SaaS Onboarding Process Done Right: A Step-by-Step Playbook
- CEO at DeckLinks, Speaker, Podcast Host
- Published on September 2, 2023
- Updated on August 29, 2024
Table of Contents
The phone rings. A new customer eagerly awaits for SaaS onboarding after signing their annual contract. This should be a celebration, right? Not always. I’ve seen too many promising relationships derailed by poor onboarding experiences. How you initially welcome and onboard users sets the tone for the entire customer journey.
McKinsey & Company reports that as customer support shifts to online channels, the line between digital and in-person interactions is fading. SaaS companies are actively seeking new ways to improve both customer and employee experiences during critical "moments that matter." These are interactions that used to occur in person and significantly impact the overall customer experience.
This ultimate guide to SaaS onboarding process draws from my own mistakes working with SaaS onboarding teams. Early on, I obsessed over seamless implementations but neglected the human element. It took me losing several accounts to realize – the SaaS onboarding checklist is not a project to check off. It’s the beginning of a partnership.
This SaaS onboarding guide shares my hard-won lessons for crafting positive onboarding experience that delights. I’ll reveal SaaS onboarding best practices to simplify convoluted account setups, make training interactive, and continually gather user feedback. You’ll learn how small touchpoints signal you care about more than monthly payments.
Done right, SaaS onboarding is transformative – increasing new user activation rates, reducing customer churn rate, driving referrals. But it requires reinventing stale user onboarding process with creativity and empathy. Are you ready to take SaaS customer onboarding process from mandatory to extraordinary? Let’s get started!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Focus on driving rapid new user activation through simplified configuration and integration. Free trial users who successfully complete initial account setup are primed for long-term adoption of the new software. Identify and eliminate any barriers and reduce friction during the crucial account setup phase.
- Onboard users with quick wins that demonstrate value proposition from day one. Provide valuable resources, training, and customer support to successfully execute high-priority workflows that address pain points. Quick product value realization kickstarts enthusiasm and momentum beyond launch.
- Set expectations for a collaborative, continuous customer onboarding journey. Check in regularly via NPS surveys, account reviews, and optimization plans. Continue providing new tips, content, and training over time. Ongoing engagement beyond user onboarding and launch week is critical.
- Match training and resources to each customer’s unique needs and use cases. Avoid one-size-fits-all. In my experience, personalized onboarding always wins. Tailor onboarding touchpoints to user personas, roles, and configurations. Contextual training and effective customer support accelerates proficiency.
- Leverage data and onboarding metrics to quantify and optimize the user onboarding experience. Analyze usage trends, milestone attainment, satisfaction, and customer churn. Refine content strategy and workflows based on data Signals. Continually test and refine user onboarding flows through A/B testing.
- The most successful SaaS onboarding teams elevate customers from casual users to true advocates and partners. By taking an adaptable, metrics-driven SaaS onboarding approach focused on communicating value quickly, successful SaaS onboarding teams can effectively drive growth and customer loyalty.
What is SaaS onboarding?
SaaS onboarding is the process of guiding users to effectively adopt new software. It involves educating new users on the key features, helping with account setup, and ensuring they achieve value quickly. Effective SaaS onboarding flows enhance user satisfaction, reduce churn rate, and maximize new software benefits.
SaaS Onboarding Checklist
| Stage | Goals | Best Practices |
|---|---|---|
| Account Setup | - Activate new users through frictionless onboarding - Streamline integration with existing systems - Configure platform to support user goals and workflows - Establish implementation plan and timeline |
- Limit signup to essential fields - Offer single sign-on and social login options - Send credentials via email with links to resources - Review use cases and requirements on kickoff call - Provide sandbox preview of customized instance - Set expectations on responsibilities and timeline |
| Product Orientation | - Introduce key features aligned to user tasks - Guide navigation through the user interface - Build familiarity with location of menus and tools - Preview purpose of core platform capabilities |
- Interactive slideshow product tours - Tooltip walkthroughs of finding functions - Role-based demo of completing sample workflows - Cheat sheets for navigation and key tasks - Welcome emails re-introducing platform |
| Training | - Develop hands-on skills through practice - Build proficiency on critical workflows - Provide learning resources specific to user's role - Expand knowledge on additional features over time |
- Live training webinars with screen sharing - Hands-on sandbox testing environments - Short video tutorials for common use cases - Bite-sized references for completing tasks - Quizzes and checkpoints to reinforce learning |
| Value Realization | - Link platform capabilities to business outcomes - Demonstrate measurable ROI potential - Provide resources to extract value tailored to the user |
- ROI calculators showing potential savings - Case studies from similar users outlining success - Industry-specific templates and workflows - Sample reports, dashboards, and analytics |
| Adoption Tracking | - Monitor usage metrics versus activation goals - Identify at-risk users trending inactive - Re-engage churn risks with tailored messaging |
- Usage milestone tracking in analytics - Monitor key engagement events over time - Usage email nudges to reactivate dormant users - In-app messaging guiding idle users to key features |
| Ongoing Success | - Provide access to continual education - Gather direct feedback from the user - Proactively engage users to drive expanded adoption |
- Release announcements with upgrade instructions - Surveys to capture experience pain points - Account reviews exploring expansion opportunities - Office hours for personalized assistance |
Accelerate customer onboarding with video PDFs
Use video-narrated PDFs to develop interactive customer onboarding and training resources. Learn more.
The Most Common SaaS Onboarding Myths
You know what really grinds my gears? SaaS companies that can’t get their user onboarding act together. I’m talking about the ones who are completely clueless about effective onboarding and spew more excuses than a politician.
- “My SaaS user onboarding is perfect, users just don’t get it.” Yeah, your SaaS onboarding is probably not good, and neither is your customer success. But don’t take my word for it, look at those dismal user activation numbers.
- “We don’t need no SaaS onboarding checklists.” Tell that to the angry VP who wants to know why your customer churn is through the roof. An effective onboarding process ain’t just a nice-to-have, it’s what separates you from being just another SaaS business bloodbath.
