Why I check onboarding right after accessibility
As a UX designer who was always open to doing consultancy work, even when I had a job, I was often asked what I could improve in applications with a low budget. Sometimes the clients were startups with huge technical debt, sometimes old platforms, or it was just about badly designed apps.
Of course, accessibility is the first aspect I always check, but after that, I check the onboarding process.
The return on investment of onboarding
- Higher user retention: Well-designed onboarding reduces user drop-off rates; users who complete onboarding are more likely to stay engaged.
- Increased user activation.
- Positive reviews and ratings.
- Reduced customer support costs.
- Brand loyalty.
Find the lowest investment with the biggest impact
Every app is unique, and research and testing are the key to finding out what is the lowest investment you can make with the biggest impact. It is ideal to conduct thorough research to understand user needs, pain points, and expectations.
Should you skip onboarding?
Even more, some voices recommend professionals to skip creating app onboarding whenever possible and instead spend their resources making the UI more usable.
I still believe the onboarding process has an important role. It is even more valuable if you know the flows are not the most intuitive and you can’t improve them immediately.
For an example of a flow where every step had to earn its place, see the consumer credit app case study.
Adapted from a post I shared on LinkedIn.