What does Based Labs actually do?

Based Labs is a retention and conversion studio that also builds the software itself. I audit, build and consult on digital products — SaaS programs, mobile apps, marketing sites and onboarding flows — either from scratch or rebuilt from what already exists. Every recommendation is tied to one of seven peer-reviewed behavioural-science frameworks: Fogg's Behaviour Model, Self-Determination Theory, Completion Bias, Cialdini's Six Principles of Influence, Choice Architecture, Cognitive Load Theory and the Peak-End Rule. Not gut feel. Full reference at basedlabs.co.uk/frameworks.

Do you only fix existing products, or can you build from scratch?

Both. Most weeks I'm doing a mix — auditing one client's leaky app while building another's SaaS from a blank page. I've shipped full SaaS programs, iOS and Android apps and marketing sites end-to-end on a modern React, Next.js and Capacitor stack. The psychology layer is the same in either direction: design for behaviour first, then code.

How is Based different from a normal web agency?

Most agencies start with visuals or a template. Based starts with behaviour: why people drop, stall, churn or hesitate. Only once the behavioural model is clear does the technical rebuild begin — and it uses a modern React / Next.js / Capacitor stack, never WordPress or page-builder templates.

What is a Leak Audit and what do I get?

A Leak Audit is a one-week behavioural teardown of an existing site or app. You get a screen-by-screen friction log, an audit against seven behavioural-science frameworks, a prioritised fix list sorted by impact × effort, and a 60-minute walkthrough. Fixed price: £1,000.

Who are you built for?

Scottish founders and businesses, first. The mission is straightforward — help Scottish businesses build and keep customers. Based in Elgin, working across Scotland and the wider UK when there's a fit. Remote-first, so location within the country is never the blocker.

What tech stack do you use — and why not WordPress?

React, Next.js and Capacitor for cross-platform apps. WordPress and template builders trade short-term speed for long-term drag: slow page loads, plugin sprawl, fragile customisation and shallow behavioural control. A modern stack lets me design interactions around behavioural models down to the millisecond.

How fast can you deliver a Build?

Most Builds ship in 2–4 weeks. Landing pages and single onboarding flows sit at the fast end. Full SaaS programs and cross-platform apps run 4–8 weeks depending on scope. Rebuilds of existing products are quoted after a Leak Audit has mapped the behavioural problems.

What's the difference between retention engineering and CRO?

Conversion rate optimisation is about getting a user to do one thing once — click, sign up, buy. Retention engineering is about whether they come back tomorrow, and the day after that. Based does both, but retention is the harder problem and the one behavioural psychology is most useful for.

Ryan Geldart is the founder of Based Labs. He designs and engineers retention-focused products using behavioural psychology and a modern web stack. He is based in Elgin, Scotland, and is focused on helping Scottish businesses grow. Contact: ryan@basedlabs.co.uk.

Why is my app losing users in the first week?

Most week-one app churn comes from one of three things: an onboarding flow that demands too much before showing value; a missing or mistimed prompt at the moment a user might come back; or visual cues that signal 'not for me' to your actual audience. The fix isn't more push notifications — it's mapping where motivation, ability and prompt break down (Fogg's Behaviour Model). A Leak Audit identifies exactly which screen is the leak.

Why are users abandoning my signup form?

Signup abandonment is rarely about field count. It's about the perceived 'cost' the user is paying versus the value they're being shown. Long forms work when value is clear; short forms fail when motivation is weak. The fix is auditing the form against Fogg's Motivation × Ability × Prompt equation — and often, removing one specific friction screen rather than chopping fields.

How do I fix high churn in my SaaS?

SaaS churn breaks into three phases: activation churn (week one — they never got value), usage churn (months one to three — value faded), commitment churn (month four onwards — better alternative emerged). Each needs a different intervention. Behavioural retention work targets the first two by designing for relatedness, completion bias and variable rewards. The third is a product-market-fit problem.

Why are users dropping off during onboarding?

Onboarding drop-off almost always tracks Fogg's Behaviour Model: somewhere between 'arrived' and 'activated', the user lost motivation, hit an ability blocker, or didn't get the right prompt. Counting screens won't fix it — counting drop points by step will. A Leak Audit produces this map screen-by-screen.