- “Our user onboarding experience is awesome, just ask the devs who built it!” Devs know user behavior like I know rocket science. Unless you have user survey responses proving your positive onboarding experience is actually positive, you’re deluding yourself.
- “Our onboarding best practices come straight from Salesforce!” Congratulations, you just admitted to stealing outdated ideas from a bloated enterprise beast. Want a good user onboarding? Look to modern SaaS companies, not dinosaurs.
- “We don’t need no customer success manager, our SaaS onboarding experience is self-serve.” Self-serve is code for “we’re too cheap to give a damn about new customers.” Having a SaaS onboarding tool is one thing, but not providing human help is a great way to enrage potential customers.
- “Our active users don’t need no handholding onboarding journey.” Yeah? Well your churn rate says otherwise. Just because someone signs up doesn’t mean they instantly become a habitual user without some guidance.
- “Our welcome messages have all the SaaS onboarding elements users need.” Communication is key, but thinking a few emails will magically transform new users into loyal customers shows you’re living in a fantasy world.
- “We’re too small to invest in SaaS user onboarding yet.” Even if you’re tiny, having a terrible onboarding process means customers churn before getting any value from your product. Prioritize onboarding best practices now or perish.
SaaS onboarding process STEP 1:
Welcome and Orientation.
Welcoming new customers and properly orienting them from day one is a critical step that sets the foundation for the entire customer journey. Successful SaaS onboarding teams know that first impressions matter. Your main goal is to immediately establish rapport, provide valuable resources, and give new users a clear roadmap of what to expect.
The welcome and orientation process, in my experience, should ease new customers into learning your platform at their own pace. I always recommend a high-touch, personalized approach.
Here are the key onboarding elements I recommend your team focus on for welcoming and orienting potential customers:
Send a Warm Welcome Email
The first touchpoint should come from the customer success manager directly. Craft a thoughtful welcome email that introduces yourself and your role as their key point of contact. Share your experience in successfully onboarding customers in their industry.
Provide links to login credentials, the customer support portal, and any preliminary learning materials to review. Welcome email sets the tone for the relationship, so be personable and let the customer know how excited you are to have them onboard.
Here’s what I recommend you include in your welcome email:
- Introduce yourself or the customer success manager and provide their contact information.
- Offer a brief overview of the user onboarding process and its objectives.
- Include a link to the customer onboarding portal, such as DeckLinks, where new customers can access tutorials, documentation, and key contacts.
As per Salesforce, approximately 90% of purchasers emphasize that the experience offered by a SaaS company is as significant as the actual SaaS products or services they provide.
Give Access to a Centralized Customer Onboarding Portal or Knowledge Base
Creating a dedicated customer onboarding portal or knowledge base alleviates customer confusion. This hub should include training manuals, user onboarding materials, and FAQs curated to guide new users. If you have not done already yet, I urge you consider including short video tutorials walking through platform navigation or completing common and complex tasks.
A knowledge base also benefits future team members. Just be sure to keep training and onboarding content organized and up to date. I recommend highlighting the most critical resources for getting started prominently on the welcome page.
To make SaaS onboarding smooth, consider creating a customer onboarding portal that includes the following:
- Tutorials and step-by-step guides to help new users understand the SaaS product and its features.
- Comprehensive documentation to address common questions and concerns.
- A list of key contacts, such as customer success managers and customer support teams, to assist new customers throughout the SaaS onboarding process.
Forrester's findings reveal that 66% of adults consider prioritizing their time as the most crucial action a SaaS company can take to deliver a satisfactory online customer experience.
Schedule a Live Kickoff Call
In my experience, nothing beats the first live interaction for building rapport and addressing immediate questions. The customer success manager should schedule a 30-60 minute kickoff call to walk new customers through what to expect throughout the SaaS customer onboarding journey.
Briefly overview the product value proposition and core features again. Provide a realistic timeline for major milestones like initial platform setup and integration. Clearly outline the roles of the SaaS onboarding team. This sets clear expectations and allows the new customer to plan resources accordingly. Close the kickoff call by opening up time for any additional questions.
During the kickoff call, I always ensure to:
- Review the SaaS onboarding process and its objectives.
- Discuss the new customers goals and expectations for the SaaS product.
- Establish a timeline and key milestones for the user onboarding process.
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SaaS onboarding process STEP 2:
Account setup.
The account setup stage is crucial for tailoring the platform to each customer’s unique needs. I and my team always work closely with new customer to help them configure their account for success based on their specific use cases and business goals.
Here’s how we do it:
Discover Detailed Use Cases
We always avoid making assumptions about how customers will use DeckLinks. We do our best to schedule a detailed call with stakeholders from relevant departments to understand their priorities, workflows, and pain points. We ask probing questions to determine required integrations and use cases.
This information allows us to lay the groundwork for an optimized configuration catering to their organization. In my experience, actively listening and addressing all concerns upfront prevents greater customization down the road.
- Conduct thorough user research to identify the problems customers want to solve.
- Segment new users for personalization, which allows for a more personalized onboarding experience.
- Reduce friction in the user onboarding experience by simplifying the signup processes and minimizing the number of unnecessary steps in the user onboarding process.
According to Salesforce, today's business buyers are looking for relationships with brands that truly get their unique needs. An overwhelming 89% of these buyers expect SaaS companies to understand what their business needs and expectations are.
Send Confirmation Email with Next Steps
After gathering requirements during the initial call, I typically solidify next steps in a confirmation email. This includes an outline of the agreed upon account configuration and timeline for completion. If your SaaS platform allows sandbox, share credentials for the sandbox environment to preview the setup.
Set expectations that this initial account setup will be reviewed and tweaked collaboratively. Finally, provide contact information in case any questions arise. Keeping open communication sets customers at ease.
- Provide clear instructions on how to get started with the product.
- Include links to valuable resources, such as knowledge bases, tutorials, and customer support channels.
