Every Software as a Service (SaaS) company has a make or
break moment. And it’s called customer onboarding.
How your team on-boards new customers will determine whether
you retain them or not. Lincoln Murphy, chief customer evangelist at Gainsight,
states, “The first in-app experience your customer has with your product sets
the tone for your relationship, and if it’s confusing, overwhelming, or
otherwise puts up barriers to achieving success (or at least recognizing the
value potential in your product), you’re in trouble.” If you want your SaaS to
maximize its growth, focus on spotting issues in your onboarding process. Here
are seven strategies to get you started:
1. Personalized
welcome.
During offline engagements, a greeting is the best way to
initiate interaction with someone new. And the same applies online. Welcome
your customers with open arms. Think of the very beginning of onboarding like
an in-person event. You may have a registration table, swag bags, and even a
person designated to greet the individual.
Create a similar process online. Make it easy for customers
to login into their accounts. Offer bonus material, like eBooks or extra
integrations, to help them get started. And actually welcome the person to your
brand. Personalize the welcome message. Use the customer’s name or mention
their particular company. Experian reports that “emails with personalized
subject lines are 26 percent more likely to be opened.” Customized messages are
a nice gesture that shows the user that you actually value their business. Make
a good first impression with a simple greeting.
2. Demonstrate the
product.
In theory, your customer knows what your product actually
does. But do they really know how to use it? Do they understand all the
features? Probably not.
So, it’s up to your team to actually train your customer.
Create short videos showing step-by-step on how your product works. Point out
certain functions and explain how each one accomplishes a specific task. If you
fail to highlight the purpose of your application, then the customer may not see
the benefit of your product. Moreover, customer success relies on the person
using your product correctly. And if the customer finds it difficult, he or she
may churn out due to frustration.
3. Set milestones.
Some SaaS companies fall short by only showing their
customers how their product works. The next step is to set milestones for your
users.
To understand what goals to set, your team must know what your
customer hopes to accomplish with your service. Are they seeking to increase
Twitter followers? Do they want a 10 percent jump in conversions? If you
haven’t captured this information in the sales process, take the time to ask
your customers. A simple email or survey will work fine.
Once you know their specific goals, work backwards to create
logical steps to help them reach the outcome with your product. Posting a
straightforward checklist within the app will keep the customer motivated and
on track. Train your customers to meet and exceed their goals.
4. Offer assistance.
Customer service is an integral part of any business. It
keeps customers coming back for more. Plus, it enhances the entire
experience.What happens when a customer has a question? Or when they find
themselves stuck? Whatever you do, avoid leaving your customers to fend for
themselves. Instead, provide ongoing customer support.
Add a live chat feature to your site. Or stick to
old-fashioned email and phone assistance. In a Desk.com post, the author
recommends using “Twitter as a way to quickly and effectively offer help. If
you’re not doing customer service on Twitter, you’re missing a big opportunity
to reach your customers and their followers.”
Problems will occur, and customers will want answers. Make
sure you hire staff members that are friendly and knowledgeable. You want
people who will work with the customers, not against them. Because the only
thing worse than no customer service is help from a rude service
representative.
5. Send useful
content
Your SaaS product isn’t the center of the universe. Customers
have external pressures that demand their time and attention. Add more value to
your customers’ lives by producing content that solves their problems. And
don’t make every solution your product. Be realistic. Dig deeper. For example,
your company may focus on selling accounting software to social media agencies.
Instead of offering just accounting advice, find issues that your audience
faces. They may need hacks to organize their schedules or tips to finding a
lawyer in their area. When you offer advice beyond your core expertise, you
become a trusted advisor to your clients. And with more trust comes the
potential to earn more sales.
6. Showcase success
stories.
Products aren’t worth anything without a good success story.
Customers want to know that your services are producing results. Keep customers
inspired by showcasing the success stories of other users. This is an effective
way to amplify your brand and spotlight customer satisfaction.
“Case studies are a great way to tell the world how valuable
your products or services are. They go beyond simple testimonials by showing
real-life examples of how you were able to satisfy your customer’s needs and
help them accomplish their goals,” states Kristi Hines, freelance writer,
blogger, and social media enthusiast. Ask happy customers for their stories via
a survey. Or retrieve data that uncovers your best customers. Then, build a
strategy to feature their stories. You may want to create a case study, shoot a
three-minute video or get your customer on a webinar to talk with other users.
No matter the format, emphasize the customer’s actions, your
product solution, and the results. This will give other users the confidence to
produce similar results.
7. Follow up
regularly.
The initial onboarding process is sometimes filled with
glitz and glam. Customers are excited to use your product, and they even reach
a few milestones. However, for you to stay in business and to bring in that
recurring revenue, your team must design a solid retention strategy. To retain
more customers, think of ways to engage your customers regularly. This may
include sending follow up emails, calling them about service issues, or even
asking them to join a referral program.
Filiberto Amati, founder of Amati & Associates, says,
“Appreciate your clients/customers. Thank you notes, thank you gifts for
onboarding new clients and/or discounts to your most loyal customers can speak
volumes. Even something so simple as recognition on social media for your most
loyal customers can be valuable.”
The key is to maintain a loyal customer base. Constantly
remind users why and how your brand brings value to their lives. It's time to
rethink customer onboarding. How you approach the onboarding process will
greatly impact your future revenue. So, strive to give your customers a better
product experience.
Create personalized welcome messages to introduce users to
your brand’s culture. Set reachable milestones for customers to achieve. And
highlight success stories to motivate more customers to use your product.
Rethink onboarding. Invest in your customers.
Source: entrepreneur.com
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