Aptrinsic Inc. is looking to change how companies approach user experience.

The San Mateo-based startup, which is backed by $7.2 million in funding, hit the scene today with a “product experience platform” for personalizing cloud applications. Aptrinsic is essentially hoping to apply the targeted engagement approach employed in the marketing world to interface design.

The startup’s platform enables product teams to implement dialog boxes, sliders and other personalized features using straightforward controls. By themselves, such additions usually don’t change the overall user experience too much. But Aptrinsic pairs the customization tools with an analytics dashboard that makes it possible to fine-tune the interface elements based on the specific behavioral patterns of different audiences.

A cloud-based contract management provider, for example, could harness the platform to create an interactive walkthrough for new users. Aptrinsic can help product teams identify the most popular features among existing customers and put together an introductory tour that highlights them inside the application.

According to the startup, such personalized onboarding has the potential to go a long way towards boosting sales. Directing new users’ attention to the most valuable features in an application can significantly increase the chance of their returning after the initial look-around. That in turn means there’s a higher likelihood that they’ll ultimately buy a subscription.

Companies can engage customers with personalized messaging after the initial purchase as well. If Aptrinsic shows that users of a given service are most likely to upgrade their subscriptions after hitting a particular account limit, marketing personnel could set an in-app promotion to show up at the right time. The same feature could be used to take action when customers display behavior that suggests they may jump ship.

Aptrinsic is one several startups that are pursuing an analytic approach to in-app engagement. Another is Pendo.io Inc., which raised a $25 million funding round led by Battery Ventures back in July.

Image: Aptrinsic