What should I use to measure activation and conversion?

To measure activation and conversion, you should use a funnel analysis built on well-defined product events.

1) Define the two metrics first

• Activation: the point where a user first experiences value.
  • Example: signed up + completed onboarding + created first project
• Conversion: the point where a user completes the desired business outcome.
  • Example: started a trial, subscribed, purchased, booked a demo

2) Use event tracking

Track each key step as an event, such as:

• sign_up
• email_verified
• onboarding_completed
• first_key_action
• trial_started
• paid_subscription_started

3) Measure with a funnel

A funnel lets you see:

• how many users reach each step
• where users drop off
• activation rate
• conversion rate

4) Tools you can use

Common options:

• Amplitude — great for product funnels and activation tracking
• Mixpanel — strong event analytics and conversion funnels
• GA4 — useful for web/app conversion tracking
• PostHog — good if you want product analytics plus self-hosting
• Segment / RudderStack — for collecting and routing events to analytics tools

5) Simple formula

• Activation rate = activated users / total new users
• Conversion rate = converted users / total users or qualified users

If you want, I can help you define:

1. the exact activation event for your product, and
2. the best conversion funnel to track.