1274627 - Remove the "Almost Done" first run page

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Firefox :: Tours, defect)

Description

[Verdi [:verdi] Best to slack me]

Attachment: almostdone.png

The "Almost Done" first run page was never meant to be our first run page. It was interim step in a process to get us to offering existing users a way to sign into their sync accounts when installing Firefox on a new device (see bug 670989). 

In addition there are a number of problems with this page:
1. We are trying to simplify the new user flow so what we can get people browsing the web quickly. This page is a roadblock in that flow.
2. This page is misleading. It is sometimes seen as a requirement for using the browser.
3. This page has no context. It does not give much information to the user about the value and purpose of accounts. And it's presented at a time when a user hasn't used Firefox yet so they have no practical context for what an account does.
4. The result of a lack of context is that the page is good at getting people into single-device accounts. These have very little user benefit. And one of the perceived benefits of a single-device account is backup which our sync system is not designed for. Here are some support threads:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1105144
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1109116
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1106441
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1097317
5. Another problem with lack of context is that people create poor passwords because they are unaware of what that password secures. So people who create accounts on this page are 33% more likely to use a common (insecure) password than those signing up in other places. 
6. This page is not effective. About 9% of people register on this page. That compares to about 55% of people who register in places with the proper context (both informational and experiential).

So, since this page was not designed to be in this part of the flow, is not effective, and most importantly, it's actively harming people, we should remove it now.

Comment 1

[Verdi [:verdi] Best to slack me]

To clarify, one of the outcomes for onboarding is to get people using the web quickly during the first session. So at this time I don't want to replace this page with another first run page. We still working on new first run experiences and don't want to remove this ability (it's also used in Nightly and Dev Edition). We simply want to no open this page or a replacement page on first run.

Comment 2

[Jennifer Bertsch [:jbertsch]]

Hi Verdi-

Comment 3

[Jennifer Bertsch [:jbertsch]]

Hi Verdi-

It is my understanding that:
1.  We are updating copy on the existing /firstrun page in the next 1-3 weeks based on ongoing discussions among the teams involved 
2.  The firstrun page will continue to exist for users opening firefox for the first time until the outcome of tests around the new firstrun and secondrun experiences and possibly the onboarding add-on as well (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1267308)

It is also my understanding that removing the page now isn't the agreed on next step.

Thx,
Jen

Comment 4

[Ryan Feeley [:rfeeley]]

Could we replace it with this page which is far more transparent about what creating an account does?
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/accounts/

Comment 5

[Jennifer Bertsch [:jbertsch]]

(In reply to Ryan Feeley [:rfeeley] from comment #4)
> Could we replace it with this page which is far more transparent about what
> creating an account does?
> https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/accounts/

I think Winston and his Firefox durable team are working on copy to present that message.

Comment 6

[Verdi [:verdi] Best to slack me]

(In reply to Jennifer Bertsch [:jbertsch] from comment #3)
> Hi Verdi-
> 
> It is my understanding that:
> 1.  We are updating copy on the existing /firstrun page in the next 1-3
> weeks based on ongoing discussions among the teams involved 

(In reply to Jennifer Bertsch [:jbertsch] from comment #5)
> (In reply to Ryan Feeley [:rfeeley] from comment #4)
> > Could we replace it with this page which is far more transparent about what
> > creating an account does?
> > https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/accounts/
> 
> I think Winston and his Firefox durable team are working on copy to present
> that message.

That solution doesn't address at least some of the issue that I brought up. Namely that we are building an onboarding experience that aims to get people browsing the web quickly during the first session and this page doesn't support that. Also, no matter the copy around the page, asking a new user to create an account before they've even used the product is not the right context and can lead (because some people will not read the new copy or it won't be clear enough or they will misunderstand it) to the other problems I outlined in comment 0.

> 2.  The firstrun page will continue to exist for users opening firefox for
> the first time until the outcome of tests around the new firstrun and
> secondrun experiences and possibly the onboarding add-on as well
> (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1267308)
> 

What we ship to users today is independent of those tests.

> It is also my understanding that removing the page now isn't the agreed on
> next step.

Neither is just rewriting the copy on the existing page. So let's have that discussion here in the bug.

Comment 7

[Winston Bowden]

Eric talked to the Firefox team about this page in Portland. The current plan is to keep it in place with some updates to the sub-headline to reinforce the value proposition of a Firefox Account.

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1275006

Comment 8

[Chris More [:cmore]]

(In reply to Winston Bowden from comment #7)
> Eric talked to the Firefox team about this page in Portland. The current
> plan is to keep it in place with some updates to the sub-headline to
> reinforce the value proposition of a Firefox Account.
> 
> https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1275006

Looks like the updated value prop is pushed out:

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/46.0/firstrun/

or seen from this screenshot: http://cl.ly/3o380Y1k0B2L

As for this first run page overall, we should have retention data in the next 2-3 weeks if it is better, equal, or worse than no first run at all when it comes to user retention over time. This will be determined from the recent funnelcakes tests performed via bug 1267305.

As soon as I figure out the answer, I will let everyone know an how the answer and how to review the findings.

Comment 9

[Alex Gibson [:agibson]]

Fixing Bug 1195573 may also be worth consideration here. It's a simple change, and as far as I understand has been blocked by requiring an Optimizely test running. Even if we run the test or not, I think it would be a worthwhile addition with little effort.

Comment 10

[Chris More [:cmore]]

(In reply to Alex Gibson [:agibson] from comment #9)
> Fixing Bug 1195573 may also be worth consideration here. It's a simple
> change, and as far as I understand has been blocked by requiring an
> Optimizely test running. Even if we run the test or not, I think it would be
> a worthwhile addition with little effort.

Mentioned something related in that bug on the results of a recent test on the page:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1195573#c21

Comment 11

[Justin Dolske [:Dolske]]

Verdi/Nick say we can't do this until we have data that there's something better than the current page (eg bug 1259608), so can't do this until that data exists.

Comment 12

[[e-mail]]

I guess this is invalid now since we redesigned the page.

Michael could you confirm that?

Comment 13

[Verdi [:verdi] Best to slack me]

Confirmed.