Appcues onboarding research
Empty states make new users bounce
Give users sample data to play with
An empty product is confusing. Pre-populate with examples so users can explore before committing.
ActivationBeginner
1-2 weeks
When to use
New users face an empty state and struggle to understand what to create first.
Hypothesis template
If we pre-populate new accounts with fill in: sample data, users will understand the product faster because they can explore real examples.
Method
The problem: New users see an empty dashboard. They don't know what to
create first. They leave before understanding what's possible.
The fix: Like furniture stores setting up model rooms, show users what "lived in" looks like.
Examples that work:
- Project management: Sample project with tasks
- Analytics: Demo data showing what insights look like
- Design tools: Template designs to remix
- CRM: Fake contacts to practice with
Why it works:
- Users see value immediately (no imagination required)
- They learn by exploring, not reading docs
- "Aha moments" happen in minutes, not days
- Reduces "I don't know what to do first" anxiety
How to do it:
- Create realistic sample data (not lorem ipsum, real-looking stuff)
- Make it relevant to common use cases
- Include comments/annotations explaining features
- Make it deletable when they're ready
- Consider persona-based samples (different data for different user types)
- Track: users who explore samples vs those who don't. Who activates better?
Success metrics
- •Sample data interaction rate
- •Time to first real action
- •Activation rate: sample explorers vs non-explorers
- •Support tickets about "how to start"
Prerequisites
- Realistic sample data
- Easy way to clear samples
- Tracking on sample interactions
Common pitfalls
- •Obvious fake data (lorem ipsum)
- •Samples that clutter the real experience
- •No way to delete samples
- •Samples that don't match user personas
Source: Appcues onboarding research. Read more
Suggested ICE scores
7Impact
8Confidence
7Ease
activationonboardingempty-statesux
Ready to run this experiment?
Sign up free to use this playbook with step-by-step guidance and track your results.