- Set expectations for the SaaS customer onboarding journey and highlight key milestones.
Assist with Technical Integration
Have your product teams walk customers through best practices for integrating with existing infrastructure like data warehouses, ERP platforms, and single sign-on. Identify potential pitfalls and optimizations when connecting third-party SaaS tools.
This customer support accelerates the account setup process and ensures seamless data flows into the new system. Also, don’t forget to assist with complex workflows extending across multiple applications.
- Provide detailed documentation and guides on integrating the SaaS product with existing systems.
- Offer customer support from customer success managers or customer support team to help first time users with technical integration.
- Ensure compatibility with commonly used platforms and SaaS tools to minimize integration issues.
Help New Users with SaaS Product Customizations
Every SaaS platform requires some level of customization for a perfect fit. Our product teams build out tailored roles, permissions, fields, and rules to match the customer’s requirements.
For example, we will create custom reports, dashboards, and notifications to deliver data insights in a meaningful way. We iterate and adjust configurations based on user feedback for an ideal user experience.
- Guide users through the process of setting up their workflows and customizations.
- Offer templates and examples of successful workflows to inspire new users.
- Encourage users to provide feedback on their user onboarding experience, allowing for continuous improvement.
As per Gladly's findings, 68% of consumers are willing to spend extra on SaaS products and services from SaaS companies with a solid customer service reputation. Personalization is favored by 59% over speed (53%) in the realm of customer service. A significant 92% express readiness to switch to another SaaS company after just three or fewer negative experiences, and 61% feel they are treated as case numbers rather than individuals.
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SaaS onboarding process STEP 3:
Training.
SaaS onboarding is a perfect time to deliver training that sticks. One of the major hurdles every SaaS business encounters is that new trial users often feel lost when they first log into your SaaS tool. Use tailored sessions, sandboxes, and learning materials to accelerate user proficiency.
Training alone doesn’t guarantee learning uptake. I recommend pre-recorded training sessions combined with hands-on practice and quick references. This reinforces comprehension and application of platform skills. Customers become self-sufficient and productive faster with training tailored to how they work.
Conduct Tailored Training
I recommend you schedule live sessions to walk new users through platform navigation and workflows. We also collaborate closely with customers from setup through go-live. This contextual training resonates better than generic, pre-packaged content.
This SaaS customer onboarding process also helps capture user feedback during these sessions to identify knowledge gaps and refine help resources.
- Assess user needs and customizing training content to address their specific requirements.
- Incorporate a mix of learning formats, such as pre-recorded training sessions and live workshops.
- Provide training on platform navigation, key features, and workflows relevant to the user’s role and use case.
Zendesk's annual research underscores the potential for businesses to achieve success by prioritizing customer experiences. Over 70% of consumers indicate that they make purchase decisions influenced by the quality of customer service they encounter.
Provide Sandboxes for Hands-On Testing and Practice
Practice drives learning retention. If you’re implementing a highly custom solution, I recommend you provide access to sandbox environments mirrored to production so new users can safely test concepts from training.
Customers appreciate trying workflows and experimenting with product features without risk. Sandboxes also build muscle memory for navigating the UI. You should encourage learners to “get their hands dirty” exploring platform capabilities using real or simulated data.
- Create a safe environment where new users can experiment with the SaaS product features and functionalities.
- Provide sample data and scenarios for new customers to practice with.
- Encourage users to test different workflows and configurations to gain a better understanding of the platform’s capabilities.
Share Quick Reference Guides, Learning Materials, Cheat Sheets, and Video Tutorials
Job aids like resource portals, one-page tips sheets, cheat sheets, and video tutorials guide users to quickly refresh knowledge. You can distribute these via emails through a marketing automation platform, the knowledge base, and from within the app interface.
Short, scannable resources help free trial users complete onboarding tasks independently. New users appreciate easily accessible learning materials structured around specific goals or in-app messages versus sifting through manuals.
- Develop concise, easy-to-understand learning materials that focus on key features and workflows.
- Organize content in a logical and accessible manner, such as by topic or user role.
- Regularly update resources to reflect platform updates and enhancements.
Based on research conducted by Dimension Data, a whopping 81% of organizations see customer experience (CX) as a vital way to stand out from the competition. When it comes to driving digital transformation, the primary motivation is enhancing CX, closely followed by meeting customer demands for digital solutions. SaaS companies that have focused on improving CX have reaped rewards such as a boost in customer loyalty (92%), increased revenue (84%), and notable cost savings (79%).
Accelerate customer onboarding with video PDFs
Use video-narrated PDFs to develop interactive customer onboarding and training resources. Learn more.
SaaS onboarding process STEP 4:
Show Strong Value Proposition
User onboarding presents the perfect opportunity to clearly demonstrate the strong value proposition of your SaaS product. I usually employ two proven tactics to reinforce ROI for new SaaS customers.
While your SaaS product may speak for itself once adopted by habitual users, new users need reassurance they are making the right investment. I have seen time and again how strategic value demonstration accelerates new customer productivity and advocacy.
Share Valuable Resources
Provide first time users with tailored templates, learning materials, webinars, and other onboarding tools to illustrate high-value use cases. For example, you can share templates leveraging relevant data, sample workflows aligned to their business, or access to a pre-recorded demonstration. Resources linked directly to their goals and pain points resonate better than generic content.
- Creating templates that new customers can customize to fit their specific needs and workflows.
- Developing comprehensive learning materials that cover key features, best practices, and troubleshooting tips.
- Hosting webinars that provide live demonstrations, Q&A sessions, and opportunities for new users to interact with the customer onboarding teams and other customers.
Share Customer Success Stories and Case Studies
Nothing builds credibility like first-hand success stories. I highly recommend you proactively share relevant case studies and testimonials from current customers at similar companies or with comparable use cases.
In my experience, seeing the tangible results other customers have achieved in familiar scenarios brings the value proposition to life. Provide a few concise, impactful examples rather than overwhelming new users.
