iblai-marketing-onboarding-cro

name	iblai-marketing-onboarding-cro
description	When the user wants to optimize post-signup onboarding, user activation, first-run experience, or time-to-value. Also use when the user mentions "onboarding flow," "activation rate," "user activation," "first-run experience," "empty states," "onboarding checklist," "aha moment," "new user experience," "users aren't activating," "nobody completes setup," "low activation rate," "users sign up but don't use the product," "time to value," or "first session experience." Use this whenever users are signing up but not sticking around. For signup/registration optimization, see iblai-marketing-signup-flow-cro. For ongoing email sequences, see iblai-marketing-email-sequence.
globs	null
alwaysApply	false
metadata	{"version":"1.1.0"}

/iblai-marketing-onboarding-cro

Get users to their "aha moment" fast and lock in the habits that drive retention.

Step 0: Context Check

Read .agents/product-marketing-context.md (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md on older setups) first. Only ask for what isn't there.

Pin down before recommending:

1. Product context — type of product, B2B or B2C, core value prop
2. Activation definition — the "aha moment"; the action that signals a user "gets it"
3. Current state — what happens after signup, where users drop off

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Core Principles

1. Time-to-value is everything. Remove every step between signup and core value.
2. One goal per session. Focus the first session on one successful outcome. Save advanced features for later.
3. Do, don't show. Interactive > tutorial. Doing the thing > learning about the thing.
4. Progress creates motivation. Show advancement. Celebrate completions. Make the path visible.

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Defining Activation

Find Your Aha Moment

The action that correlates most strongly with retention:

• What do retained users do that churned users don't?
• What's the earliest indicator of future engagement?

Examples by product type:

• Project management: create first project + add team member
• Analytics: install tracking + see first report
• Design tool: create first design + export/share
• Marketplace: complete first transaction

Activation Metrics

• % of signups who reach activation
• Time to activation
• Steps to activation
• Activation by cohort/source

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Onboarding Flow Design

Immediate Post-Signup (First 30 Seconds)

Approach	Best For	Risk
Product-first	Simple products, B2C, mobile	Blank slate overwhelm
Guided setup	Products needing personalization	Adds friction before value
Value-first	Products with demo data	May not feel "real"

Whatever you pick:

• Clear single next action
• No dead ends
• Progress indication if multi-step

Onboarding Checklist Pattern

Use when:

• Multiple setup steps required
• Product has several features to discover
• Self-serve B2B

Best practices:

• 3-7 items (not overwhelming)
• Order by value (most impactful first)
• Start with quick wins
• Progress bar / completion %
• Celebrate completion
• Dismiss option — don't trap users

Empty States

Empty states are onboarding moments, not dead ends.

Good empty state:

• Explains what this area is for
• Shows what it looks like with data
• Clear primary action to add the first item
• Optional: pre-populate with example data

Tooltips and Guided Tours

Use when: complex UI, features that aren't self-evident, power features users might miss.

Best practices:

• Max 3-5 steps per tour
• Dismissable at any time
• Don't repeat for returning users

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Multi-Channel Onboarding

Email + In-App Coordination

Trigger-based emails:

• Welcome email (immediate)
• Incomplete onboarding (24h, 72h)
• Activation achieved (celebration + next step)
• Feature discovery (days 3, 7, 14)

Email should:

• Reinforce in-app actions, not duplicate them
• Drive back to product with a specific CTA
• Personalize based on actions taken

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Handling Stalled Users

Detection

Define "stalled" criteria (X days inactive, incomplete setup).

Re-engagement Tactics

1. Email sequence — reminder of value, address blockers, offer help
2. In-app recovery — welcome back, pick up where left off
3. Human touch — for high-value accounts, personal outreach

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Measurement

Key Metrics

Metric	Description
Activation rate	% reaching activation event
Time to activation	How long to first value
Onboarding completion	% completing setup
Day 1/7/30 retention	Return rate by timeframe

Funnel Analysis

Track drop-off at each step:

Signup → Step 1 → Step 2 → Activation → Retention
100%      80%       60%       40%         25%

Identify the biggest drops and focus there.

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Output Format

Onboarding Audit

Per issue: Finding → Impact → Recommendation → Priority

Onboarding Flow Design

• Activation goal
• Step-by-step flow
• Checklist items (if applicable)
• Empty state copy
• Email sequence triggers
• Metrics plan

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Common Patterns by Product Type

Product Type	Key Steps
B2B SaaS	Setup wizard → first value action → team invite → deep setup
Marketplace	Complete profile → browse → first transaction → repeat loop
Mobile App	Permissions → quick win → push setup → habit loop
Content Platform	Follow/customize → consume → create → engage

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Experiment Ideas

When recommending experiments, consider:

• Flow simplification (step count, ordering)
• Progress and motivation mechanics
• Personalization by role or goal
• Support and help availability

Comprehensive experiments: references/experiments.md.

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Task-Specific Questions

1. What action most correlates with retention?
2. What happens immediately after signup?
3. Where do users currently drop off?
4. Activation rate target?
5. Cohort analysis on successful vs. churned users?

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Related Skills

• iblai-marketing-signup-flow-cro: Optimizing the signup before onboarding
• iblai-marketing-email-sequence: Onboarding email series
• iblai-marketing-paywall-upgrade-cro: Converting to paid during/after onboarding
• iblai-marketing-ab-test-setup: Testing onboarding changes