If your firm is planning a monthly software service, you need to perfect the signup process. This means your SaaS onboarding must be low on churn. It should also have a high return on investment (ROI) for every buyer.
In this post, the Page Flows team shows you why great setups matter for your SaaS products.
What Is SaaS Onboarding?
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a business model that lets firms use apps through online cloud packages. This means using them without high up-front fees or new tech setups. The main feature of SaaS is its flexible scale. This lets small brands also make use of these tools.
Onboarding is vital for any SaaS app. This refers mainly to the processes that help you or your buyers learn the software. Ideally, these clients will pay each month to keep using it. This means you need them to keep their subscription. A great signup system could be the key to this.
Beyond the setup itself, a SaaS product must clearly show its key features. If you’re making your own SaaS tool, your team should focus on the user journey at all times. If they don’t, many people will return your tool before their first month ends.
The actual setup stage can last weeks or months. It only ends when a team is sure they know the tool inside and out. For a simple app, it may take just one training session for the team to learn the software.
The Importance of SaaS Onboarding
Since you now know the answer to “What is SaaS onboarding?” it’s time to learn why it matters. This isn’t as simple as speeding things up for your team or buyer. Here’s why you should keep an eye on setups as a dev or team leader!
1. Low Churn
Great setups will make sure people stick with a product. This means they won’t give up because they don’t know how to use it. If the UI isn’t simple enough, this can sink the tool. Full onboarding stops teams from feeling lost when they use the product.
2. More Leads
Buyers might also try out a SaaS tool’s free tier or use a trial. If they find it easy to use, they may then go on to buy the paid version. People will know your tool’s worth their time with a thorough setup. This is sure to boost product adoption and conversion rates!
3. Better ROI
A good setup plan helps your team get every bit of value out of the tool. Avoiding (or not knowing how to use) certain features can make the tool a waste of money. Using your SaaS in the right way will give you your money’s worth.
4. Higher Customer Lifetime Value
On the topic of value, devs can use onboarding to build long-term client loyalty. This means more money for the firm and more openness to other products. The more a buyer gets from your service, the more they’ll spend over time using it.
What Is a Good SaaS Signup Process?
Signing up to use a SaaS product is a key part of the customer journey. This may be with a free trial or during the tool’s return period. In any case, the SaaS must show its worth as soon as possible. This starts with the site and its skill at guiding buyers to the tool’s signup page.
Some tools use friction-based signups. This means the initial stage is more complex. It might have more fields to fill out, for example. However, this helps tailor the software to that user. Once they get through this, their SaaS tool will work better for them! However, some users will give up before this is over.
Good onboarding flows aren’t about getting people into the action right away. This will confuse most new users and even turn them away. Only use this method if you’re sure about your tool’s guidance. It needs to cover every big feature. However, the user should be at the core of every signup flow your product has.
Key Pillars of Your SaaS Onboarding Strategy
Building a successful SaaS signup takes time. You have to base your design on the user and their unique needs. Before you start, here are the five main tenets of great setups for SaaS tools.
1. Learn About Your Clients
Every SaaS tool has a unique audience in mind. This also means they have different goals. For example, clients may want to cut costs or boost their team’s output. Once you find the product’s goal, you can tailor your setup to match.
2. Spot Buyer Deadlocks
You can refine your onboarding process over time to deal with any deadlocks you find. This is when your buyers hit a wall in their flow and can’t figure out certain features. Always update your setup in ways that take user feedback into account.
3. Make a Welcome Sequence
The way you greet your clients through the tool will make a mark. For example, you can add product tours to drip-feed features to users over time. This could also take the form of a weekly email newsletter with easy guides for these functions.
4. Choose Your Model
Every firm onboards its users in its own way. Decide if you want a friction signup or a simpler process. Always be careful not to push potential customers away. If the setup is too complex, it’s more likely that users will give up!
5. Offer Long-Term Help
Even once the setup ends, you should still be there to help if the user needs it. This boosts the buyer’s loyalty and shows you how to tweak the setup. On top of this, you may be able to charge for further SaaS consulting.
Should You Offer Professional Onboarding Services?
Wyzowl’s stats show that 55% of buyers will return a tool they don’t understand. This means SaaS consulting could be a great way to keep buyers loyal. Even if your tool is quite simple, setup partners can show them more features. You’ll also have a chance to offer bespoke payment plans.
The customer onboarding experience is what keeps people using your tools. You can charge hundreds (or thousands) per client to deliver custom SaaS setups. This will boost your bonds with clients. A setup service also lets the team see which features will need more tweaking.