- Highlight the challenges faced by customers before using the product and how the platform helped them overcome these obstacles.
- Show users measurable results, such as increased productivity, reduced costs, or improved customer satisfaction, to provide tangible evidence of the value of your product.
- Incorporate testimonials and quotes from satisfied customers to add credibility and authenticity to the success stories.
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SaaS onboarding process STEP 5:
Go-Live.
Executing a smooth go-live transition requires verifying ready-state and aligning ongoing customer support. By proactively setting responsibilities, verifying platform readiness, and aligning customer success teams, you can enable customers to use the SaaS solution live with full confidence.
Verify Configurations and Integrations
Prior to launch, your QA or customer onboarding teams should thoroughly test every customization, integration, and workflow in collaboration with the customer. Verify configurations meet requirements, dashboards are populated, and use cases execute as designed.
Establishing readiness upfront prevents go-live delays and provides confidence. SaaS product teams can also load test at scale to confirm satisfactory performance under expected traffic.
- Conduct thorough testing of the product features and functionalities to ensure they meet user requirements.
- Validate that all integrations with existing systems are functioning correctly and efficiently.
- Address any issues or discrepancies identified during testing and making necessary adjustments.
Coordinate Hand-off to Technical Customer Support
Although the implementation team signs off, the relationship continues through technical customer support. You should schedule introductions with the customer’s new account representative who understands their unique configuration.
Share knowledge transfer documents detailing the implementation and release highlights. Clarify escalation procedures and SLAs so teams can work together seamlessly moving forward.
- Introduce new users to their designated customer success manager or customer support team.
- Provide clear contact information and channels for new customers to reach out for assistance.
- Ensure that customer success teams are well-versed in the user’s specific configurations and use cases to provide tailored assistance.
Validate Billing and Payments
The last step is confirming billing and payment terms are active by go-live per contract terms. Verify licenses provisioned match contracted quantities and seat counts.
For usage-based billing, I encourage you to double check that metering and price plans are properly configured. Setting clear financial expectations avoids any unwelcome surprises that could jeopardize the business relationship.
- Verify that the user’s billing information is accurate and up-to-date.
- Ensure that the user is aware of their billing cycle, payment methods, and any applicable fees or charges.
- Provide resources or support for new customers to manage their billing and payments, such as a self-serve portal, self-serve guide, or dedicated billing support contact.
As reported by Salesforce, if a company fails to anticipate their needs, half of consumers are inclined to switch brands, and a substantial 74% share this sentiment if the company doesn't offer a straightforward checkout process.
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SaaS onboarding process STEP 6:
Product Adoption Rates Tracking.
Driving continued product adoption rates beyond user onboarding requires proactive tracking and outreach. Implement adoption tracking. Based on my observations, SaaS adoption tracking helps customer onboarding teams demonstrate ongoing value easier well after implementation.
Maintaining visibility into usage identifies change management needs before bad habits form. Proactive nurturing boosts utilization, uncovers new use cases, and keeps the platform top of mind. Consistent new software adoption tracking is the secret to customer retention and growth.
Monitor Usage Metrics
To track SaaS adoption, your product team can add key platform events and behaviors into onboarding funnel metrics. Examples include login frequency, feature engagement, and completed workflows. This quantifies usage and highlights SaaS adoption gaps to address.
Configure reports and dashboards to access metrics easily. Set baseline goals you can measure against over time.
- Track user engagement, such as logins, feature usage, and time spent on the platform.
- Measure customer effort score (CES) to gauge how easy or difficult it is for first time users to achieve their desired outcomes.
- Analyze churn rate to identify users who may be at risk of leaving the platform.
Send Emails or In-App Messages to Re-Engage
When metrics reveal certain new users or teams lagging in SaaS adoption, you can trigger emails via a marketing automation platform and in-app messages to reignite engagement. Segment by persona, role, region, or other attributes to tailor content to their needs.
For example, remind sales reps to leverage reporting before their next quota review. If no response, follow up via additional channels like chat or phone call.
- Personalize in-app messages based on user behavior and preferences.
- Offer incentives, such as discounts or free trials, to encourage new users to return to the platform.
- Provide valuable resources, such as tips, best practices, or case studies, to help new users achieve their desired outcomes.
According to Salesforce, 58% of customers emphasize the utmost importance of receiving a personalized experience when interacting with a brand or SaaS company.
Accelerate customer onboarding with video PDFs
Use video-narrated PDFs to develop interactive customer onboarding and training resources. Learn more.
SaaS onboarding process STEP 7:
Ongoing Success.
The customer journey extends well beyond initial SaaS user onboarding experience. Our success team employ four strategies to ensure continual value realization and success.
The customer lifecycle with a SaaS solution spans years, not just the initial user onboarding period. We continually engage with customers to gather insights, share knowledge, and demonstrate evolving value. In my experience, prioritizing ongoing success leads to higher retention and loyal customers.
Check in with Customers Regularly
Even once live, I recommend you schedule periodic account reviews to solicit feedback. This cadence shows users your commitment beyond launch week and uncovers latent issues or new requirements.
Customers also appreciate having an advocate who understands their unique configuration. You can also connect usage metrics to the desired outcome to show users ROI.
- Conduct user surveys to gather feedback on the onboarding experience and the SaaS product features and functionalities.
- Schedule regular check-ins with customer success managers or customer support teams to address any issues or questions.
- Provide opportunities for users to provide continuous feedback, such as in-app surveys or feedback forms.
Guide Users and Share Tips on SaaS Product Adoption Best Practices
Ongoing education improves proficiency over time. I highly recommend you guide users and provide tips to optimize workflows, avoid pitfalls, and maximize platform capabilities.
For example, recommend cleaning up duplicate records for more accurate reporting. New users gain confidence applying the SaaS tool in new ways.
- Offer personalized recommendations based on customer interactions and preferences.
- Provide resources, such as blog posts, webinars, or tutorials, that offer tips and best practices for using the platform.
