4.43
min to watch
Feb 15, 2024
We will be deconstructing six subscription-based apps, which, in my opinion, represent a good comparison of how users need to be activated in the first session or two. This will depend on how we place the screens and how these six applications placed their onboarding screens and engaged with new users during this process.
The first app we have here is Duolingo. As many of you know, Duolingo is probably the most popular language-learning app. It has been trending because of strong branding, but also, in my opinion, because it has really figured out how to engage with new users. Not only does it engage with users, but it keeps engaging them until they delete the app.
In my case, I deleted the app and then reinstalled it. After I logged in, the app immediately offered me the option to review my language skills. For users who are installing the app for the first time, you will probably have one or two screens explaining what it does, but the tone and voice of the app remain consistent. On the second screen, you'll get the request to send notifications.
Easier than the initial one, it tells us that we will notify you when you are going to be in danger of missing your goal. The tone here is being too serious, which works pretty well, I think, because it’s so serious that it kind of sounds ironic. They figured out how to be a little more personal, adding simplicity and a little humor to it, which makes sense.
This is very important: often request as early as possible with a clear explanation of why you want to send notifications. What happens to me right after maybe 15 minutes is I start receiving one notification a day, reminding me that I’m missing out. Some of these notifications will have images, some will not. Another set of notifications will be much more personalized, related to friend streaks where you compete with friends who also use Duolingo.
I think this fundamentally changes the game for the app. Now we have game principles in play, not only language learning principles but also FOMO principles, where we are afraid of missing out or forgetting our current status with the app.
