Live Price Check is out there — now it’s about turning installs into impact by guiding users to that first “aha” moment and keeping them coming back.
Wiser Solutions is a SaaS company specializing in a suite of retail solutions designed to empower retailers and brands with data-driven insights and strategies. Live Price Check is a Chrome extension for retailers and brands to check competitor prices in real-time while on competitors' or their own website.
The status quo
Users had to purchase the product first, then tell us what sites and categories they wanted tracked—without any guidance or upfront value. No direction. No momentum.
That’s where I stepped in: to rework the experience and turn installs into impact.
Lack of onboarding leads to low user activation and heavy reliance on CSM handholding
Too many steps and not enough guidance prevent users from reaching the “aha” moment.
1. No clear value upfront – After installing the Chrome extension, users receive only a confirmation message and have no idea what to expect next.
2. No guidance on how to start – Users must find their way to a subscribed retailer’s site and navigate to a category page to see “product highlights”, with no guidance at all!
3. Small touchpoints, big confusion – Once on the page, users must click a tiny highlight to see product prices across retailers, often missing the “aha” moment.
Metrics Measuring
Define user activation
Through analytics, we identified a strong link between users’ first-day actions and their long-term engagement.
Solution
Faster path to value with streamlined onboarding
1. Introduce a pre-install landing page to build value perception early, with a clear login flow and setup steps.
2. After login, take users straight to their subscribed category page so they can see product highlights right away— no extra clicks, no detours.
3. On arrival, auto-trigger a lightweight product tour so users know exactly what to do—see how it works, get prompted to click on highlights, and reach the “aha” moment faster.
Impact
Smooth onboarding drove a 9% boost in user activation
Iteration
Pave the way for a Product-Led Growth free trial strategy
As we iterated, we unlocked a self-serve free trial experience that let users explore the product instantly — no sales call needed, supporting 3 key moments of PLG value: 1. Value Perception: Clear positioning and simple install built immediate interest. 2. Value Adoption: Users could start tracking prices right away for free with minimal setup. 3. Value Realization: Real-time data and insights made the product’s value obvious early on.
What else
My journey on user activation and engagement
Besides optimizing onboarding funnel, I have also worked on general user engagements for our main product, to understand how value is adopted:
Define what activation really means, and grouped users into cohorts (Power, Core, Casual) to see how different behaviors impact engagement and retention.
Dig into funnel data to identify where users dropped off and why, using the insights to run experiments that bring people back.
Ensure new features have built-in value moments from day one — backed by in-app messages through Intercom to see what actually clicks with users.
Takeaways
Great products don’t win alone — Clear paths to value do
Start with Value: Users don’t care about setup—they care about what they get. Show the payoff fast, and they’ll stick around. Data helps pinpoint where that “aha” moment really lands.
Guide, Don’t Guess: A quick tour or smart nudge beats guessing. Funnel and behavior data show where users get lost—so we can lead them with well-timed prompts, not guesswork.
Let the Product Speak: The best pitch is the product itself. A hands-on trial backed by usage data builds more trust—and gives us real signals on what’s working.
.png)
