Canny, Sleekplan and Frill
What if I told you there is a way you can engage your audience even more with the use of a simple, yet effective signup flow? I am not just saying this because that is what we do for our customers at Upflowy, but I say this because I have had some great experiences recently that I wanted to share with you.
What comes to mind when you see this statement?
Feature your product in your signup flow to increase engagement.
Stumped? Let me show you what I mean, through my Flow State review.
The original plan was to only review Canny, but after consulting App Sumo, I was informed of other competitors. Through competitor analysis, I believe there is a more thorough understanding of the issue at hand, how these companies are highlighting their product in the signup process to increase engagement. These companies have similar products and target markets, and I used this to see how they approach the customer differently and the reasons behind their strategy. Users will often search competitors too, whether that be for pricing, capability or research.
Recently, I reviewed the signup flows of three companies who have a similar product and serve a similar audience. The flows of Canny, Sleekplan, and Frill are all explored in my Flow State video below, and further expanded upon in this Case Study.
From this review, I saw experiences that I really loved.
The companies incorporated or demonstrated the actual product within the signup flow. These experiences saved me time and gave me a first-hand experience of the product.
To combine this experience, when this was paired with a signup flow that really showed off the brand, their key messages and what they are capable of, I found my experience with the sign up flow (and impression of the business) was better. All the businesses, Canny, Sleek and Frill all operate in the space of user feedback, but how they sell themselves in their signup flow is very different.
Let me explain:
Incorporating your product into the signup flow
Canny
Very easy, very simple
The Canny sign up flow can be described as very simple and very easy. Proof that not everything has to be complex, in fact, you want it to be quite the opposite. I found the experience of the sign up flow for Canny really gave me an introduction to what it is like using the product.
We see this when creating the first board for the product, which is the final step of the sign up process. Once you make the first board, bang, you land in the product, ready to use. I really like this feature because not only do I sign up, but I am left with something at the end of the process that I can use.
What I also liked about this signup flow is when I am creating a board, it even gives suggestions on what I can call it, which I could see would be a blocker if people weren’t 100% sure how to use the product before diving in.
As I said, very simple, very easy. The Canny signup flow was a winner for more. You can see the process unfold from 5:36.
Sleekplan
Customization shines through
Sleekplan really did nail the setup process for customization of your product. During the signup process I was prompted to choose the color scheme and style of my product. This of course saves time and energy by adding features like these in the signup flow.
It makes for one less thing to do/decide when building out the product you want to use. What I also loved is the last step of the signup flow. This was the “next action step” using the product. It helped me decide what I wanted to do next in the Sleekplan product. This created an interaction with the product straight away based on what I chose.
A powerful feature to keep me on their platform! Of course, each option would have told Sleekplan a lot about what I want to use the product for. Customized and powerful, I love it!
You can see the Sleekplan signup flow from 10:14
Frill
The ultimate product experience
This was the brand that did it the best during the signup flow process. How? Well, what I found was when I signed up, I was using their product directly!
It was such a good experience that when I finished their simple sign up flow, I had a board already created straight on the platform. What I also found great is I was presented with examples to help decide what I created within the product. I could also tag ideas and submit them straight away to my board.
In regards to their flow, I think Frill really won the day. See this unfold in my Flow State episode from 16:40
Showing off the brand in the signup
The Sign Up flow is a unique moment of the journey for the customer, as they are at the final stage before becoming a user. The importance of this stage cannot be overstated as there is a considerable level of drop during this stage. A recent article from Heap.io, had the figure at north of 60%, in regards to user drop from the sign up flow. In order to ensure that drop is reduced the sign up flow needs to be experiential. Each of the companies in the Flow State review each had their own methodology to achieve this. Their strategy was aligned to what they offered, their use cases, product use and social proof.
All three companies offered a tailored, direct and focused sign up flow. These flows, in as little steps as possible, sought to expose the user to the value and use of the product. The route they took you to that end goal was different for each. Canny had proof, Sleekplan has a considered flow, allowing you to customise the with the product, and Frill taught me how to use it.
Canny employed one of the best social proofs I’ve ever seen. The testimonial from Click Up (an incredible task management platform) wasn’t just the stock standard quote with a picture. Instead, there was a live link to Click Ups current feature request board. This is a brilliant move from Canny, highlighting their product in use by a heavy hitting company, really validating and reinforcing their product value.
When going through the Sleekplan flow, their method was an incredible focused sign up flow, nailing almost all the right details. The progress bar was helpful and clear, the funnelling questions offered were great. They would direct their potential customers right where they needed to go as well as offering information about the product and the context it would be used in. My favourite part of the flow was the Style step, where I was able to control the colour and theme. This showed the tool in action and allowed me to be in control of it, helping me to understand the product I was dealing with.
Finally, with Frill, they were the highlight in demonstration of their product. They had the shortest signup flow but a majority of the steps had you interacting with the product. I created my first board, with a description, then was able to tag it with suggestions, making it easy, avoiding any friction. By the time you’ve finished the short flow, you’ve already created something that’s in the product.
A key element that was in each of these signup flows was the step or request for your company’s name attached to a domain. This helps establish value of the product incredibly quickly for the user, they feel as though they already own something for their company within the product. There is a desire to ensure you have the domain for your company, this means you then have skin in the game with this product.
All three companies removed the friction of the credit card. Each of the companies allowed for a free trial period to ensure that price wasn’t a cause for drop. For products like this, users want to experience it first before putting down any money, especially those in growing businesses or startups.
Additionally, none of the companies in the review made integration a step during this flow. I believe this would’ve increased the overall level of drop. The simpler the flow, the better, especially if you’re already letting the user experience the product already. Steps like integration should be highlighted or recommended once the user has seen and experienced enough value.
Overall Winner
One signup flow had to win. That winner was Sleek plan. Their consideration of the signup flow and product integration made it the clear winner. Other than social proof in the first step, there was barely anything wrong with the flow. Their conditional logic and direction of the user with simply worded and great questions were outstanding. The ability to customize and play with the product during the flow builds excitement and anticipation to see the product in full force.
Finally, and most effectively, just before taking you into the product, the user is offered a choice for their first interaction. The choice to filter the user where they need to go at this step is important because they promote a great first experience with the product. You will likely achieve your first task, rather than take a few moments acclimating to the product you’ve just landed on. They’ve made it obvious to the user, how to best manage the product. Understanding the product’s value after being expertly funneled by a great flow was always going to win the day.
Conclusion
The signup flow process will always be a unique opportunity to engage with potential users. These companies have increased their engagement by making this step very experiential. They’ve allowed you to experience the value in that process, maintain interest and help guide the customer’s decision. Often in these processes, people are checking the competition, so to see these three companies using best practices, while highlighting certain differences or USPs, means they’ve tried to seek out a more niche group within their target market.
If you’re looking to create a web experience for your users to better help inform them about your product, its value, and reduce drop, then Upflowy is the product for you. With a range of visual and design elements to choose from, a thorough data collection system, and A/B testing, we’re optimizing the signup flow experience to help you grow more and more each day. We’ve also just redesigned our website and are keen for people to take a look!