Referrals are one of the most powerful growth levers — but they often underperform because they feel cold, generic, or disconnected.
The travel planning app Gogobot (now part of Trip.com) discovered that even a small shift in how you welcome new users can create massive impact on conversion rates.
By personalizing the referral experience, they increased referral sign-up rates by 71%.
Let’s break down what they did and how you can apply this exact tactic.
🧠 The Problem with Standard Referral Invites
Most apps handle referrals like this:
- User A sends an invite to User B.
- User B clicks a generic download link.
- If they install the app, they land in a basic onboarding flow with no context or personal connection.
Even though User B came via a friend, the onboarding experience feels like a cold start. There’s no warmth, no familiarity — and often, no motivation to continue.
💡 The Insight: Make Referrals Feel Personal and Human
Instead of sticking with a one-size-fits-all invite flow, Gogobot partnered with Branch, a mobile deep-linking platform, to personalize every referral.
Here’s what they did:
Step 1: Custom Referral Links With Embedded Metadata
Every referral link generated by a user was powered by Branch, and included:
- The referrer’s name
- Their profile picture
- Their unique user ID
These details were embedded in the link itself.
Step 2: Deep Link Personalization on App Launch
When a new user clicked that link and downloaded the app, Branch passed the embedded metadata into the first app session.
Gogobot used this to display a personalized welcome screen:
👋 “Hi! Alex (with their profile pic) invited you to check out Gogobot. Ready to join them?”
This made the referral feel like it was coming directly from a friend, not just a random link.
📈 The Result: +71% Increase in Referral Signups
This simple addition — showing the inviter’s name and photo during onboarding — had a dramatic effect.
✅ Users who saw the personalized welcome message converted at a 71% higher rate than those who didn’t.
That’s almost double the referral efficiency — without changing the core product or running any new ads.
🎯 Why This Works
- Social Proof: Seeing a known friend adds trust instantly.
- Familiarity: People are more likely to engage when it feels like a real social connection.
- Reduced Friction: The personal touch lowers resistance and increases emotional connection.
- Motivation: Users feel like they’re joining with someone, not just trying something new alone.
✅ How You Can Apply This Today
- Use dynamic referral links that pass metadata (tools like Branch, Firebase, or custom link shorteners can help).
- Embed inviter info into onboarding — name, avatar, and message.
- Display a custom welcome screen for new users based on the referral data.
- Test and measure your activation rates pre- and post-personalization.
Even a small tweak in onboarding flow can unlock major gains — especially in referral-driven growth loops.