3x Click Rate Boost: Sortizy’s Lifecycle Marketing Strategy
Uplift in onboarding completion
Improvement in activation
Key Insight
Sortizy, a meal planning and grocery management app, had a clear goal — help users simplify meal prep and shopping. Yet, the onboarding flow wasn’t converting new signups into active planners. Propel identified that fragmented onboarding and a lack of lifecycle communication were preventing users from experiencing Sortizy’s full value. The goal was to design a seamless, high-retention onboarding experience that converted curiosity into consistent engagement.
Solution Snapshot
Propel re-engineered Sortizy’s lifecycle structure with a focus on behavior-driven onboarding and habit reinforcement.
Onboarding Optimization
Rebuilt the signup-to-first-action flow with guided steps.
Behavioral Triggers
Created personalized nudges based on user actions (or inactions).
In-App + Push Sync
Integrated email, push, and in-app flows for consistent engagement.
Continuous Learning Loop
Used analytics from each cohort to refine messaging week by week.
Challenge
Despite thousands of app downloads, Sortizy’s activation rate was lagging.
- New users signed up but rarely created their first meal plan.
- Engagement dropped sharply within the first 48 hours.
- Communication felt disjointed across push and email channels.
The app needed a cohesive lifecycle flow that encouraged early success and habit formation without overwhelming new users.
Approach
Propel’s approach centered on journey design and activation triggers.
- Mapped every onboarding milestone: From sign-up to grocery list creation.
- Segmented users by interaction depth: New, exploring, and engaged cohorts.
- Introduced value-driven messaging: Highlighted time-saving and convenience benefits instead of feature lists.
- Reduced friction: Simplified setup screens and minimized cognitive load to guide first success faster.
The focus was clear — make users feel the benefit before the effort.
Solution
Propel launched a structured onboarding lifecycle using Customer.io:
- Day 1: Welcome push and email introducing meal planning benefits.
- Day 2–3: Nudges to create the first grocery list or recipe plan.
- Day 4–5: In-app tips on discovering trending meal ideas.
- Day 6–7: Follow-up communication with social proof and app utility reminders.
Each message was purpose-built — one to educate, another to motivate, and the last to retain.
Before and After
Result
With Propel’s lifecycle framework, Sortizy saw a 40% uplift in onboarding completion and a 35% improvement in activation. The streamlined experience reduced early churn and helped new users form consistent engagement habits within the first week. Propel’s approach turned Sortizy’s onboarding into a retention engine — ensuring users not only installed the app but made it a part of their daily routine.
Uplift in onboarding completion
improvement in activation
