Boost User Growth with End‑to‑End Traffic Diversion: Design Strategies and Practices

Why Implement Traffic Diversion

As mobile internet traffic growth slows, acquiring new users becomes costly; both new and mature products need diversion to continuously expand their user base. Within Baidu's ecosystem, linking products such as mini‑programs, M‑site, PC site, and apps creates a low‑cost, high‑intent, shareable channel that drives scale.

Advantages of Diversion

Low Cost : cheaper than paid ads or campaigns.

High Intent : users have clear purchase intent, boosting conversion.

Shareable Data : user data and behavior are shared across products.

Designing Effective Diversion

1. Problem Analysis

Four diversion patterns were identified, revealing issues such as lack of unified perception, weak content appeal, and barriers that force users to download the app, causing drop‑offs.

Lack of Unified Perception : visual expressions are inconsistent, reducing user awareness.

Weak Content Appeal : single‑tone content fails to attract clicks.

Barrier to Browsing : interrupting normal usage harms experience.

Behavior analysis showed a long download path and major conversion loss points:

From mini‑program landing page to download page: users often miss the diversion bar.

Clicking the diversion bar triggers a popup, then a download page; many exit before downloading.

2. Defining Design Directions

Based on the identified problems, a complete diversion flow map was built, aligning user lifecycle stages with product touchpoints to uncover design opportunities.

The diversion flow was split into three phases:

Pre‑Download : spark interest and establish consistent perception.

During Download : strengthen conversion motivation and shorten the path.

Post‑Download : ensure a smooth experience and improve first‑time use.

Pre‑Download Phase

1. Strengthen Touchpoint Appeal

Unified visual style and user‑focused content increase the diversion bar’s attractiveness.

1) Consolidate Diversion Types

Removed disruptive and truncated diversion types, keeping only generic and functional extension bars for deeper exploration.

2) Establish Visual Standards

Created a standardized generic diversion bar, embedding it as a full‑width inline element with brand colors and layout‑specific rules.

After launch, conversion remained stable; further improvements focused on scenario‑customized designs.

3) Customize Scenario Content

Based on user scenarios, content was enriched, button copy refined, and visual atmosphere adjusted to boost clicks.

Content Customization : scenario‑specific benefits increase interest.

Button Copy : clear, benefit‑aligned wording improves conversion.

Atmosphere Adjustment : a more native look reduces perceived ads.

2. Expand Scenarios for Scale

Applied the generic bar’s success to functional‑extension bars, leveraging product value points to find high‑traffic opportunities.

1) Value Transmission

Optimized differences between mini‑program and app, highlighting unique app functions and superior experience.

App‑Specific Features : advanced search and landscape viewing encourage conversion.

Cross‑Device Experience : smoother image browsing on app stimulates downloads.

2) Value Continuation

After core content consumption, guide users to continue exploring in the app.

Service Pass‑Through : add brand ads at article end to build recognition.

Related Recommendations : show similar content links to keep users engaged.

During Download Phase

Boost Download Motivation : use scenario‑based pre‑download pages to preview product value.

Reduce Drop‑Off : shorten the flow, allow download from intermediate pages, and add retention prompts.

Post‑Download Phase

Restore Seamless Flow : improve scene restoration success and reduce intrusive prompts.

Build User Mindset : guide new users to explore features and recommend content based on interests.

Key Takeaways

Full‑Link Insight : dissect the diversion chain to define design directions for each node.

Reduce Ad Intrusiveness : minimize interruptions and soften ad feel.

User‑Centric Guidance : focus on product value to lead users toward download and activation.