Bonus + Streak System: Improving Retention & Survey Engagement
Most users downloaded our mobile app, took 1–3 surveys, and churned before reaching the minimum threshold for cashout.
We had:
Poor Retention
1% retention after 7 days
Abandonment with Points
Large percentage of users abandoning the app with <200 points
Low Perceived Value
Low perceived value in continuing as the difficulty of completing surveys was high
We needed a way to reward consistency, encourage daily activity, and make progress feel tangible. Ideally, without undermining the pay-per-survey model or overinflating the reward system.
Research Conducted:
- User behavior analysis (clicks, survey completion funnels, dropout points)
- Interviewed active and lapsed users to understand friction
- Benchmarked other online panel competitors
Discovery & Hypothesis
Hypothesized that early drop-off was due to: Lack of short-term gratification, Missed expectations on reward pacing, No structure or motivation to return daily. Defined opportunity for a streak system tied to bonus points.
Experiments Designed
Permissions enabled bonus (increasing points per completed survey), Survey streaks: completing 5 surveys to get 100 points as bonus, Controlled rollout to 2 markets (Brazil, Mexic) with A/B testing.
Collaboration
PM (lead), 1 mobile dev (iOS/Android), 1 backend engineer, designer (visual feedback). Used Firebase Remote Config for variant testing and targeting. Monitored real-time engagement cohorts via Metabase dashboards.
Visual Feedback Loops Win
Users responded best to visual feedback loops (progress bar + bonus reveal animation).
5-Surveys Magic Threshold
The 5-surveys streak was the "magic threshold": most users got a boost after receiving 100 points.
Timing Matters
Early onboarding timing matters: presenting users with the bonus system on the first day was key to getting high activation rates on the next day.