How do I improve activation rate on my product?

Activation rate is mostly a Completion Bias problem. People who feel they've started something are pulled toward finishing it. The trick is designing the first-session experience as an explicit progress sequence — even when the underlying steps don't strictly require one. A multi-screen onboarding flow with a visible counter ('2 of 9') is one example. There are others.

Why is my conversion rate so low?

Low conversion is almost never one thing. It's usually three to five small frictions stacking together — each tiny on its own, lethal in combination. The Leak Audit's job is to find them all in one week and rank them by impact × effort, so you fix the ones that matter and ignore the noise. Often a single button-copy change moves the number more than a redesign.

How do I reduce mobile app churn?

Mobile churn is usually relatedness or variable-reward starvation. Single-player apps lose to apps where users feel witnessed, tracked, or part of something. Adding social mechanics is one fix. Adding unpredictable reward feedback (without dark patterns) is another. The starting point is a behavioural audit of what your current loop actually trains the user to do.

What causes users to leave a website without converting?

Three categories: they don't understand the value within five seconds (motivation problem), they understand but it feels too hard to act (ability problem), or there's no clear next step (prompt problem). Fogg's Behaviour Model maps directly onto these. The fix is auditing your above-the-fold copy and primary CTA against all three — not redesigning the page.

→ Terms

Terms of service.

Last updated: 24 April 2026

1. Who we are

Based Ltd (company number SC885222, registered in Scotland), trading as Based Labs, is a retention and conversion studio based in Elgin, Scotland. In these terms, "we", "us" and "Based" mean Based Ltd. "You" means the person visiting the site or engaging us for work.

2. Using this website

You may browse basedlabs.co.uk for any lawful purpose. You agree not to disrupt the site, probe it for vulnerabilities without written permission, scrape it for commercial purposes, or use it in any way that violates UK law. The site is provided "as is" with no guarantee of uptime.

3. Content and intellectual property

The copy, visual design, animations and code on this site are © Based Ltd unless otherwise stated. You may quote short passages with attribution and a link back. You may not copy the site wholesale or clone the design without written permission.

4. Engaging us for work

Pricing shown on the site (Leak Audit £1,000 fixed, Build from £4,000 with full SaaS and apps £8,000–£20,000, Retention Consulting £175/hr) is indicative. Every engagement is confirmed by a separate written agreement — a proposal, statement of work, or email thread that clearly sets out scope, price, timeline and deliverables. That written agreement governs the work, not this page.

All prices exclude VAT unless stated. If Based becomes VAT-registered, VAT will be added to future invoices in line with HMRC rules.

5. Payment

Invoices are issued in GBP via bank transfer unless agreed otherwise. Standard payment term is 14 days from invoice date. Late payment may incur interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Work on an engagement may be paused if an invoice is more than 14 days overdue.

6. Work product & IP on engagements

Unless agreed otherwise in writing, on paid engagements you own the final work product (audit report, code, designs) once paid in full. Until paid, Based retains ownership. Frameworks, methodologies, and reusable tooling remain ours and can be used on future client work. Based may reference the engagement publicly (for example, in proposals or talks) unless you request confidentiality at the start of the project.

7. Confidentiality

Business information you share with us during an engagement is treated as confidential and is not shared with third parties except where required to deliver the work (for example, a subcontractor under NDA) or by law.

8. Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by UK law, Based's total liability under or in connection with an engagement is capped at the fees paid by you for that engagement in the 12 months immediately preceding the event that gave rise to the claim.

Based is not liable for any indirect, consequential or incidental loss — including lost revenue, lost data, or business interruption — arising from use of this website or from advice given here. Nothing in these terms limits liability for death, personal injury, or fraudulent misrepresentation, which cannot lawfully be excluded.

9. External links

The site links to third-party services (LinkedIn, Instagram, WhatsApp). We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of those services.

10. Changes

We may update these terms. The "last updated" date at the top reflects the current version. Continued use of the site after changes means you accept the updated terms.

11. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of Scotland. Any dispute that cannot be resolved by discussion will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish courts.

12. Contact

Based Ltd (trading as Based Labs)
Company number: SC885222
Elgin, Scotland, United Kingdom
ryan@basedlabs.co.uk