first experience.

In this case, I wanted to wake up refreshed every day, and at this point, it's hard to see how I'll get to this benefit.

I couldn't finish that thought before getting crushed by...

Hmm...

...I was expecting a bit more details about that optimal wake-up time?

...Are they pushing sales within the first 10 seconds of the experience?

The worst part is... It probably works, since they're using all the psychological tricks in the book —

Big discount... Limited time offer... The countdown... GET IT NOW!

Scarcity - Dark Patterns

We value things more when they’re in limited supply.

Scarcity is typically used to encourage purchasing behaviors, and it comes in different forms: Time, Quantity, or Access limitation. ¹

⚠️ Beware: Never use this pattern if you fake the scarce!

Unfortunately, nothing here justifies the sudden urgency.

¹ Nielsen Norman Group, Scarcity Principle (2014)

Nice try... but no thanks... {TAP}

...I'm sort of afraid now.

Plus, they use the image of an innocent sleeping child with a small cat to ease people into the scarcity trap...

...an unsolicited fullscreen pop-up.

Sorry but my Psych is all gone now. I don't want to wake up with ads...

Can you guess my next move?

Reactance

Nudging can be a powerful way to change people's behavior. However, when they feel they lost control of their freedom, it can trigger an angry motivation to regain it. ¹

¹ Wikipedia, Reactance Psychology Theory (2007)

Uh-oh. Is that a "gift"? ...Or the same URGENT offer?

My psych is so low that I don't want to take a chance...

...And are they punishing me with ads because I didn't buy?

21% churn on the 1st use

Almost 1 out of 4 people¹ will delete your app after the first use. Make sure you deliver value and don't force them into something they don't want to do!

¹ Localytics, Mobile Apps: Retention Rate (2018)