A significant portion of users are lost with every click requested. This phenomenon highlights why tutorials, splash screens, and extensive signup processes can be detrimental to user retention.
Experience in app development and A/B testing often reveals that users exhibit low commitment. For instance, approximately 80% of potential users may abandon an app download page. Similarly, around 90% might exit a signup form to avoid providing personal details. When visitors from search engines are prompted to subscribe for updates while reading an article, nearly all will likely return to their search results instead.
What happens when you ask for credit card and email
Consider the initial signup process for Uber, which required an email address, several other fields, and a credit card number. Significant improvements in customer acquisition were observed when the process was streamlined to allow signup with just a phone number and password, deferring credit card entry until later in the user journey. This simplification reportedly led to conversion increases of about 50%.
The pattern of user drop-off with increased friction becomes clear.
Imagine a new product featuring an aesthetically pleasing homepage that necessitates multiple clicks for signup, followed by an extensive tutorial. Such a design choice can have critical consequences. Instead of attracting thousands of users to a private beta—essential for securing further funding—only a fraction might complete the process.
Streamline critical flows by minimizing steps
When evaluating crucial product flows, the initial focus should always be on reducing clicks and steps. It is important to question the necessity of each field in a signup form, determining if it is truly essential or can be made optional. Consider whether a user action is required immediately or if it can be deferred until the user is more engaged with the product. Unnecessary visual explanations should be removed, simplifying the process to basic navigation. The signup form itself should be integrated into the initial user experience, whether on a homepage or an app’s opening screen. For calls to action presented while a user is engaged in another activity, such as reading an article, it is often more effective to make them prominent and blocking, or to omit them entirely, avoiding ambiguous approaches.
The ultimate goal of these optimizations is to quickly introduce users to the core value of the product.
The true value of a product lies in its immediate use, not in completing forms or viewing promotional content. Therefore, the only justifiable forms of friction are those that genuinely improve the user experience. If a product offers a superior experience as a dedicated app with features like notification channels, then prompting a download is warranted. Similarly, if a product benefits significantly from social interaction, accepting a slightly lower conversion rate during signup for integrated sharing or inviting features might be a worthwhile trade-off to attract more users. Every click represents a potential loss of users, necessitating a strategic approach to how user intent is utilized.
Add friction when it helps
Conversely, completely removing all requests for signup or installation can be counterproductive. Once users leave, there is no mechanism to re-engage them. This highlights the delicate balance in user growth: understanding precisely when to introduce friction and when to eliminate it.
It is also notable that simplifying the signup process, while increasing user numbers, can sometimes lead to a decrease in user quality and intent. Doubling signups does not typically translate to a proportional increase in paying customers.
Despite these considerations, the core principle remains crucial: a significant portion of users are lost with every click requested. This reality demands careful design and strategy.
