How to Cultivate a Customer Onboarding Process that Works

Effective onboarding can help build a strong foundation.

Customers expect your services and products to solve their needs in more ways than one. When businesses are unable to deliver the proper experience, dissatisfied customers consider other outlets. One reliable way to retain customers is through a decent customer onboarding layout.

A recent study by Precursive shows that 82% of business operators consider their customer onboarding system an instrument of value. When you release a mobile app, it needs to be accessible from the get-go. Customers shouldn't have to contact your support team on account of an ambiguous feature. Accessibility is a must for your products and services.

Customer onboarding occurs in different forms like a user's manual or an e-commerce website. A good user onboarding structure helps buyers to understand the workings of a product or its many features. By doing so, the consumer has little or no reason to be unsatisfied with your service delivery.

In this article, we'll uncover the importance of customer onboarding to your business.

Understanding Customer Onboarding

Customer onboarding is just as important as other customer experience initiatives. It's advisable to introduce this at a buyer’s first encounter with your brand because it sets the stage for an excellent relationship.

Not having a top-notch onboarding structure gives shoppers a reason to test and possibly love other brands. A 2020 study conducted by Wyzowl reveals that 8 out of 10 mobile app users deleted the app due to its complexity. An occurrence like the one represented by Wyzowl’s research can be prevented provided that the right onboarding strategy is used.

Customer onboarding refers to several initiatives that businesses incorporate to enlighten new clients on how to use products or services. The intent is to provide customers with the necessary knowledge of how a product works and how to derive the best experience from a single-use.

This doesn't stop only at a client's first touchpoint but instead is witnessed throughout their journey. Studies have shown that 74% of customers will change brands if they consider the purchasing process a problem.

Three Benefits of Customer Onboarding

A reasonable customer onboarding system affords the customer a better understanding of how to use a product. Below are three reasons why you should invest in a fine customer onboarding process.

1. Opportunity to Increase Revenue

Delivering terrific experiences establishes your brand as a trustworthy one and deserving of recommendations. With referrals come more customers and ultimately—bigger profits. Findings from a Bain & Company study show a 4% to 8% revenue growth for companies with a fabulous customer experience record.

2. Boosts Customer Engagement

Once a user downloads your mobile app, the experience must be worthwhile. A working onboarding system is needed to satisfy and motivate customers to always use your service. Having that works just fine for business.

3. Lessens the Pressure on Customer Support

While customer support exists to communicate with the unhappy, satisfied, or curious user, a prosperous onboarding practice reduces the odds of complaints. Research shows over 90% of users disclose that the brands they often patronize could improve their user onboarding process.

When an app is launched for the first time, some users may be unsure about how certain features work. However, with proper education, customer support will record fewer calls.

Three Best Practices for Customer Onboarding

Oracle’s survey titled “Modern Experiences for Connected Customers: Creating Digital Customer Engagement” shows that 68% of consumers prefer brands that innovate to provide better experiences. Onboarding users is a valuable step in the customer experience journey, hence it deserves adequate attention.

Below are three actionable strategies to build a worthy onboarding configuration.

1. Make the Sign-up Process a Seamless Affair

Advertising teams are tasked with attracting potential clients to your company. Meanwhile, what happens when a customer chooses to try your brand? What's your sign-up process like? Does your form request irrelevant information? Ask these questions as you redesign the process.

Make the process short and easy to complete within two to three minutes. Making it possible to sign up using a Google or Facebook account is a huge step towards proving your service’s abilities.

2. Personalize Your Welcome Email

Upon signing up for your service, it's your turn to make the first move. Contact them using a welcome email. Note that it's best if the welcome email directs the customer to your product page.

Be polite and thank them for wanting to try your product. Provide a link to helpful articles on how the product works. Doing this lessens the risk of a high churn rate.

3. Make the First Log-in a Memorable Experience

Upon receiving the welcome email, clients eager to use your product will instantly attempt to log in. The user interface should be friendly and accessible. Include a chatbot to handle concerns. If possible, provide a link to your blog showing frequently asked questions.

Closing Thoughts

If you must fulfill the customer's needs, start thinking like one. Imagine their concerns about your product and take it from there. Onboarding programs greatly reduce the likelihood of customer churn.

We recommend that you onboard customers handle their expectations with minimal effort. Many user onboarding tools exist on CXStash , a depot for customer experience resources. Check it out today.