How to increase sign-ups and installs
Work through four areas:- Define the path to getting started and the completion point
- Provide the information needed to choose your product
- Reduce friction in signing up, purchasing, or installing
- Compare results before and after changes
Define the starting path and conversion point
First, list the actions in order from where people discover your product to where sign-up or install is completed. Don’t assume only a website—verify the actual paths for each distribution method.
After mapping the paths, check the number of people who started and the number who completed at each stage. is segmented by conversion point as follows:
- From website visit to sign-up start
- From sign-up start to sign-up completion
- From website to store page visit
- From store page view to install or purchase
- From download to install or first launch
1. Map the path to getting started
For the conversion point you’re improving, define start and completion as concrete actions. A vague state like “we have few sign-ups” won’t tell you whether to fix page copy, input forms, or the store listing. Match each metric to a reliable data source. Website and in-product behavior may come from Google Analytics, store impressions and installs from the distribution platform, and purchases from payment or store records. When combining sources, align the time period, country or region, operating system, and acquisition source. In addition to overall CVR, breaking down by these units makes it easier to locate the problem:
Don’t make decisions based on short-term changes in small segments. Start by examining segments with large, sustained differences, and check the actual screens and user behavior for those segments.
2. Provide the information needed to choose your product
Before signing up or installing, users check: “Can this help me achieve my goal?” “What do I need to get started?” and “Am I comfortable with the cost and risk?” On product and store pages, make the information needed to decide easy to find and verify without searching around.
On the website, communicate the target user, use cases, outcomes, and the next action up front. Provide clear paths to feature pages, examples, pricing, comparisons, FAQ, and documentation, and explain steps that will be required after clicking the sign-up button.
On store pages, convey the app name, icon, first screenshots, videos, and the primary use case in the opening description. Don’t leave environment requirements, required permissions, pricing, or in-app purchases as surprises only visible after install. Align feature and pricing information between the website and store page to match the current product.
When reviewing competitor pages, look for what users are comparing and which information is missing from your descriptions—don’t simply copy wording. Highlight your unique value with concrete use cases and outcomes that the target user can evaluate.
Build or improve your website
Create or improve a website that communicates product value, features, pricing, and the path to getting started.
Research competitors
Investigate competitor messaging, features, pricing, and sign-up flows to decide what your product should add or improve.
3. Reduce friction in signing up, purchasing, or installing
After a user chooses your product, investigate causes of drop-off during sign-up, store redirects, purchase, download, and installation. Do not remove fields merely to make a form shorter. Keep the information required to create the account or complete the purchase, explain why it is needed, and make the next action unambiguous. Identify where the largest drop-offs occur on the path to sign-up or install, and start improvements from the explanation or action closest to that point. The table below lists what to check first for each conversion point and actions to take if there’s a problem.
Page load speed and layout issues also cause drop-off before sign-up starts. Manually run through the actual path on smartphone, desktop, and major OSes and check buttons, forms, store redirects, and the completion screens.
Do not rely solely on analytics to determine causes of drop-off. Inspect the screens, input fields, error messages, and recurring questions in support or reviews, then design changes that address those causes.
Improve CVR for sign-up, activation, and monetization
Use behavioral data from Google Analytics and similar tools to find drop-off points, and improve website, store pages, and post-sign-up flows.
4. Measure the effect of each change
After publishing changes, compare before and after under the same conditions. Record the pages changed, target users, traffic sources, devices, and time period. Avoid changing many elements at once. Confirm the direct effect using the metric closest to the place you changed, and also check whether activation or retention afterward has worsened. The table below maps the changed area to primary and secondary metrics to verify.
If sign-ups or installs increase but the number of users who derive value afterward doesn’t, verify whether you’re acquiring off-target users or whether pre-sign-up explanations match the actual product. Success is judged by increasing users who start using the product without degrading subsequent stages.
Choose the next NoimosAI workflow
Select one Channel Guide to read next based on your current issue. If multiple items apply, start with the issue occurring earliest on the path to sign-up or install.Related pages
- Get discovered: Increase touchpoints with your target users before sign-up and install.
- Increase activation and retention: Guide users from sign-up and install to initial value and continued use.
- Increase paid users: Improve pre-purchase decision-making and conversion from free to paid plans.