Improving metrics in one-week sprint

After recognizing that a primary motivation for users to download Hashtag Expert is to generate hashtags, it became apparent that using “Enter hashtags…” as the label for the main input field was potentially counterintuitive.

Here you can see the before and after optimization on the Generate tab, showcasing the improved user interface designed to streamline the hashtag generation process and provide a more intuitive user experience.

Facilitating users to engage in hashtag generation is crucial because it directly aligns with Hashtag Expert’s core value proposition — helping users quickly find relevant hashtags to boost their social media engagement. Early interaction with this feature should enhance user retention by reinforcing the app’s value.

Upon completing the onboarding process, users were previously directed to the “Learn” tab. Following this, they would navigate to the “Generate” tab, only to be immediately presented with a feedback survey — an action required before they had even generated a hashtag. This sequence introduced unnecessary friction and disrupted the user experience, delaying their ability to engage with the primary feature of generating hashtags.

To enhance user experience and streamline the process, we proposed a significant change. Now, upon completing the onboarding process, users are taken directly to the “Generate” tab. This adjustment eliminates the unnecessary steps and allows users to immediately begin generating hashtags, ensuring a smoother and more intuitive user journey.

Additionally, during onboarding, users were asked which social media platform they intended to generate hashtags for. However, this information was not being utilized, resulting in a missed opportunity to streamline the user experience.

Increased 13.5% hashtag generations after completing onboarding

After the optimization, 69.36% of users who completed onboarding went on to generate hashtags, compared to just 55.86% before the changes. This 13.5% increase in conversion rate indicates that the design improvements successfully enhanced the appeal of the “Generate Hashtags” feature, encouraging more users to engage with the app’s core functionality right after onboarding.

Reduced 14.29% in drop-off rates

With the improved flow, the drop-off rates across 10 steps after completing onboarding decreased 14.29% in total, indicating a more cohesive and engaging user experience. The earlier and more frequent engagement with the “Generate Hashtags” action suggests that users found the process more straightforward.

Increased 19.21% early engagement in hashtag generation

Following the optimization, 20.61% of users were able to generate hashtags immediately after onboarding, demonstrating a more intuitive and engaging user flow. This change highlights a more streamlined and intuitive user flow, enabling users to access the core feature immediately after onboarding, enhancing early engagement.

Solution

Next Steps

This design challenge proved to be a significant success, yet there remains ample opportunity for further enhancement. A critical turning point in Hashtag Expert’s product cycle has emerged due to the evolving role of hashtags, as Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri, highlighted that hashtags primarily serve as a categorization tool

Recognizing this shift, Hashtag Expert team is pivoting to address the need for other engagement tools. In response, the team developed and launched a new feature: AI generated captions. This feature enables users to create compelling and personalized captions for posts, reels, and TikTok, tailored to resonate with their audience and drive greater interaction. Furthermore, the team made some minor updates on the “generate” tab.