Internal SaaS setup experts will give more value to your clients. You can even give discounts for startup onboarding. Many of your buyers might be small brands who would find this very useful. Ultimately, your goal is to make sure your buyers know how to use these tools.
A Comprehensive SaaS Onboarding Checklist
Every setup plan for SaaS products needs a full checklist that covers all the basics. There’s much you can do to make this whole stage easier for each buyer. Here are the seven main signs of a positive onboarding experience:
- Quick intros: While setup itself can take months, you must get the basics out of the way quickly. Ideally, your buyers will be up and running as soon as possible.
- Simple tasks: This might be a buyer’s first time using SaaS apps. Always keep it simple, and don’t assume a client knows even the basics of your tool.
- Optional setup: Some buyers may already know how to use your tools. If that’s the case, give them a way to skip setup!
- Helpful documents: You can’t stuff everything into your guides. However, you’re still able to flag up assets that help clients learn the finer points.
- Practical examples: When your users first start out, don’t throw them in the deep end. Instead, let them ease into the tool with examples for each task.
- Progress bars: Give your clients a SaaS onboarding checklist of their own. This will let them see just how much progress they’re making with each task they complete.
- Live support: Provide an easy route to contact your help team. If they have any urgent questions, even built-in chat support could help them find the answers.
What Is Good Signposting in SaaS?
Your SaaS tool (or page) needs a clear interface. At the bare minimum, it should be able to show the program’s main features. When onboarding new buyers, this will help them use the tool even after the tutorials end. It also lets them find features in the right order.
It may even help to give clients a to-do list that slowly adds new tasks. This lets them test the app’s flow in new contexts while allowing them to absorb each one. As for the tasks, it might be best to create step-by-step guides.
You’ll have to walk a fine line between onboarding and overbearing. Good SaaS customer onboarding still gives clients lots of space to work at their own pace. This means you can’t flood them with in-depth tutorials. The on-screen text must be minimal while still giving all the vital details.
Help buttons should be clearly present in case a user needs more info. This could be in the form of a question mark or an “i” symbol. You might even want to make tutorials opt-in to start with. In any case, there’s such a thing as too much setup guidance.
Examples of Great SaaS Platform Setups
It helps to learn from the best when you’re making a SaaS platform’s setup. There are blueprints from nearly every sector at your fingertips if you know where to look. Here are just some of the best setup stages you can take cues from.
1. Grammarly
The Grammarly SaaS onboarding experience starts by asking about your firm and team so it can provide personal help that fits your field. When you finish signing up, it gives you a checklist and a “demo document.” This document is full of grammar and spelling errors so you can see it in action!
2. HubSpot CRM
HubSpot’s CRM tool also lets you learn by doing. In this case, it gives you many layout options and asks you to add your own contacts. The tool will even add fake meetings to show the UI. You’ll then be able to add your team and make new campaigns in minutes.
3. Asana
The project manager app Asana has an online hub full of step-by-step guides. This tool asks users lots of questions when they sign up. This friction setup takes time but lets you enjoy a personal and positive onboarding experience. It also has built-in tips and smoothly introduces users to making new task schedules.
4. Slack
As soon as you sign up for Slack, you have the chance to build a workspace. You can then invite or add your team right after. It’s possible to have a fully working server with its own channels and a full team in two minutes. This simple (and friction-free!) setup also doesn’t overwhelm new hires.
How SaaS Apps Guide the User’s Journey
Your SaaS tool can give clients a quick tour of every single feature or ease them in more slowly. However fast you take it, you need to keep the user experience in mind. This will mean guiding users from one feature to another — and always at an easy pace.
This could start from the moment a lead views your site. If you have a customer success manager on your team, they can help the lead turn into a paying client. Your site will be a “mini-guide” of sorts. Each page must also come with a clear call to action.
As you can see above, checklists and to-do lists are part of many SaaS tools. This could be the key to drip-feeding an app’s features. You’ll get to choose when users learn new parts of your tool. The order is entirely up to you. Try not to overwhelm them, though!
Your SaaS onboarding strategy is all about turning buyers into happy users. You can do this by guiding them to an “Aha!” moment. In product design, this is when it all “clicks” for a user. Remember that the user is at the heart of this stage — not the product.
SaaS Setups: Learn From the Best
SaaS firms spend a lot of money on learning how to build the best user experiences. In doing so, they may miss some great SaaS onboarding examples from other leading software titans.
The Page Flows team prides itself on offering a library full of SaaS user flows. This lets you bring your setup ideas to life. Visit our catalog today to find the best UX workflows in the business.
