The Good & Bad of Onboarding Flows (And How to Fix Yours)

Hey, product-preneur!

Most apps lose half their new users in the first week. Not because the app sucks butts, but because those people never felt it worked. So skip the worry about your sign-up forms, the flood of tooltips, and instead learn what builds loyalty (in under 5 minutes).

In this week’s episode, I'm showing you how to design iOS onboarding that gives users one honest win before they bail, and rooted in psychology (of course), so you know it works.

Caution: The added bonus of real-life examples near the end may make this over a 2-minute read. Enter if you dare.

What’s Brewing:

• Figma acquired Weavy, rebranding it as Figma Weave, to enhance its platform with generative AI and professional editing tools for images, videos, animations, motion design, and VFX that can be used within Figma design files.

  • Why it matters: You can create three landing page variants and begin to test social assets in under 20 minutes.

• A faster first win = better retention. Amplitude studied 2,600+ apps. Even good apps lose ~50% of new users by Day 7. Teams that get users to first success fastest keep more of them at the 3-month mark.

  • Why it matters: You want customers. If the first session in your product feels like a full-blown tour (MTV Cribs-style), people tend to bounce. The sooner someone does the core thing and feels value, the more likely they return (and pay).

How I Can Help:

Ship Faster, Convert Better — Send me your landing page or onboarding flow, and I’ll show you why people aren’t converting, and what to fix first.

You’ll get:

• A 15-minute walkthrough video calling out friction, confusion, and missed opportunities. 👋

• A prioritized one-pager with the exact copy, UX, or layout tweaks to make next.

• Results in 48 hours, so you can ship changes this week.

If there aren’t at least three real quick wins, you don’t pay. Put yours to the test.

First time reading?

Potion of the Week

You test drive a car before buying, right? Onboarding that keeps users around isn't about teaching them your app. It's about proving your product works before they lose interest.

People don't bail because they're lazy. They bail because nothing happened. Psychologically, that's the goal-gradient effect. A phenomenon where people increase their effort and motivation as they approach a goal.

Give someone a small win, and they'll want the next one.

Skip the profile setup screen and the five-slide tutorial. Load sample data, let them complete one action, then ask for an account.

Apple's own design guidelines say the same thing: make onboarding interactive, not instructional. Show one tip at the exact moment someone needs it. Not ten tips yelling all at once when they're still confused.

Hot tip: Try unlocking one premium feature for free in the first 48 hours. It compresses time-to-value and builds momentum without wrecking your pricing.

Now, let’s dig in. 👇

Magic Sauce

Let them try it before they sign up

Nobody wants to create an account for something they haven't used yet. Remember what I said about testing a new car?

Consider allowing some play time to achieve a quick win. Most SaaS products allow some sort of free trial. People aren’t going to purchase what you’re offering without a reward. This is your opportunity to cut through the noise.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be difficult. This is a quick win. A little tickle of dopamine. 💦

Ask three questions, then personalize the flow

You don’t have to make everyone go through the same generic onboarding.

• Ask about their goal

• How often will they use the app

• Their experience level

Then route them to a pre-filtered task or template that matches.

Remember always to track which paths have the highest completion rates. If one consistently sucks, simplify it or kill it.

Show one tip at the exact moment they need it

Contextual tips (appear while performing an action) work because they solve a problem immediately when someone encounters friction.

Save people time, get them in, and save the onboarding tour for more contextual tips later on.

Track it: Watch your tip dismissal rates. If more than 60% of users dismiss it, you're either interrupting too early or the tip isn't helpful. ✋

Unlock one premium feature for 48 hours

Give new users a taste of premium without asking them to pay (yet). Create an offer code that expires quickly, let’s say 48 hours, and targets only new users.

Track it: How many people who unlock premium come back on Day 3 and Day 7? If they don't return, your premium feature isn't working.

Examples in the Wild

Corking Things Up

Remember, your onboarding isn't a tour. It's proof your app solves a real problem before someone deletes it. One win, one tip, one unlock, and done.

Please check below, I’d love to help you! 👇

Turn first impressions into paying customers

If your offer feels vague, your landing page gets clicks but not customers, or you’re stuck at “interested, but not buying,” this is for you.

Over 4 weeks, we’ll work together to tighten your offer, message, and first-time experience so your product is easier to understand and easier to buy.

You’ll walk away with:

• A productized offer that’s simple to explain and sell

• A landing page that makes your ideal customer say, “Yes, that’s me”

• A concrete plan to get your first 3 paying customers

How it works:

Hit the button below and answer a short intake questionnaire. I’ll review it, confirm we’re a fit, and send you a link to book our first session.

If you don't find value in our first session, I'll refund your money.

Reply to any newsletter with your questions, and I might dedicate a newsletter to it to help others. I’ll see ya next week! 👋 

— Dana

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