8 blank state examples you can use to improve user experience during onboarding

8 Blank State Examples You Can Use to Improve User

Experience During Onboarding

Having analyzed the pricing strategies of 100 SaaS companies, today we’re picking 20 of them to analyze their blank state pages.

Having looked at all of them in details, we found eight main categories:

1. Dashboard filled with default data: AcuityScheduling2. Dashboard filled with sample data: Groove3. Tutorial: Mixpanel4. Call to action: Campaign Monitor, Zengine5. No blank state: Mouseflow, Kissmetrics6. Hybrid: Basecamp7. Empty dashboard: 123contactform, Google Analytics8. Everything laid out: Mailigen, TalentLMS

1. Dashboards filled with default data

This is the type of dashboard where default data is filled in automatically to show you the features of the app. The important thing to note is that this is data that you would actually be able to use

For Acuity Scheduling you get a week’s schedule automatically filled in to help you understand how you can organize your work week. It shows you that you can schedule a lunch break, or set yourself as not available during weekends.

2. Dashboards filled with sample data

This is very similar to the dashboards with default data but with the one key difference: you have no actual use for the sample data. You see it within the app, you see what it looks like, and then you just go ahead and delete it.

In Groove you get a couple of sample notifications from the Groove team to show you what it looks like when a customer creates a ticket.

3. Tutorial

For this type of app, the first thing you see after you register is a video tutorial showing you more info about the features of the app.

In Mixpanel you see a video for every feature of the app.

Each of the videos explain how the feature works, and show you how you can use it.

4. Call to action

On this type of screen you get prompted to take the action required for you to be able to use the product.

For Campaign Monitor it means that you have to set up the first campaign. You get directed to this page which prompts you to go

ahead and start creating the campaign.

5. No Blank State

This type of app doesn’t let you see the next screen unless you perform the required action.

This is what Kissmetrics displays.

Unless you install the code on your website, you won’t be able to get past this screen and see any features within the app.

6. Hybrid

This type of page combines multiple blank state designs.

Basecamp is in a category of its own. The two options displayed after the onboarding is complete feature a dashboard filled with sample data and a

call to action.

7. Empty dashboard

This is the state where the user sees the dashboard without any data. You have to take an action (i.e. implement the tracking code) before it will become awash with data.

With Google Analytics you first have to install the tracking code on your website and only then will the dashboard start to show you the data.

8. Everything laid out

We’ve also found a couple of products that display every single feature as soon as you finish registering for them. You are bombarded with a screen with lots of options.

This might be a bit too much for a regular user, but it’s an option that could work in a scenario where the user would receive training or view a demo prior to using the product.

This is the screen that you get to after logging in for the first time.

Although you can experience Mailigen in 3 easy steps, it seems a bit confusing at first because you don’t know where you should click first.

Having seen how other SaaS companies are handling their blank page states, the next step is to go back to your own app and choose the option that makes most sense for your product and users.

Which of the examples above closely match what you are currently serving up on your blank state pages? Or maybe you have a different example entirely?

Originally posted on the InnerTrends blog.