- Encourage active users to share their own tips and best practices with other first time users, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.
Send Email Campaigns with New Features Announcements
When new features or enhancements release, we always notify customers and share educational materials proactively. Drip email campaigns build momentum and excitement about new features. We also explain how new capabilities can be leveraged based on their specific use cases. This keeps the platform relevant.
- Personalize in-app messages based on user behavior and preferences.
- Highlight the main benefits and value of the new features to encourage new software adoption.
- Provide resources, such as tutorials or guides, to help new users learn how to use the new features effectively.
Offer Training on More Advanced Features
For more advanced users, you can provide opportunities to “level up” their skills on more advanced features through special courses. Training guides help active users to take advantage of more sophisticated product features beyond the basics covered during initial SaaS customer onboarding process. Investing in continuous learning helps with retaining customers and expanding lifetime value.
- Provide personalized recommendations based on customer interactions and preferences.
- Offer advanced training sessions, such as live webinars or workshops, that focus on specific features or workflows.
- Provide resources, such as advanced tutorials or case studies, that shows users how others have achieved success using the platform.
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SaaS onboarding process STEP 8:
Account Review.
Conducting regular account reviews is a critical retention and growth activity for SaaS providers.
I have seen firsthand how consistent engagement through business reviews uncovers expansion potential while ensuring ongoing value realization. Following this blueprint will strengthen retention and growth for your SaaS customer base.
I recommend you do structured quarterly business reviews focused on the following three key areas:
Explore Account Expansion Opportunities
A core discussion topic should be uncovering potential expansion within the account. Analyze usage data and metrics to identify pockets of untapped value. Prepare customized ROI business cases tailored to their specific needs and objectives.
For example, show how adding more users onto your SaaS tool or purchasing premium capabilities can further their goals. Discuss longer-term visions and roadmaps to map future platform enhancements to their evolving requirements.
- Review the customer’s progress towards their goals and objectives.
- Discuss any challenges or obstacles the customer has faced and identifying potential solutions.
- Identify opportunities for expansion, such as upselling or cross-selling additional SaaS products or services.
As per ZenDesk, 90% of customers express a willingness to invest more in businesses that tailor their customer service experiences. Additionally, 89% of consumers are open to spending extra on SaaS companies that provide self-serve options for finding answers.
Establish Success Metrics and an Ongoing Optimization Plan
Next, collaboratively develop plans to continually optimize SaaS adoption and maximize success. Agree on key metrics and benchmarks for defining a successful partnership.
Identify areas for improving workflows, addressing friction points, and driving increased proficiency. Develop content like tips sheets and online training tailored to pain points. Enabling the customer to continually extract value strengthens trust and customer loyalty.
- Define clear success metrics that align with the customer’s goals and objectives.
- Regularly monitor and analyze these metrics to identify areas for improvement.
- Develop an ongoing optimization plan that outlines specific actions and initiatives to improve performance and achieve desired outcomes.
Solicit Testimonials and Case Studies
Mature customer relationships present opportunities to request advocacy and case studies detailing quantified success since user onboarding. From my experience, these testimonials provide powerful social proof for lead generation.
Work jointly to craft compelling narratives demonstrating measurable ROI and impact. The customer enjoys public recognition while you generate credible marketing assets. It’s a win win!
- Identify satisfied customers who have achieved their desired outcomes using the platform.
- Request testimonials and case studies that highlight main benefits and positive outcomes achieved.
- Share these testimonials and case studies with other customers and prospects to demonstrate the value of the platform.
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The Best SaaS Onboarding Examples
Exceptional SaaS user onboarding experience is often subtle, but leaves lasting first impressions on new users. I want to showcase some of the best and one of my own favorite examples of SaaS companies nailing their user onboarding experiences.
Studying how industry leaders approach user onboarding flow can provide great inspiration to re-examine your own customer journey.
These are some of the best SaaS onboarding examples and A+ executions that turn new users into passionate advocates:
The best SaaS onboarding examples #1:
HubSpot
SaaS customer onboarding flows can feel daunting for new users facing an unfamiliar SaaS tool. HubSpot tackles this by personalizing the experience based on simple in-app surveys upfront. Just a few multiple choice questions about role and goals allow custom-tailoring the user journey. This small touch makes onboarding feel more welcoming for new customers.
HubSpot also incentivizes customers to provide feedback and data by linking it to progress and skills growth. Visual cues like SaaS onboarding checklist and usage metrics guide users, drive engagement and customer loyalty. I’ve seen how celebrating small wins builds momentum, retaining customers and keeping them active.
The best SaaS onboarding examples #2:
Airtable
Airtable is a great onboarding example that shows how thoughtful design makes the SaaS onboarding experience engaging.
I’m always blown away by their slick UI patterns blending slideouts, hotspots, and sequential click-throughs. It grabs your attention as a user while teaching naturally. For example, their interactive dashboard menu progressively opens up options as you advance through customer onboarding steps. These UI elements guide users and draw them in deeper rather than just popping disconnected tooltips.
I love how Airtable mixes brief tooltips to highlight specific product features along with bigger slideouts if you want more detail. Cramming everything into a tooltip overwhelms, but giving customers control over going deeper is brilliant.
It’s these types of smart UX choices that make Airtable stand out. They could have phoned it in with a generic SaaS product tour. But the layered educational approach makes onboarding and learning more interactive.
The best SaaS onboarding examples #3:
Asana
Onboarding new users is tough, especially for intricate project management tools like Asana. One misstep and customers churn before seeing value. But Asana tackles SaaS adoption head-on through robust educational resources.
Their standout Asana guide hub offers a fully searchable library of best practices. It’s a one-stop-shop to get teams up to speed, from step-by-step instructions to live webinars. I especially admire how Asana caters content to users just starting out. The dedicated landing page surfaces relevant help for new users. Providing the right info at the right time can help reduce friction.
