How to build the perfect app — Part II.

Think about the user onboarding experience like a first date.

How can you pitch your product and give your user the best experience in less than 2 minutes?

Your app is feature complete and now it is time to think about the user onboarding experience. Do not build a strategy to trap and annoy your users. You should think about it as a first date. You never get a second chance to make a first good impression.

Here are some dos and don'ts that can work for both: Apps and first dates.

You invited a person to go out for dinner. You invited the user to install your app. It should be a charming, elegant and irresistible invitation. It can be through an ad, a marketing e-mail, but the most important is: your app description.

Once they agree to install it:

1. DON'T — Force sign in with Facebook. You met the other person in front of the restaurant and you didn't even get inside, then suddenly you ask: "Before we come in: When is your birthday? What is your e-mail address? Who are your friends? Give me the list of your friends. What do you like? What were the places that you have been lately? What are you talking about with your friends? I need these answers so I can improve our experience inside the restaurant." CREEPY.

CREEEPY.

1. DO — Have Sign in as a guest. Give the user the chance to know your best before they have to commit. If what you offer is great, they will do it. If your product needs a social graph to work well, you can build that for those who sign in as a guest with your community managers and beta testers that are willing to volunteer. And be sure to make it easy for the user to submit their Facebook (or any other social network) information later.
2. DON’T — Ask to access my Contacts. You went through the front door, sat at the restaurant table and without hesitation you ask: “Can I have your mom's phone number?” NO.

NO!

1. DO — Show me how your app can improve the way I get in touch with my friends and family.
2. DON'T — Ask for my location. The waiter just brought the menu and you say: "I would love to know where you are all the time for no reason." If your app is not in the Navigation category, you do not ask the users for their position right in the beginning.

TOO CREEPY.

1. DO — If you do have some location based information to give to the user, offer that and then ask for the user's location. "Do you want to know about all the cool things that are happening around you?"
2. DON'T — Ask to send Push Notifications. You still can't decide between the salad and the soup and you shout: "Can I send you a message later tonight? How about four times tomorrow morning? Don't worry: I will send messages no matter where you are, who you are with or what you are doing. I'll be there."

OUT!

1. DO — Offer the chance to receive relevant information when the user wants (in real time or in the morning, and/or at lunch, and/or in the afternoon, and/or in the evening…. ) and how many times they want as well (once a day, once in a week, once in a month).
2. DON'T — Ask to access my Photos. The waiter just brought you the drinks and you say: "I would love to see your photos." Excuse me!

NOT OK!

1. DO — If your app uses photos, let the user use a photo from your server and then ask them to access their photos.
2. DON'T — Beg for me to Invite my Friends. You are having the main course and you say: "HEY! You should call all of your friends right now and tell them everything about us and maybe they will want to have dinner too."

PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

1. DO — Relax. If I had a great time with you, If I really loved your app I will tell my friends. All of them. Don't bother asking, just make sure it is easy — just like a one click invitation should be.
2. DON'T — Ask for my "love". You are now having dessert and, with your best needy look, you ask: "How many stars does this date get? Do you love me? Please tell that to everyone."

PLEASE LOVE ME!

1. DO — Asking for a review is something you want to leave for the users that open your app everyday at least once. You have the metrics. Use those numbers. And say how much their opinion matters: "Our community is growing and we would love to hear from you." And ask them to rate your app.

Imagine having a Medium popup that says: If you like this post, please recommend.

Temptation!

All those popups will ruin the app first impression and they are not a guarantee for user retention and engagement — I'd say even the opposite, they can scare them away. Show the best of your product and you will be able to build a long lasting relationship with your users.