Revealed: How to create a great customer onboarding framework for SaaS!

Revealed: How to create a great customer onboarding framework for SaaS!

Now you might be wondering why the process of customer onboarding is so important. Let me break it to you it is the onboarding process that makes or breaks the deal. A positive onboarding experience confirms that your clients made the right choice, and later, in the long run, helps them stick aro

customer onboarding framework

Now you might be wondering why the process of customer onboarding is so important. Let me break it to you it is the onboarding process that makes or breaks the deal. A positive onboarding experience confirms that your clients made the right choice, and later, in the long run, helps them stick around.

Coming back to the question, why is it that a customer onboarding framework is the talk of the town? Firstly, the biggest hindrance is churning. That happens either when your customers don’t obtain any value from it or if they don’t understand the product in the first place.

The best way you can do that is by fulfilling the promises made in your marketing efforts. Simply put, as you wish to portray is a seamless experience that says it all. Read on to know how to do so.

customer onboarding framework
Source

Let us begin with the definition of the term, customer onboarding. This is nothing but the budding process of getting new users to get accustomed to your product or service. This could involve active guidance, user-friendly tutorials, and support.

Your Customer is your Friend

Firstly, treat your customer as if they were your friends for a long time. This friendly approach of yours is going to take you a long way. You, knowing their persona in-and-out will naturally translate to know them better as a friend.

Ensure that the issues they face are taken into consideration by you. Help them with ideal solutions. This information will help you tailor the user onboarding framework, quite articulately. Your first correspondence needs to be filled with warmth. How about you congratulate them on the new purchase? Let them know how stoked you are to have them on board.

Value and Virtue

Be very specific from the beginning about the values your product is based on. You need to reemphasize the value it will bring to each of their queries. This is where you will have to come up with a dent of personalization.

What would matter here the most would be a kick-off, maybe a documented version or perhaps some specialized training. You can also talk to them about how the product of yours can curb their pain points if any. Simply put, be there for them, right from the beginning.

Communication is the key

After your welcome message, you must continue the rapport through an email that talks about the onboarding process to complement any further guidelines or tutorials. Hereon, email can be your comfy form of networking. This is where you can frequent communication with the newbies.

And once your product becomes requisite, you can easily count on them. Put forth a friendly approach whenever you deal with your customers. You would want them to re-purchase your product, wouldn’t you? Let them trust you completely. Build a rapport with them. They should not feel cut-off from the company, once the onboarding is done.

Feature Callouts to the Rescue

Since they have just onboarded, they might not be aware of all the features of your product. To curb this, you can use a tip banner that illustrates the users around the product and calls out any important feature that they might leave out. It is your responsibility to let them beware of all the features of your product, their functions, and how to use them efficiently.

Having said that, that does not mean that the actual tutorials or manuals can take a backseat from here. Remember, these banners serve just as an introduction to the new ones, not a substitute for the rather informative training.

Artificial Intelligence is your support

Thank the 21st century for having gifting us with boons. To create a seamless experience, you can take help of the artificial intelligence. Simply put, you can put up a chat box to do the needful. To top-up the seamlessness, you can add an inviting option of letting the user chat with one of the executive representatives too.

 This will not only provide a personalized touch to the user onboarding framework but also solve their problems without having them search through your website for an answer.

Customer-centric Check-ins

A customer-centric check-in is never harmless. This can constitute a congratulatory email, maybe a quick call to discuss how everything going on, or a quick in-app notification is. Better yet, the more they feel that you are interested in their success, the more invested they shall be in your solution. Exude compassion in a friendly manner.

Constantly check in to see whether they are getting stuck with something and they need assistance from you. Be there for them, when your assistance is all they need. Do not take a backseat when that particular time comes. Fetch them more value from your product.

Know the Parameters of the Onboarding Cycle

A recent survey from Harvard Business Review states that an increased focus on the customer onboarding framework achieves a vital impact over the lifetime of the product. To bring out a happy customer onboarding, put up a simple sign-up form, do a normal verification check. Once you are through, send a welcome email or a welcome call. Over and above, extend great customer service support whenever they need it.

In order to transform the newbie customers to a rather potential permanent prospect, focus on the aforementioned, and see how that changes volumes in the business.

Final Take

The process of customer onboarding does not begin when someone finally purchases your product. It has already begun the second the prospect came in contact with your brand. Every such encounter is an opportunity in disguise to garner all the requisite information that will later help you create a holistic onboarding experience.

Take the time to align with your service, sales, and marketing department and always keep the customer at the center of all your efforts. It the customer who is the king in your business. Let your actions prove the same.


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