Steps

Define your activation event

Identify the single most important action that correlates with long-term retention. For a project management tool, this might be 'created first project.' For an analytics tool, 'connected first data source.' This becomes the goal your entire onboarding funnels toward.

Design your welcome screen

Create a welcome screen that collects the user's role or use case (2-3 options max), then tailors the onboarding path accordingly. Avoid asking for information you do not immediately use. The welcome screen should build excitement, not create friction.

Build a 4-step product tour

Using Escourtly, create a guided tour that walks users through the critical path to your activation event. Keep it to 4-5 steps maximum. Each step should explain WHAT to do, WHY it matters, and WHERE to click. Use action-oriented language.

Create the empty state

Design your empty state (what users see before they have created any content) to be instructional, not blank. Include a clear call-to-action that matches your product tour's goal. Show example data or templates users can start from.

Set up a progress indicator

Add a visible progress checklist showing 3-5 key setup tasks. Users should feel momentum as they check off items. Mark the activation event as the final checkpoint. Keep the checklist visible but dismissible.

Configure follow-up triggers

Set up email or in-app notifications for users who sign up but do not complete onboarding within 24 hours. Include a direct link back to where they left off. Keep messages short and action-oriented.

Variations

Developer Tool Variant

Replace the welcome screen with an API key generation step. The product tour focuses on making the first API call. Include code snippets in tooltips.

Team Collaboration Variant

Add a 'invite your first teammate' step after the activation event. Team tools show higher retention when onboarding includes social proof from colleagues.

Marketplace Variant

Split the checklist into buyer and seller paths. Each persona sees different steps relevant to their side of the marketplace.

Implementation Guide

Start by mapping your current onboarding to this checklist. Identify gaps — most products are missing the progress indicator and follow-up triggers. Use Escourtly to build the product tour in Step 3. Install the browser extension, navigate to your app, and click on the elements you want to highlight. Write concise, action-oriented copy for each step. For the progress checklist in Step 5, you can use a simple component that reads completion state from your database, or use Escourtly's built-in checklist feature. Measure success by tracking activation rate before and after implementing this checklist. Most teams see a 15-30% improvement in activation within the first month.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many onboarding steps is too many?

For the initial session, 4-6 steps is optimal. Each step should be completable in under 30 seconds. If your onboarding takes more than 5 minutes in the first session, you are asking too much upfront. Defer non-essential setup to later sessions.

Should I force users to complete onboarding?

No. Allow users to skip or dismiss onboarding, but make it easy to return to. Some users prefer to explore on their own. However, track skip rates — if more than 40% skip, your onboarding may feel too intrusive or irrelevant.

How do I measure if this checklist is working?

Compare activation rate (percentage of users completing your key action), time to activation, and Day 7 retention before and after implementation. A well-implemented checklist typically improves activation by 15-30%.

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