What didn't move the needle: badges for completing the profile, and a two-minute welcome video. Both were nice to have, and neither changed who came back.
Want to try this on your own community with just one free afternoon? Count your signup fields and measure how long new members wait for a first reply. Those two will tell you most of the story.
A measurement note: we counted someone as retained in week one if they came back at least once between day 2 and day 7. Whatever definition you use, write it down and don't change it halfway through.
Wrap-up. Week-one retention for the first cohort after all the changes: 34%, up from 21%.
What didn't move the needle: badges for completing the profile, and a two-minute welcome video. Both were nice to have, and neither changed who came back.
Want to try this on your own community with just one free afternoon? Count your signup fields and measure how long new members wait for a first reply. Those two will tell you most of the story.
A measurement note: we counted someone as retained in week one if they came back at least once between day 2 and day 7. Whatever definition you use, write it down and don't change it halfway through.
Thanks to the client team for letting me share their numbers. Questions are welcome under any stage, and I'll answer over the next few days.