SaaS onboarding checklist, templates, and tutorials address common pitfalls during SaaS user onboarding. And the “Help Your Team Adopt Asana” guide gives customer success managers an easy way to reinforce concepts. See, people learn differently – some by reading, others by doing. So Asana covers all bases. The hands-on courses guide users to the aha moment that boosts retention.
Even when customers stray from the user onboarding flows, Asana uses prompts to gently guide them back. Small nudges, but they work wonders for completion rates!
Accelerate customer onboarding with video PDFs
Use video-narrated PDFs to develop interactive customer onboarding and training resources. Learn more.
How to Choose the Right SaaS Customer Onboarding Process
Selecting a SaaS customer onboarding flow may seem straightforward at first glance – just pick self-serve and call it a day, right? Wrong. I’ve learned the hard way that no one-size-fits-all solution exists. The key is aligning your model to both SaaS product complexity and user needs.
Decision Map for Choosing the Right SaaS Customer Onboarding Process
Self-serve User Onboarding Process
For simple, intuitive SaaS tools, self-serve user onboarding process can work great. The goal is to orient first time users quickly, then set them free to explore independently.
Embed guided tutorials for navigating basics, but don’t restrict discovery. This helps users bond with new features at their own pace. Just beware – this hands-off approach only succeeds if your SaaS tool is genuinely easy to grasp. Don’t abandon users to sink or swim if your product requires some hand holding initially.
Low-touch User Onboarding Process
Low-touch user onboarding process strikes a balance appropriate for moderately complex products. You provide helpful guidance like interactive walkthroughs and tips without exhausting 1:1 customer support.
The goal is to ramp users up with key workflows before graduating them to self-sufficiency. This scaled approach has served SaaS companies like MailChimp well. But know your users – if they expect high-touch service, this model may increase frustration.
High-touch User Onboarding Process
High-touch user onboarding process is ideal for sophisticated SaaS products involving heavy configuration and training. While demanding on resources, it can help reduce friction through customization and personalization.
For SaaS tools built by SAP, for example, requiring tailoring to each business context, high-touch establishes a foundation for long-term success. Just be sure to balance scalable resources like knowledge bases with 1:1 touchpoints.
The bottom line – carefully analyze your SaaS product and users to determine a good user onboarding flow. Failure to align methods to complexity risks frustration and churn. Take a layered approach, provide self-serve resources, and don’t be afraid to test and adapt over time.
The perfect SaaS onboarding formula requires continual refinement.
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How to Measure SaaS Onboarding Process
Optimizing the user onboarding process requires a data-driven approach tracking key metrics.
Effectively measuring and optimizing the SaaS onboarding experience is crucial for ensuring user success and maximizing the value of the platform. By tracking key metrics such as account activation rate, task and milestone completion rate, product adoption and usage over time, customer churn and retention after user onboarding, and surveys (NPS, CES, product feedback), customer onboarding teams can identify areas for improvement and optimize the user onboarding experience to increase user retention and satisfaction.
Armed with quantified customer onboarding metrics, we analyze trends to pinpoint areas for user onboarding process optimization. Testing modifications like streamlined workflows or expanded training reveals what moves the needle. Continual measurement and improvement is key to enhancing the customer experience and business outcomes.
Here are the critical KPIs our teams monitor to identify opportunities for improvement:
New User Activation Rate
The percentage of new users successfully completing core setup workflows is a leading indicator of good user onboarding process and onboarding flow effectiveness. A low new user activation rate signals excessive friction during initial configuration. Segment by persona or user type to isolate where issues occur.
- Simplify the signup process and reduce the number of form fields.
- Provide clear instructions and guidance to help users complete the signup process.
- Offer incentives, such as free trials or discounts, to encourage users to activate their account.
Onboarding Tasks and Milestones Completion Rate
Monitor the percentage of customers who complete the onboarding milestones on time. Examples include completing training, importing data, or launching in production. From my experience, by analyzing milestone attainment you can almost always identify roadblocks in the SaaS customer onboarding journey.
- Break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.
- Provide clear instructions and guidance for completing each task or milestone.
- Offer incentives, such as progress bars or rewards, to encourage users complete onboarding tasks or milestones.
Product Adoption and User Engagement
Product adoption and usage over time measures how frequently users are using the platform and how their usage patterns change over time. Tracking product adoption and usage over time can help identify areas where users are not fully utilizing the platform or where they may be experiencing issues.
To optimize SaaS product adoption and usage over time, customer onboarding teams can:
- Provide ongoing training and resources to help users learn how to use the platform effectively.
- Offer personalized recommendations and guidance based on user behavior and preferences.
- Regularly monitor and analyze usage patterns to identify areas for improvement.
Churn and User Retention After Customer Onboarding
Churn and retention after SaaS user onboarding measures the percentage of users who leave the platform after completing the user onboarding flows. SaaS adoption metrics like logins, feature usage, and workloads over the first 30-60 days indicate stickiness among free trial users.
High churn and low retention rates may indicate that users are not achieving their desired outcomes or that they are experiencing issues with the platform. Benchmark metrics to goals based on customer type. Declining engagement warns of suboptimal user onboarding flow. Churn rate after SaaS onboarding also quantifies effectiveness.
- Conduct in-app surveys to gather feedback on the SaaS onboarding process and the product features and functionalities.
- Provide ongoing customer support and resources to help users achieve their desired outcomes.
- Regularly monitor and analyze churn and retention rates to identify areas for improvement.
According to a global Forrester study commissioned by Adobe, experience-driven brands outperform their peers in business metrics across the entire customer journey. They also achieve significant year-over-year topline gains, including: 140% revenue growth, 170% customer retention rates, 160% Customer Lifetime Value.
Surveys (NPS, CES, product feedback)
Pulse in-app surveys during SaaS onboarding flows provide direct feedback on user experience. CSAT, NPS, and CES measure satisfaction, customer loyalty, and ease of ramp up. I always try to solicit open-ended feedback on pain points. User survey responses always help diagnose how to improve SaaS onboarding experiences.
