My onboarding experience on Hive as a newbie and how it can be better

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Joining Hive was something I’ve always wanted to do for long. I’ve been hearing about Hive from friends and seeing contents shared on Twitter and WhatsApp, and I kept wondering what the Hive experience is like. But the truth is, getting on Hive was not easy for me at all.

The day I finally decided to sign up, I was so determined. I tried to register during the day, but it kept telling me that new accounts cannot be created at the moment. I thought maybe it was my network. I tried and tried, still nothing. Then someone told me @neysco to try at midnight, and that’s what I did. I had to wake up around 2am before the signup page finally allow me to register. That was the first stress I faced. And to be honest, ifnot that I was determined, I would have given up that night.

After registering, the next challenge I faced was understanding how everything works here. The platform is not like Instagram or Facebook that everyone is used to. It took me some time to know how to make a post, join communities, and understand how upvotes and Hive tokens work. I was even scared of making my first post because I wasn’t sure if I’m doing it right. There’s no much beginner guide that can show step by step for newbies.

As someone who is into UI/UX design and also digital marketing, I believe Hive can be better and attract more users if the onboarding system is improved. Here are few things I feel can help:

Make Signup More Friendly: The signup time should not be limited to only midnights. Not everyone can stay up late. If possible, allow people to create account anytime they want without stress.

Provide Visual Guide for Newbies: There should be a clear, simple onboarding tutorial maybe a short video or slides that explain how Hive works, how to make first post, join community, and even how to earn. This will help reduce confusion for first timers.

Better UI Layout: The design of the site can be more user-friendly, especially for mobile users. Important buttons like post, wallet, and explore should be more visible. Things should be made simple and clear.

Welcome Team or Bot: A friendly bot or small team that welcomes new users, follows them and send them useful links can help make people feel belong. That will reduce fear and confusion.

In all, I’m happy I finally joined Hive, and I'm learning everyday. But I believe if onboarding becomes easier and user-friendly, more people will join and stay. Now that I’m getting used to Hive, I also want to onboard more people. friends, creatives, and even clients. But I worry that some of them might find the same challenges I faced. That’s why I’m suggesting this. If Hive makes it easier, I can confidently invite more people without fear that they will give up halfway.

In all, I love the Hive community. The people are kind and the platform has value. I just believe with better onboarding, Hive can grow even faster and stronger. Thanks for reading my story.
With love❤️🩷🧡
Hamidu yetunde