In a popular article in 1995, Clifford Stoll – a celebrated author, astronomer, and teacher, lamented that there was no way a computer could replace salespeople (or do better business than your friendly neighborhood mall)1.
Fast forward to about 25 years later, ecommerce is all set to become a $4.5 Trillion industry2. In a recent survey by Fairsquare, 44% of millennials interviewed said they’d rather buy a car online than go to a dealership3! But there are still a few skeptics who believe that a salesperson cannot be replaced by a mobile or computer screen.
However, with tools that leverage the power of machine learning to identify shoppers’ interests, it’s not too hard to replicate the in-store experience online – whether that means conversing with them, making them comfortable enough to start buying on your app, nudging them to make that first purchase, or finally turning them into loyal visitors and advocates of your brand!
In our previous blog post, we discussed what it takes to successfully acquire new shoppers on your app. In this article, we’ll talk about the next step: User Onboarding. We’ll also be taking a closer look at how some of the leading ecommerce brands in the world are creating a phenomenal first time user experience (FTUX) to bridge that tricky gap between acquisition and the first conversion.
Zappos does a great job with the welcome screen promising the shopper early access to upcoming sales and special offers if they enable notifications. It’s a great way to get buy-in from the user on the first launch. The best part is that this message focuses on the benefit to the shopper – not Zappos.
Nykaa keeps the sign up process simple, with the option of signing up through Gmail or Facebook. It simplifies things for first time users, and also makes life easy for shoppers using multiple devices as it’s one less password for them to remember. For users choosing to sign up with their email, the process is fairly straightforward, with just three fields in the sign up form.
Zappos provides a “quick tips” overlay as soon as a user signs in to explain each icon. The overlay is unobtrusive and essentially offers a complete walkthrough in one step. This goes well with their welcome screen, which claims they have your back.
Nykaa’s offers page is updated daily to help shoppers explore newer brands, clearance sales, deals of the day, and more.
A well crafted welcome email such as this one can be a valuable tool in converting a shopper into a buyer – giving them the opportunity to discover the different ways to use your app, from styling tips to new launches, category listings, latest offers, and more.
Try out these tactics to improve your onboarding for different types of user segments.
User Segment | Tactics | Channels |
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Unregistered Users |
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Registered but not Activated Users |
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Registered and Activated Users |
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Now you have several key strategies for improving user onboarding. But how will you know if they’re working?
Track the following key metrics to gauge your success and continue improving with each successfully onboarded user.
Metric | Measurement Formula |
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Average App Load (Launch) Time) | The average time it takes for your app to launch or load on your user’s device |
Average Onboarding Time | The average time it takes a first-time user to complete the entire onboarding process on initial app launch |
Install to Registration Rate | The percentage of users that go on to register post app installation |
Average Cost Per User Registration | The average cost you incur in getting a user to install and register on your app |
Crash Rate | The percentage of app loads that result in crashing |
Onboarding is the most important step in gaining a shopper’s trust, and getting them to make a purchase on your app. Think of your app onboarding experience as a substitute for that smooth salesman who puts you at ease, and makes sure you don’t go home empty handed.
The key is to continue experimenting – keep testing and improving, just like a sales pitch. Continuously incorporate user feedback to build an app that keeps shoppers coming back for more.
I will address the next critical stage of the app user lifecycle journey, Engagement and Monetization, in my next blog post. Until then, try these onboarding tactics to turn your shoppers into buyers!