The Art (and Science) of Creating Goals That Actually Stick

Strava is one of the most goal-driven fitness apps in the world.

They're exceptionally successful at motivating people to move.

But only 2% of their users pay for a subscription, and it's reported that their 30-day retention rate is below industry standards, at only 16% on iOS.

So although Strava has built a retention hook by setting up goals and challenges, 84% of people give up within days.

We're going to look at five key moments that Strava misses.

Laces tied? Let's go.

The problem with generic paywalls is that after seeing them a few times, your brain starts taking shortcuts.

You'll skim read it at first. You may even read some of it the second time. 

What I'm describing is known as 🕶 Content Blindness.

In this context, it means that potential customers aren't even registering the opportunity in front of them—it doesn't matter how great your features are.

One popular technique to break this cycle is to visually change the paywall.

For example, Strava changes the style, the fonts, the background and the offer.

It can still be on-brand, it just needs to be different enough that the user's brain doesn't take the shortcut on autopilot.

You won't be getting the full effect here (because it's tailored to me), but imagine your reaction to these if it was customised for you:

"Oh Brighton, I live there!" (sits up)

Specificity jolts you out of autopilot. It makes the user feel like they're being talked to.

It's true that default options help people think less.

It's also true that in UX, thinking less is usually a good thing.

So then why do I believe that by recommending a goal, Strava are likely to be introducing unwanted side effects?

i.e., an enormous 84% churn problem.

This is exactly the same technique that we use when we don't want the user to think too much (e.g., pricing pages, permission requests).

But the nuance to setting goals, is that you want the user to own the goal (i.e., leveraging 🎁 The Endowment Effect). 

They'll engage with it more, hold themselves to account and feel more in control.

What Strava does is worse than just prescribing a goal though; consider the labels that they've assigned to these options.

Again, this is the same psychology that you'll find on pricing pages. 

Tiers named "basic" might as well be called "cheapskate"—it does the same thing, it forces the user to accept a label.

And on a pricing page, that label might encourage them to upgrade into the "Professional" bundle.

On Strava, to be "serious" you need to work out 5 times a week.

But this isn't Duolingo. You can't maintain your streak from bed at 11.56pm.

You need the time, energy, motivation and health to physically exert yourself.

And when the user can't keep up with their overly-ambitious routine—the one that was recommended to them—then what?

They leave.

Goals like this should be created by the user. They should own them.

P.S., here's a UX Cheatsheet specifically around building goals, milestones and nurturing habits. I think it'll really help.