How User-Centered Prioritization Helps Improve Feature Adoption Rates

Imagine launching a feature and knowing it will be a hit. What if you could flip the script on wasted development efforts and build only what your users truly crave?

For most SaaS companies, a high feature adoption rate is linked to increased upgrades, retention, and loyalty. When users fully adopt a product, they integrate it into their daily workflow and continually find value.

But alarmingly, a reasonable feature adoption rate in SaaS is between 20% and 30%, and similarly, only 20% of launched features are used. We can all understand that some features won’t hit the mark, but should we really accept that up to 80% of the features we build will go unused?

I don’t think so.

By refining the prioritization process, we can make sure you’re working on the right features that will drive value for users and improve feature adoption rates. And it starts with understanding your user.

Reasons for low feature adoption

As product teams focus on developing innovative capabilities and addressing technical debt, the gap between feature development and feature adoption widens.

Underperforming features are a drain on your company’s time and resources. But what causes low adoption rates in the first place?

• Lack of awareness: The new feature isn’t presented/marketed to users in a compelling way
• Wrong messaging: The marketing message doesn’t resonate with users, and they’re unaware of the benefits
• Bad feature: The feature doesn’t actually address a user’s need or pain point

While these are the three most commonly cited reasons for low feature adoption, we’ve found that these symptoms often stem from underlying issues with how features are prioritized for development and release. Teams let internal assumptions, stakeholder requests, or competitive pressures (rather than genuine user insights) drive priorities. In turn, the wrong features are released, spurring feature bloat, low adoption rates, and more.

Think of that ‘AI-powered suggestion’ feature that no one uses. Was it truly solving a user need, or just a cool tech demo?

We’ve seen firsthand with clients how prioritization directly impacts performance. When companies prioritize effectively, they stay focused on what is proven to deliver results. And when they don’t, the opposite happens.

What is user-centered prioritization?

There are plenty of ways to address low feature adoption, but user-centered prioritization might be the Trojan horse you didn’t see coming.

User-centered prioritization is an approach that places the user at the heart of every decision regarding feature development and enhancement.

It’s a systematic way to ensure that the features you build truly solve your users’ problems, meet their needs, and provide the most value. This contrasts with traditional prioritization methods that might heavily weigh internal opinions, market trends, or ease of development.

With user-centered prioritization, you leverage user research, behavior analytics, and feedback loops to make data-driven development decisions. By understanding not just what users say they want, but how they actually behave, product teams can make more strategic choices about which features to build, when to release them, and how to position them for maximum adoption.

User-centered prioritization is the first step to higher feature adoption rates

We’ll get to some specific strategies in a minute, but for now, I want to provide some additional context on why user-centered prioritization is the first step to higher feature adoption.

It’s more than just a method; it’s a mindset. The core idea is to build products and services that truly solve user problems and provide a positive experience.

When faced with a long list of potential features or improvements, user-centered prioritization helps teams decide what matters most. It can:

• Identify pain points and focus on features that directly address user frustrations or obstacles.
• Hone in on the most frequent and important tasks users want to accomplish, then prioritize content and features that support these tasks.
• Visualize the user journey and break it down into actionable user stories, prioritizing those with the highest potential impact on user satisfaction and business goals.
• Classify and prioritize usability problems based on their impact on user task completion, frequency, and ease of fix.

To make any of this happen, you need a deep understanding of users. Prioritization begins with thorough user research. Use various methods such as interviews, surveys, observational studies, usability testing, and analyzing user data to gather insights. Try to build an understanding of how and where users will interact with the feature.

In essence, user-centered prioritization ensures that product development efforts are aligned with what users truly need and value, leading to ethical and successful products.

Strategies for improving feature adoption rates with user-centered prioritization in the customer journey

So, what does it look like in action when a user-centered approach dictates feature development and deployment? Here are eight strategies.

1. Build the right features

The foundation is to build the right features, and to ensure you don’t do it in a vacuum. As we have covered, you need user research to understand the problems you are trying to solve.

Before moving to development, test concepts and prototypes with real users to ensure the feature addresses a need and has a clear value proposition.

Prioritize features that will deliver the most significant value to users, not just those that are “nice to have” or technically interesting.

2. Be clear about the value proposition of your feature

Users need to understand why a feature is beneficial for them and how it solves a problem, not just what it does. Articulate this clearly in all communications.

Each feature should address a distinct user pain point or enable a new, valuable capability. Ideally, use language that has been tested and proven to clearly convey the value of the feature.

3. Make onboarding frictionless

Segment users (by role, industry, goals, etc.) and tailor onboarding experiences. A marketing professional might need a different introduction than a developer.

Guide users to the core value of the product and its key features as quickly as possible. This is the moment they realize “this product is for me.”

Instead of static tours, interactively prompt users to take the desired action so that you’re teaching them while they accomplish tasks.

4. Create context in the app experience

Use subtle, in-context cues to highlight new features or explain specific UI elements when a user is in a relevant area.

For more significant feature announcements, use in-experience banners or modals that appear at relevant moments. Behavioral triggers can also deliver guidance based on what a user is currently doing or has done.

When a feature’s area is empty, use this space to explain the feature’s purpose and guide the user on how to get started. Make it easy to find the features your user is looking for.

5. Educate and clearly communicate with users

As mentioned above, prioritize in-app methods for immediate context, but be sure to supplement with marketing materials like:

• Targeted emails that announce new features, explain their benefits, and link directly to the feature in the product. Segment these emails to ensure relevance.
• Blogs that add in-depth explanations, use cases, and technical details for those who want them.
• For complex or high-impact features, host live or recorded webinars to demo features and answer questions.
• Social media, including short, engaging content (videos, graphics) to announce features and drive interest.

6. Personalize the feature

Not all features are for every user. To be sure the right features are being shown to the target user, you can hide or highlight features based on a user’s role or permissions.

Allow users to tailor their experience, making the most relevant features easily accessible, and use machine learning to suggest features or workflows based on a user’s past behavior or similar user segments.

7. Gather data and feedback

Instead of relying on just feature adoption rates, gather supplemental data and feedback to understand why users are or aren’t adopting the feature. Use micro-surveys (e.g., after a user interacts with a new feature) to get immediate feedback on usability and value. Monitor overall satisfaction with NPS & CSAT surveys, conduct regular user interviews, and look for recurring issues in support tickets.

Make sure to analyze all this information across different user segments to identify differences and tailor strategies.

8. Iterate on the feature

Don’t just launch and leave a feature; you can continue iterating on the experience and messaging post-launch until you figure out what works. Test different onboarding flows, in-app messages, or feature designs to see what drives higher adoption.

Feature adoption is an ongoing process. Regularly review data, implement changes, and measure their impact. Don’t stop promoting after the announcement.

By adopting these strategies, SaaS companies can move beyond simply launching features to truly integrating them into their users’ workflows, maximizing the value delivered, and ultimately driving sustainable growth.

A good feature adoption rate is always improving

We’ve often touted the uselessness of benchmarks. And while they are meaningless for setting goals, they can help to paint a picture of industry averages and to set expectations. In the case of feature adoption rates, if you’re below that 20% mark, you should strongly consider building a more user-centered prioritization process.

Incorporating user feedback early and often can significantly reduce development time and costs. Instead of building features based on incorrect assumptions, you’ll focus resources where they’ll have the most impact, leading to higher ROI.

The direct link between user-centered prioritization and feature adoption is clear.

The days of simply building features and hoping for the best are over. If you’re ready to take a different approach, our team is available to support.