How do Product Levers Influence Activation Rates in Consumer Apps?
When considering activation rates in consumer apps, it's essential to distinguish between core product levers – the essential features and functionalities that form the app's value proposition – and user experience tactics that enhance the user journey towards these features, such as in-app guidance or push notifications.
Let's explore how product-side levers can be optimized in different types of consumer apps to improve activation rates.
Fitness and Wellness Apps:
For these apps, product-side levers might include personalized workout plans or interactive wellness challenges. These features engage users by catering to their specific health goals. For example, a fitness app might increase activation rates by offering AI-driven workout recommendations based on user input and progress.
In contrast, tactics like intuitive onboarding or motivational notifications work to guide users more quickly to these core features, complementing the product-side levers.
Educational Apps:
In educational apps, product-side levers can be diverse course offerings, interactive learning tools, or adaptive learning paths. An app specializing in language learning, for example, might activate more users by providing immersive language exercises tailored to different proficiency levels.
Tactics such as an engaging onboarding quiz or progress tracking notifications help users discover and engage with these educational features more efficiently.
Lifestyle and Hobby Apps:
For apps focused on hobbies or lifestyle, unique features like virtual community interactions or DIY project guides can act as product-side levers. A cooking app could boost activation by offering unique, user-generated recipes with step-by-step video instructions.
On-platform tips or community highlights can act as tactics to quickly engage users with these unique lifestyle features.
Understanding and leveraging these product-side levers, while also implementing tactics to reduce friction in discovering these features, is key to boosting activation rates in various consumer app categories.