One of the most important things for the success of a B2B SaaS company is customer retention. Clients need to be kept satisfied, which is usually a huge challenge and several problems can appear during onboarding. A SaaS customer onboarding checklist is a great place to start but it is rarely enough.
The implementation of a program with realistic expectations that cater to the future is mandatory. Establishing precise deadlines and goals should never be dismissed and the program needs to be customized based on the uniqueness of the firm.
The creation of a good onboarding strategy is in a big part all about avoiding common pitfalls like the ones highlighted below.
Thinking All Users Have The Same Needs
Customer requirements have to be met but many businesses assess these requirements on the knowledge they have about the product they offer. Even when profiling and research are significant, the flashy features might not be exactly what the customer wants.
Always prioritize making it easy for clients to communicate with your company. This can be done through phone calls, emails, and even by directly asking for feedback through social media. When some adjustments are made, take into account what users are saying.
The Attention Of The User Is Too Divided
If there are several items that compete for the attention of the user, it is very easy to be distracted. For instance, when the welcome screen includes several elements like hotspots, tutorials, blog post notifications, and CTA buttons, it is way too much. Most individuals basically become overwhelmed so they postpone the onboarding procedure or just skip it.
Fortunately, the solution to this is simple. You just focus on the core features during the customer onboarding procedure.
Onboarding KPIs Are Not Tracked
It is a shame to see so many professionals skipping the vital part of measuring KPIs during customer onboarding, together with several other really important metrics. You can do anything you want but you will never know if it actually works if you do not measure results. Also, measuring allows you to break down the process into smaller parts so you realize where changes have to be made.
The start of the process is identifying the KPIs that suit the process best. Then, you want to track numbers and do so at regular intervals. The information you receive can help you design a much more effective customer onboarding strategy.
Not Updating Customer Progress
The customer will lose their motivation really fast when there is no value seen in keeping using the product. They always want to know exactly how they are faring and it is up to you to show exactly that. There is a relationship established between the SaaS provider and the customer. That relationship can easily break when the customer simply does not know why to continue it.
Many metrics track goals but you also need to design measures capable of measuring customer success. The customers need to be told about this and the use of milestones was proven to be very effective in SaaS customer onboarding. When you share the small wins, the customer is encouraged and there is a higher possibility to continue on the product path.
