In today's digital world, the success of a mobile application isn't solely defined by the service or product it offers. User retention—the time users spend within the app—is one of the most critical success indicators. Keeping users engaged requires more than an appealing interface; it calls for design-driven strategies tailored to real user needs.

In this article, we'll explore 3 key strategies that help increase the time users spend in your app:

1. Onboarding: Build Trust from the First Interaction

The onboarding flow is a user's first experience with your app. It's not just an introduction—it's a chance to build trust. Complex sign-up forms, unclear interfaces, or disjointed flows can lead to drop-offs in the first few seconds.

What makes a successful onboarding?

• It starts quickly: Gets the user into action with minimal friction.
• It's guided: Walks users through what they need to do, step by step.
• It's simple: Offers only essential information with clear value.

360 Sağlık: Data-Driven Onboarding Optimization

For the 360 Sağlık app, we conducted detailed user research to understand digital habits. The result was a streamlined, intuitive onboarding flow that guided users through the app's features step by step. By focusing only on core functions and avoiding information overload, we helped users adapt quickly—and stay longer.

2. Know Your Users: Designing Personalized Experiences

Once onboarding is complete, your user is inside the app—but that doesn't mean they'll stay. To build loyalty, the experience must feel personal. The feeling of "they know me" is essential to long-term engagement.

This feeling goes beyond using someone's name. It's about:

• Content suggestions based on behavior,
• Interfaces optimized for individual usage patterns,
• Smart, personalized notification strategies.

Clovy: A VOYA Signature in Personalization

Clovy, an app designed for pregnancy tracking, delivers a tailored experience by learning from user interactions. Based on habits and content preferences, it suggests personalized content and adapts the interface accordingly. Instead of a generic experience, users feel understood—leading to deeper engagement and longer session times.

3. Visual Design: Instant Trust and Clarity

When users first open your app, they instantly ask themselves:

• Can I trust this app?
• What should I do here?
• Where should I focus?

Visual design must answer these questions quickly by:

• Establishing trust,
• Providing direction,
• Creating comfort and clarity.

Best Practices in Visual Design:

• Clear hierarchy between titles, content, and action buttons.
• Smart use of color, size, and placement to guide attention.
• Avoiding visual clutter in favor of simplicity and focus.

Coffy Redesign: The Power of Visual Hierarchy

The original interface of the Coffy app suffered from cluttered layouts and unclear priorities. After a redesign focused on visual hierarchy, users could better understand what to look at first. Clear headlines, structured spacing, and standout buttons made the interface more readable and user-friendly—directly increasing retention.

Conclusion: Good Design Is a Silent Conversation

Why does a user stay in an app?

Because it's not just a screen—it's an experience. A good app guides users, understands them, and makes their journey effortless. That's the invisible but powerful role of thoughtful design.

At VOYA, we design experiences that go beyond visuals—we design connections. We craft reasons to stay.

Great design isn't just seen — it's felt. It builds trust. And it brings users back.