Feature Discovery
What Is Feature Discovery and Why Does It Matter?
As a consumer app, you've likely invested heavily in building useful features to improve your users' experience. But what good are those features if people don't know about them? That's where feature discovery comes in.
Feature discovery is the process of actively surfacing and promoting your app's capabilities to users in a contextual, personalized way. By highlighting the right features at the right times, you can drive adoption and boost engagement.
For example, many shopping apps employ feature discovery techniques like spotlighting to call attention to their price comparison tool when a user is viewing a product. Or a fitness app may use a coachmark to introduce interval training to someone who's plateaued in their workouts.
Effective feature discovery relies on understanding your users and tailoring experiences to their needs and behaviors. It requires leveraging data to determine optimal timing and placement to educate people about features they'll genuinely benefit from. When done right, feature discovery feels like a natural, helpful part of the user journey rather than an intrusive ad or sales pitch.
Platforms like Nudge enable you to easily build and manage in-app feature discovery campaigns. You can deploy contextual nudges to highlight different capabilities for specific audiences based on things like their activity, location, usage history, and more. Nudge also supports gamification elements such as challenges to drive awareness and adoption of key features in an engaging way.
Feature discovery is a secret weapon for driving long-term usage and loyalty. When you connect people with the features that matter most to them, you create a win-win experience that keeps them coming back.
Driving Feature Adoption Through Discovery
Discovery is key to driving adoption of new features. If users don't know about a feature, they can't use it.
1) Highlight New Features
Use in-app nudges like spotlights, coachmarks or tooltips to highlight new features for users. These unobtrusive prompts educate users about functionality they may have missed. For example, after launching a new messaging option, have a spotlight appear for users directing them to the new feature.
2) Challenge Users
Issuing challenges related to new features inspires users to explore the feature to complete the challenge. For example, challenge users to send 5 messages using the new messaging system to earn points or a badge. This motivates users to try out the feature, and once they start using it, they will likely continue using it.
3) Provide Contextual Help
Another way to aid discovery is to offer help content within the context of using the feature. For example, for the new messaging system, showcase a tooltip within the messaging flow that gives an overview of how the feature works and any tips for using it. This helps users learn about the feature at the point they are using it.
Driving adoption through discovery takes planning and consistency. Use a combination of highlighting new features, challenging users to explore them, and offering contextual help. With time and regular use, users will make the new features a habit. And that's the ultimate goal of any product team - building features that users can't live without!
Implementing Feature Discovery With Tools Like Nudge
So you’ve built an amazing new feature for your app, but how do you get people to start using it? That’s where feature discovery comes in. Feature discovery helps guide your users to your latest and greatest features so they can experience the full value of your product- Nudge helps you do that.
1) Use Contextual Nudges
A great way to implement feature discovery is through contextual nudges like spotlights, coachmarks, and tooltips using a UX platform like Nudge. These nudges provide helpful tips and information about new features right when the user needs them. For example, when a user first logs in after an update, you can show a spotlight nudge highlighting your new feature. Or when a user is on a screen where the new feature would be useful, a coachmark can appear directing them to try it out.
2) Gamify New Feature Adoption
You can also make discovering and using new features fun by turning it into a game. Issue challenges for people to complete using your new feature. For example, “Use our new filtering features to find 3 products under $20 this week.” Or create a progress bar for people to fill as they use the feature more and more. This taps into people’s competitive spirit and desire for rewards to increase adoption.
3) Track Feature Discovery Metrics
To improve your feature discovery efforts over time, you need to track key metrics like:
Spotlight, coachmark and tooltip click-through and conversion rates. See which nudges are most effective.
New feature usage and retention. Monitor whether people continue using the feature after the initial discovery experience.
Challenge completion and participation rates. See how much your gamification features motivate people to try new things.
User feedback. Survey a sample of users to get direct input on their feature discovery experience and what you can improve.
Feature discovery is an ongoing process of educating, exciting and engaging your users with the latest and best of what your product has to offer. With the right tools and techniques, you'll be driving new feature adoption in no time.