- Regularly conduct user surveys to gather feedback on the SaaS onboarding process and the product features and functionalities.
- Use user survey responses to identify areas for improvement and optimize the user onboarding process.
- Incorporate survey feedback into ongoing optimization plans and initiatives.
How to Improve SaaS Onboarding Flows
By continuously testing, monitoring data, gathering insights, and making reasoned changes, SaaS user onboarding flows can systematically mature over time. Your SaaS onboarding process has to deliver measurable improvements.
Leverage the following proven methods to systematically improve your own SaaS user onboarding experience:
A/B Test User Onboarding Flows
In my experience, one of the best ways to do this is to routinely A/B test variations of user onboarding flows to determine what moves the needle. For example, test simplifying account setup or reordering educational content. Measure the business impact on activation, customer engagement, and satisfaction. Roll out the version yielding measurably better metrics.
- Identify the most effective customer onboarding elements and strategies.
- Continuously iterate and improve the user onboarding process.
- Make data-driven decisions to optimize user experience and increase conversions.
Analyze Customer Onboarding Metrics and Customer Interactions
Review customer onboarding metrics, in-app surveys, and other signals to pinpoint areas for refinement. For instance, slowly declining logins may indicate training gaps. Or frequent customer support tickets around integrations could warrant more learning materials. Addressing data-driven insights directly boosts desired outcome.
- Monitor key customer onboarding metrics such as account activation rate, task and milestone completion rate, SaaS product adoption and usage over time, and customers churn and retention after onboarding.
- Identify patterns and trends in user behavior to inform SaaS onboarding improvements.
- Use data-driven insights to optimize the SaaS customer onboarding process and enhance user experience.
Visa reports that in digital customer onboarding, the point at which customers typically abandon their application is at around 14 minutes and 20 seconds. Beyond this timeframe, 55% of customers exit the process. If the duration extends to 20 minutes, 70% of customers entirely give up on opening an account.
Gather User Feedback Through Surveys and Interviews
Surveys provide quantitative data, but based on my observations speaking directly to users uncovers much deeper insights. Conducting interviews, ridealongs, and focus groups with recently onboarded customers reveals pain points. Ask probing questions to diagnose root causes of friction or confusion.
- Conduct surveys such as NPS (Net Promoter Score), CES (Customer Effort Score), and product feedback surveys to collect user opinions and insights.
- Conduct user interviews to gain a better understanding of user needs, preferences, and pain points.
- Use user feedback to inform SaaS onboarding improvements and optimize the user experience.
Refine Onboarding Materials and Feature Exposure Based on Onboarding Metrics
Leveraging all collected data and user feedback, we constantly refine user onboarding materials scope and sequencing. For example, lead with the most critical workflows needed to demonstrate quick value proposition. Or break trainings into more consumable segments. Let data determine optimal feature exposure.
- Analyze user behavior and customer engagement metrics to identify the most valuable features and content for users.
- Adjust user onboarding flows to emphasize key features and content based on user preferences and needs.
- Continuously monitor and update content and feature exposure to align with user expectations and improve the SaaS onboarding experience.
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Goals of Effective SaaS Onboarding Process
By methodically pursuing user activation, fast value, enduring success, and customer loyalty in parallel, effective customer onboarding journey delivers compounding benefits. Our team keeps these North Star goals top of mind to craft SaaS onboarding journey that customers complete quickly and glean positive outcomes from long-term.
We always emphasize that a good onboarding process pursues four distinct yet interrelated goals:
Drive User Activation
Your first priority should be ensuring new users fully activate their account by completing initial setup and configuration. Failure to activate prevents your prospective customers from realizing the value of your product. Diagnose and reduce friction during signup process and integration.
Guide users through the aha moment that build confidence. In the case of our platform, DeckLinks, one of those aha moment comes when a user sees engagement analytics of a PDF that they’ve shared.
- Simplify the signup process and reduce the number of form fields.
- Provide clear instructions and guidance to help users complete the signup process.
- Offer incentives, such as free trials or discounts, to encourage users to activate their account.
Deliver Quick Wins
Next, SaaS customer onboarding process must enable users to achieve tangible productivity and value within the first sessions. Demonstrate core functionality that solves immediate pain points. Provide resources and customer support to complete workflows quickly. From what I’ve encountered, quick wins build enthusiasm and SaaS adoption velocity.
- Focus on the most important key features and functionalities that solve problems.
- Provide personalized onboarding experiences based on user needs and preferences.
- Offer resources, such as tutorials and learning materials, to help users understand how to use the SaaS product effectively.
Promote Long-term Customer Success
Look beyond just initial interactions to set customers up for continued growth. Ensure a full understanding of capabilities that drive enduring impact and customer loyalty. Encourage exploration that uncovers new use cases over time. Ongoing education and customer engagement lead to ingrained SaaS adoption and more loyal customers.
- Offer more advanced features training sessions and resources to help users become power users.
- Continuously monitor and analyze customer interactions and engagement metrics to identify areas for improvement.
- Provide opportunities for users to provide feedback and contribute to the product’s development.
Increase User Retention
User friendly onboarding experience boosts retention by creating happy, satisfied and active users, less prone to churn.
If your SaaS platform allows, I highly recommend you monitor signals like task completion rate and feature usage to proactively address and reduce friction. Use surveys and feedback to continuously improve and exceed expectations.
- Monitor key SaaS onboarding metrics such as account activation rate, task and milestone completion rate, product adoption and usage over time, and customers churn and retention after customer onboarding.
- Identify patterns and trends in user behavior that may indicate areas for improvement or optimization.
- Implement strategies to address identified issues and continuously improve the user onboarding process.
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Key Elements of Effective Onboarding Process
These pillars work synergistically to deliver SaaS customer onboarding experiences that feel tailored, intuitive, and valuable. Your onboarding methodology should balance simplicity with depth across the customer journey.
