Will fewer screens lead to higher conversion? Not always
This is a UX redesign case study conducted to increase the registration conversion rate (Install-to-Registration) at exmox, a reward-based game platform company. Breaking the common UX intuition that “the fewer the screens, the higher the conversion rate,” the version that added trust-building and guidance screens to the onboarding process recorded a higher signup conversion rate (+6.38%) than the single-screen version.
1. Problem Recognition and Research
- Problem: A high proportion of users were dropping off after installing the app and not proceeding to registration.
- Initial trial and error: A simple visual redesign of the welcome screen was attempted once, but it did not change the conversion rate.
- User research findings: The main reasons users hesitated to sign up were doubts about the app’s value/profitability, trust/security concerns, and worries about spam.
2. Solution (A/B Test)
To address the cause, value delivery and trust-proof elements were added, and the signup method was compared through two types, Separate Auth and Combined Auth:
- Variant 1 (Separate Auth): Three carousel onboarding screens containing value explanation, proof of earnings, social proof, etc. were shown first, then linked to the signup screen (an additional step).
- Variant 2 (Combined Auth): Both the pitch and the signup form were placed on a single screen (step reduction).
3. Main Results and Insights
- Winning version (Variant 1): The Separate Auth version, which allowed users to fully read the trust elements first, won by recording a signup conversion rate of +6.38% compared with the existing version.
- Increase in logins: The login rate of returning users also increased by 12.87%.
- SSO (social login) conversion: By placing the social login button at the very top, the share of signups through SSO rose dramatically from 41% to 84% (with effects of improving account security and reducing CS burden).
- Key lesson: Reducing screens or steps is not always the right answer. Providing the necessary information (Value & Trust) first, so users can trust the service and feel ready to sign up, can play a more decisive role in increasing conversion rates.
