How to set up mobile user onboarding effectively doesn't have to be complicated. Both app users and product marketers crave a seamless, hassle-free experience. To facilitate your work, we've reviewed the best mobile onboarding journeys and put actionable recommendations into this comprehensive guide.

What is User Onboarding Like in Mobile Apps?

User onboarding in mobile apps refers to the process of guiding new users from registration to their "Aha!" moment, where they internalize the value your app provides. In most cases, user onboarding takes the form of an in-app welcome sequence, accompanied by push notifications and emails.

Step 1: Understand Your App Users

Before diving into mobile onboarding, it's essential to define your target segment. Are you targeting all new users at once or communicating with specific segments? A good practice is to create different welcome sequences for organic vs. paid users. Organic users may be more engaged in exploring features since they actively searched for your app or its alternative. Paid users, on the other hand, may require more encouragement and guidance from your side.

Determine how much your new users know about you:

  • Are these users completely new to your app or did they previously use your desktop version?
  • Are they familiar with your product/service/brand?
  • Are they experienced in what your app is intended for?

The answers to these questions will define the scope of your onboarding.

Step 2: Make Your Value Crystal Clear

Effective onboarding should get users ready to take action – make a purchase, get an extended trial, or subscribe for further communication. To arrive at this point, prove that your app helps users achieve their goals. Which features are the most helpful? Which ones are the most appealing and fun to present? For starters, you need to articulate your app's value.

Take a look at how Evernote presents its value – they know people don't take notes just for the sake of it; they take notes to remember something. This is the value Evernote expresses on one of their first screens.

Step 3: Outline an Onboarding Flow and Plan Your Target Metrics

Map out a user onboarding journey for your app using marketing automation software like Pushwoosh Customer Journey Builder. You can target your onboarding flow at selected audience segments based on trigger events. This is a unique feature for marketing automation tools – your competitors may miss out on this opportunity.

The template puts a graphic overview of the entire onboarding journey in front of you, making it easy to envision different communication scenarios.

How Long Should Your Mobile User Onboarding Sequence Be?

There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The right length of a welcome series depends greatly on your app type, user base, and the structure of your onboarding flow. However, Clutch revealed that 72% of app users preferred the mobile onboarding process to take 60 seconds or less.

The Pushwoosh Welcome Series Template in the Customer Journey Builder has a sequence of six messages by default – quite enough to deliver value and keep users engaged. You can set a shorter or longer flow if it better fits your needs.

What Metrics Prove the Efficiency of Your Mobile Onboarding Flow?

Retention rate is the key indicator of successful onboarding. In addition to this ultimate measurement, you may want to keep track of some interim metrics:

  • How many messages were sent, opened, and clicked?
  • How many users have completed each step of the onboarding journey?
  • What are the conversion rates for each message?

You can track these interim metrics on the Pushwoosh Customer Journey dashboard. Later on, these metrics will give you an idea of how to improve user onboarding in your app.

You may also want to assess how the introduction of a new welcome sequence affects further user activity in your app. Is there a boost in conversion into purchase? Are there more product views? Is there an engagement increase? Get extra attentive to your internal app analytics.

Now we're done with the preparation. Let's get onto the onboarding journey!