Below are the most essential SaaS onboarding elements for customer success that I’ve uncovered throughout the years onboarding new users:
Communicate a Strong Value Proposition – Start by crisply articulating your product’s core value and top differentiators. Explain how key capabilities directly address customer pain points. This builds desire to fully explore SaaS product features. Use visuals, examples, and benefits-focused messaging.
Simplify Signup Process with Reduced Friction – Require only essential fields during registration and account setup. Offer flexible options like using social profiles or SSO to accelerate signup process. Minimize unnecessary steps before accessing platform. Frictionless signup process improves conversion rates.
Personalize with Contextual Recommendations – Tailor SaaS customer onboarding journey using available data signals like role, industry, location. Guide sales reps vs marketers differently. Show users contextual content and demo relevant use cases. From what I’ve encountered, personalized user journey boosts customer engagement nearly 100% of the time.
Take a Layered Learning Approach – Don’t overwhelm users upfront. I’ve learned it the hard way! Expose functionality progressively as users gain proficiency. Start with the most critical workflows for their needs before unveiling more advanced features. Gradual learning drives user retention and customer loyalty.
Make SaaS Onboarding Interactive and Engaging – Leverage interactive walkthroughs, in-app messaging, and celebratory cues rather than passive user onboarding materials. For example, use in-app surveys and SaaS onboarding checklist. SaaS onboarding gamification and milestones build involvement.
Solicit Continuous Feedback – Check in often with quick surveys to gauge sentiment. Monitor NPS trends to identify frustrations. Analyze behavior metrics for SaaS adoption gaps. Continual feedback fuels systematic improvements.
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Conclusion
SaaS onboarding marks the beginning of the customer relationship – a pivotal moment to drive adoption and convert new users into loyal customers. But thoughtfully crafted SaaS customer onboarding flows do not happen by chance. It requires intention and effort to craft a user onboarding experience that resonates.
Brands should avoid formulaic approaches. Instead, embrace personalization and adaptability based on data signals. Meet users where they are in their onboarding journey. Make every interaction feel human-centered.
This guide aimed to provide ideas for SaaS providers to examine their own onboarding processes with a self-critical eye. Look for opportunities to simplify, tailor, engage, and expand value of your product.
Measure results relentlessly. But also gather first-hand qualitative insights. Let real user perspectives guide the path forward. Never stop striving to improve.
SaaS onboarding excellence is a moving target demanding creativity and relentless testing. Use this SaaS onboarding guide to spark internal discussions and debate how your brand can raise the bar.
Take these suggestions and make them your own as you continually reimagine what customer-centric onboarding looks like. Your users will let you know if you have succeeded or have more work to do.
FAQs
What are SaaS onboarding best practices?
Focus on driving rapid activation, demonstrating quick value, and setting expectations for ongoing customer support. Reduce signup process friction, match resources to user personas, and gather continuous feedback. Make SaaS onboarding engaging through interactive walkthroughs.
Why is SaaS onboarding important?
SaaS onboarding flow sets the stage for user success. It helps users understand the value proposition, features, and functionality, leading to higher product adoption rates. Effective onboarding process reduces frustration, enhances user experience, and drives business growth by maximizing the benefits of a new tool.
How to tailor SaaS onboarding process to new customers?
To tailor SaaS onboarding process to new customers, avoid one-size-fits-all onboarding flow. Use available data like role, industry, and location to personalize onboarding content and recommend relevant use cases. Contextual SaaS onboarding matches to pain points.
Will optimizing the user onboarding flow decrease customer churn?
Optimizing the SaaS user onboarding flow can have a substantial impact on helping reduce churn. Good user onboarding flow ensures users grasp the value proposition, enhancing user retention rates. This leads to increased customer lifetime value and, consequently, decreased revenue churn over time.
What SaaS Onboarding Metrics and KPIs indicate effective onboarding process?
Monitor activation rate, task and milestone completion rate, feature adoption, early usage trends, user churn rate, and surveys like NPS. These metrics collectively gauge the efficiency and impact of your SaaS onboarding process on user engagement and success.
How to structure SaaS onboarding materials for maximum impact?
To structure SaaS onboarding materials for maximum impact, use layered learning approaches that gradually build proficiency. Focus first on critical tasks for the user’s needs before exposing more advanced features. Combine multi-modal learning materials like videos, quick references, and sandboxes.
When does SaaS onboarding process end?
SaaS onboarding process is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. Continue providing tips, new feature updates, and advanced training over time. Check in regularly even post-launch to reinforce value of your SaaS product.
How to continually improve the user onboarding experience?
To continually improve the user onboarding experience, take a metrics-driven approach by analyzing usage trends and feedback signals. Use these insights to A/B test variations of new user onboarding flows. Refine content strategy and UX based on what moves the needle.
What role does account setup play in SaaS customer onboarding process?
The account setup and integration phase is critical for tailoring the platform to the customer’s workflows and objectives. Onboarding teams and customer success teams should proactively engage with new customers to build the right foundation.
What are the key components of effective onboarding process?
Key components of an effective onboarding process include account setup, welcome and orientation, training, value demonstration, go-live, adoption tracking, ongoing success, and account review.
What are some key metrics to track during SaaS onboarding process?
Key SaaS onboarding metrics that user onboarding and customer success teams should track include account activation rate, task and milestone completion rate, SaaS product adoption and usage over time, users churn and retention after onboarding, and survey results (NPS, CES).
About the Author
Lidia Vijga is a seasoned professional with 10 years of first-hand experience in B2B sales and B2B marketing. She has a proven track record of driving growth for companies across various industries. Throughout her career, Lidia has led numerous successful sales campaigns and implemented innovative marketing strategies that have significantly increased revenue and reduced customer acquisition cost for her clients. Lidia regularly shares her insights and experiences on LinkedIn, webinars, and public speaking engagements. Lidia believes in the power of personal qualities such as kindness, empathy, and the willingness to understand others. She is committed to empowering client-facing teams with tools that enhance their talent instead of automating it, and she firmly believes that teams that show their human side grow companies much faster.
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