Questions

Our app is user content driven and news-based. We want to simplify the user experience as much as possible, to ensure that a higher percentage of new users are easily on-boarded and exposed to our content and features. From an investor's perspective, they're also interested in the general size and quality of our database. In the early stage, are we better off simplifying (or even removing) the registration process to increase new members/eyeballs, and overall content consumption - OR - stick with a more thorough, gated process which includes capturing multiple data fields upfront (such as DOB/gender/etc.) with an SMS verification. In terms of the features of the app, the mobile number is not really required. It was just included for general security purposes and to increase the potential quality of content submitted. I guess we're trying to understand whether potential investors would value a higher user base or a smaller, more thorough database.

As you insinuate in your question, the direction you go on this decision depends on whether you want to build a huge user base, or a highly qualified and more tailored user community.

You might consider "having your cake and eating it too" -- at one SaaS startup where I ran marketing, the conversion and traffic numbers were huge and the funnel was everything. But we asked for a lot of info up front, which trimmed the total potential universe of buyers. I advocated for breaking down the barriers to getting started with the software -- minimizing the fields needed to just an email address, so they could save their progress -- and allowing the user to see how the software works.

Once you make it easy for users to sign up and then demonstrate value, you'll establish trust, and they will be willing to give you the data you want.

So my suggestion is, consider a two-pronged data gathering / onboarding strategy (some marketers call this progressive profiling). Make it stupidly easy to get in and see how awesome the app is, but hold back a few choice features or capabilities and require incrementally more action(s) of the user to unlock those features.

Just another path you can consider. Good luck!


Answered 7 years ago

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