The Part of User Onboarding You Can’t Afford to Ignore

User onboarding is crucial to making a positive first impression and retaining new users. However, there is one aspect of onboarding that, if ignored, threatens to undermine the entire onboarding process. When potential customers find your app, software or website, they depend on these introductory moments to gain a clear understanding of your service’s value and benefit to them. But if your platform has a complicated interface or is difficult to navigate, onboarding new users is instantly harder. Frustration due to not knowing how to move around a new platform could even drive users to drop off before onboarding really begins.

Don’t let a poor first impression ruin onboarding for your new users.

Foregoing the opportunity to show new users how to navigate your platform effectively during onboarding not only lowers your chances of retaining them, but it also weakens customer loyalty in the long run. To avoid churn, low retention rates, and general confusion about what you offer as a business, here are some user onboarding best practices.

Create a Great First Impression by Introducing Your Platform

First, choose the right taglines and phrases to best explain your company and the purpose of the platform. This introduction should feel less textbook and engage customers according to common pain points and experiences. Onboarding should resemble taking new users on an engaging and interactive tour through your platform. Expect that first-time users will have questions about how to navigate the interface or use certain features. You can preempt this confusion by providing interactive guides or prompts about how to effectively move through and engage with the platform.

User Onboarding Should Include Easy Navigation

Creating a strong first impression depends on several elements of user onboarding. These include clarity of feature categories, visual layout, and ability to easily navigate from one step to the next. The interface you choose should support step-by-step instruction. Make a simple interface punchy and engaging by offering users a chance to go further. Highlight and center key features and “calls to action,” or opportunities for users to engage with the platform on a deeper level. New user onboarding is most successful when the user wants to keep engaging. Thoughtfully formatting your front page, installing a set-up wizard or providing a dynamic tour through your app are great examples of how to get there.

User Onboarding is Just the Beginning

A positive user experience during new user onboarding is essential for boosting retention and minimizing churn. Don’t forget that all these methods of enticing your audience will fall short if your platform’s main offering isn’t easily accessible. Being a provider of customer-facing apps and systems means being with the customer every step of the way. While this might require more hand-holding in the beginning, customers should feel supported at every point during the user journey — even beyond onboarding. Heeding to these new user onboarding best practices is critical to boosting and retaining your clientele. Continuously checking-in and offering support will not lead you wrong.