Onboarding New Customers

While most people like to talk about the software in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), the service element of SaaS is just as important. One area that’s especially critical is onboarding new customers. There’s a huge variation in skill level of users, general sophistication of the customer, and preparedness for a new product.

Here are a few thoughts on onboarding new customers:

• Incorporate in-app functionality like a getting started wizard to guide the user through their initial experience
• Provide an easy way for users to ask questions through a support form or live chat
• Build an onboarding playbook (similar to a sales playbook) that outlines the whole process
• Templatize the onboarding steps using a project management system like Trello, Asana, or Basecamp
• Survey new customers about their experience as soon as the onboarding is finished using SurveyMonkey

Successfully onboarding new customers is hugely important and often overlooked early on in the entrepreneurial journey. Invest in onboarding early and benefit from happier customers and stronger relationships.

What else? What are some more thoughts on onboarding new customers?