Deleting Account

Making it difficult for users to delete their account by hiding the "Delete Account" link creates a negative impression that may limit users' trust in your product and harm your reputation. Therefore, the link or button to delete the account should be visible and easily accessible on the profile, settings page, or even in the support area. By doing so, users feel in control of their data, which can increase their confidence and trust in your product.

People don't always delete accounts because they're unhappy. Sometimes they just no longer need the service because they completed their task or found what they needed. Preserving goodwill and avoiding a blaming tone is the best policy to save your product's reputation. It also means loyalty — users are more likely to give positive referrals in the future or come back to the product later on.

Hiding the Unsubscribe or Delete Account buttons or using other dark patterns to retain users at any cost never helps. If users want to leave, they will leave eventually. Your task is to create a good impression and demonstrate decent behavior while allowing them to do so.

It's good to know why somebody decides to leave. Offboarding provides an excellent opportunity to improve user experience and understand what users lack in your product. Avoid being pushy by making the feedback page mandatory. Instead, make users feel their feedback is valuable to you and that you respect their choice.

You can provide possible reasons for leaving and offer an empty input for those users who would like to share their thoughts on how the product can be improved or what they didn't like while using it.

When users decide to leave, they're likely to leave. However, it's never too late to remind them what they stand to lose if they delete their account or unsubscribe and the benefits they will retain if they decide to stay.

When showing the benefits and consequences of leaving, be brief but informative. You may even offer users to change their membership plan if the one they're using isn't satisfying. If done correctly, users may reconsider their decision and, instead of deleting their account, pause it temporarily.

Once users confirm they are sure they want to leave, be clear about what happens to the account and all the information once the account is deleted. Is all their data permanently deleted? Can they come back and restore their account? Is the deletion immediate, or can they use their account until a specific date?

This is the right time to offer an option to pause their membership so that users can come back and retain their data. You can also briefly explain the benefits of membership, which might stop users from permanently removing their accounts.

Sometimes, account removal or deletion may have serious repercussions, like the permanent loss of data or access to important documents. It's your job to ensure that users make the decision intentionally and fully understand what it will cost them.

The best way to prevent users from accidentally clicking on the Delete button is to ask them to take additional steps, such as manually typing "delete" or re-entering their passwords. This intentional roadblock in the flow offers users a chance to reconsider their decision or give it more thought before clicking the confirmation button for good.

Understanding your users' needs and why they started using your product in the first place can help you be more flexible and provide alternatives. For example, if your product is for students, they may not need it on holidays and definitely won't want to be charged for these months.

Offer them options to pause their account or temporarily deactivate it rather than permanently deleting it. Make sure each option has an exhaustive and straightforward explanation of what it implies. Users should understand the consequences of deleting their account or deactivating it temporarily.

Put yourself in your users' shoes and consider the potential risks of each option. Ask and answer questions like:

• "Can I restart my membership and keep my preferences and data in the future if I deactivate my account?"
• "Will I have access to my data if I unsubscribe?"
• "Will my profile stay visible to the public if I deactivate it?"

Once a user has deleted their account, it's important to acknowledge and respect their decision. Instead of making them feel bad or guilty, embrace the opportunity to show kindness and gratitude for their past use of your product. Confirm the account deletion with a friendly and reassuring message, and express your appreciation for their membership.

Additionally, let them know they are always welcome to rejoin if they choose to do so. This approach leaves a positive impression and increases the likelihood of future engagement with your product.