Desktop shortcut added to installer: about 2x downloads actually run
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsPatrick McKenzie added a desktop shortcut to the Bingo Card Creator installer, alongside the existing Start menu entry, and the share of downloads confirmed as actually run roughly doubled.
It was a before/after change in version 1.03, not a split test.
The result was published on the Kalzumeus blog in 2006.
- Share of downloads verified as run: about 2x. A run was counted when the app contacted the website from inside the program.
- Sales were not measured separately, despite the post's title about doubling sales.
- No download counts or time periods were shared.
Control
The Windows installer added only a Start menu shortcut.
Variant
From version 1.03, the installer also put a shortcut on the desktop. The author says it took about 45 seconds to set up.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Non-technical users often can't find a new program after installing it. A desktop icon puts it in plain sight.
- Every extra step between download and first use is a chance to get distracted and forget.
- First use is where people get hooked, so getting more people to open the app matters more than getting more downloads.
Caveats: Before/after change in a downloadable Windows app in 2006, with small volumes and no split test. It measures confirmed first runs, not sales.
Who ran it
Patrick McKenzie ran this test and published the results (Kalzumeus (patio11) blog). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Patrick McKenzie →
How to run this test on your site
- Hypothesis
- If we remove a step between sign-up and first use (for example, landing users straight in the product or adding an obvious way back in), then more new users will activate because they won't lose track of the product.
- Primary metric
- Share of new sign-ups or installs that reach first use
- Guardrails
- Trial-to-paid conversion
- Uninstalls or unsubscribes
- Support tickets from new users
- Who should test it
- Software makers with a download, install or app step between sign-up and first use, especially with non-technical users. For browser-based SaaS, the equivalent is cutting steps to first login, not desktop icons.
Questions
Does adding a desktop shortcut increase app usage?
In this 2006 example, adding one roughly doubled the share of downloads that were actually run.
It was a before/after change, not a split test.
What is the SaaS equivalent of an installer tweak?
Anything that shortens the path from sign-up to first use, such as dropping users straight into the product after sign-up or sending a clear link back in.