How to perfect your user onboarding process

Everyone wants their product to be a hit. Or, at the very least, not be an unmitigated disaster (looking at you, Google Glass and Colgate Lasagna). And with astronomically high fail rates looming, the odds aren’t on your side. You need all the help you can get. 

First impressions matter, right? Creating a solid user onboarding strategy is one of the best ways to hit the ground running. Think of it as being like that crucial initial handshake. It’s setting the stage for your user’s entire experience, helping them understand what your product is, and how it can help them from day one.

Let’s take a closer look at how to optimize this pivotal moment in the product-customer journey. 

What is user onboarding?

User onboarding is the process of guiding new users through your product’s features and benefits. Just like a good onboarding program turns new employees into empowered workers, a good intro between you and your customers turns curious window shoppers into confident users. Your goal is to help them get to grips with your tool, including how it can add value to their lives.  

A successful onboarding process isn’t just about showing off features because features are simply tools. What users can achieve with those tools is what matters. 

Good user onboarding is about creating an intuitive and, ideally, fun experience. No one likes trawling through paragraphs of dry text, so involve interactive tutorials and guided tours to help users get the most out of your product. By the end of the onboarding phase, they should feel excited and ready to dive right in, rather than disengaged, or bored to tears. 

Why is user onboarding important?

User onboarding is the bridge between acquisition and retention. Without it, your product might attract users, but it won’t keep them coming back for more. 

A good onboarding strategy can massively reduce churn rates by making sure users quickly use the point of your product, aka its ‘value’. When users can achieve their goals with minimum fuss, they’re more likely to keep using your product.

A strong onboarding experience can also mean higher user satisfaction. Happy users tend to leave positive reviews and recommend your product to others. This word-of-mouth marketing can really fire up your brand’s growth and reputation. 

The bottom line? Good user onboarding is good for YOUR bottom line.

How do I measure user onboarding?

Measure user onboarding like you’d measure every other part of the user experience. By tracking key performance indicators (KPIs).

With your broader business goals in mind, start by identifying the specific actions you want users to take after signing up. These could include completing a tutorial, setting up their profile, or performing a core action within your product.

Common KPIs to monitor include:

• Time to value: How long does it take for users to experience the core benefit of your product?
• Activation rate: What percentage of users complete the onboarding process?
• Churn rate: How many users drop off during onboarding?
• User engagement: Are users actively interacting with your product after onboarding?
• Net promoter score (NPS): How loyal are customers, and how likely are they to recommend your offering to others?

Then, start measuring. Analyzing these metrics will help you spot bottlenecks in the onboarding process and areas that are doing well. Ramp up what works and kill what doesn’t.

What are some practices for user onboarding?

Just like meeting someone new, the first interaction with your product can make or break the rest of the relationship. For marketing pros, understanding user onboarding best practices isn’t just a technical necessity — it’s a strategic advantage. Let’s break down the key steps to nail it.

Simplify your sign-up process 

Think of signup as the gateway to your product. You want it to be as frictionless as possible. The fewer the fields, the better — essentially, you’re aiming for the bare minimum you need to get started. 

Consider offering Single Sign On (SSO) options to speed up the process. Even asking users to enter their email once (rather than twice) makes the whole experience smoother.

Get users engaged from the start

Rather than stalling users with activation/verification emails before they can explore your product, why not allow immediate access? Sending them to their inboxes before they’ve had a chance to get stuck in is never a good move. 

Use non-intrusive in-app banners to remind users to verify their email without halting their experience. This way, they can immediately start seeing value in what you’re offering. 

Educate through empty states

When users first log in, they might run into empty states in features that need input. Use these moments to educate and guide them. 

For instance, show sample content or instructional videos to help users visualize the potential of your product and how they can get the most out of it.

Personalize the onboarding experience

Not all users are the same, so why should their onboarding be?

Before you even get to the design and development stages, pause. Who are you talking to? Identifying and understanding your user persona is crucial.  Begin by collecting data about their demographics and challenges, then use this to segment them into groups. Next, tailor their onboarding experience according to their various needs.

Integrate onboarding emails wisely

While your onboarding flow should be streamlined, there’s always more to share. Complement the in-app experience with emails packed with valuable resources like how-to videos and external links. This boosts user understanding without overwhelming them with TMI during those first few interactions. 

Keep it interactive with walkthroughs and videos

Traditional product tours are often lengthy and generic. Replace them with interactive walkthroughs that allow users to explore your product actively. Tailor them to the user’s needs, helping them learn by performing key tasks themselves rather than making them sit through a lecture. 

That’s not to say tutorials don’t have their place. Use videos sparingly to explain or demonstrate complex features. They offer a visual representation of your product in action, making it easier for users to grasp its functionality without having to drag themselves through tedious text-based tutorials. 

Use onboarding checklists for quick wins

Hands up who loves ticking things off a to-do list? You’re not alone. An onboarding checklist gives users that same sense of accomplishment, boosting their confidence and engagement as they get to grips with the product and accomplish various tasks.

Gather feedback and act on it

Add feedback mechanisms like in-app surveys or ratings opportunities to get a feel for the mood of your users. Understanding what they like and dislike helps you to refine the onboarding process, making it more user-friendly for the next cohort. It’s also a great way to reach out to individuals and offer personalized help. This both raises your chances of keeping a customer and gives you an opportunity to show off your customer care to others. It’s about turning a potential loss into a win! 

Re-engage inactive users with webhooks

Inactive users are inevitable, but they’re not lost causes. Use webhooks to set up automated follow-up emails that highlight features they haven’t explored. You can also send new feature announcements to pique their interest and entice them back.

Build a resource-rich knowledge base

You can’t cover everything during onboarding, which is why a well-organized knowledge base is essential. Include educational resources, video tutorials, and FAQs that users can access anytime for additional support. Make sure this resource hub is easily navigable with a search bar or chatbot.

Track progress with goal-setting

Define clear goals for each user segment and monitor their progress. This tracking helps you locate any friction points and adjust your onboarding process promptly, ensuring users can achieve their goals more easily.

Extend the relationship with ongoing engagement

Onboarding is just the beginning. Continue building relationships with users through webinars and personalized content based on their engagement with your product. This ongoing connection can increase user satisfaction and loyalty over time.

What’s the difference between product onboarding and user onboarding?

While user onboarding focuses on guiding users, product onboarding is about introducing them to specific features or tools. Product onboarding is a subset of user onboarding, emphasizing how users operate your product. 

	Product onboarding	User onboarding
Focus	Introduction to the product features and functionalities	Guide users through setting up and using the product overall
Objective	Ensure users understand how to use the product effectively	Facilitate the transition from potential to active users
Duration	Typically shorter, often a one-time setup process	Can be ongoing, depending on user needs and engagement
Audience	Targeted at all potential users	Tailored to specific user segments based on behaviors
Content	Product specifications, use cases, and benefits	Personalized tutorials, support resources, and tips
Measurement of success	User understanding of the product	User satisfaction, retention rates, and engagement levels

What are lifecycle emails?

Lifecycle emails (aka drip emails, email sequences, or autoresponders) are strategically timed messages delivered to customers at various points in their relationship with a brand. 

Using data as a foundation, these messages are matched to the predicted mood of the recipient, with the goal of helping them along in their journey with the product in a way that feels helpful and empathetic. 

Core lifecycle emails include the welcome email (designed to introduce users to your product) and subsequent nurture emails (essential for maintaining engagement). These emails provide ongoing value via tips, tutorials, and success stories, effectively inspiring users and showcasing your product’s benefits. 

Lifecycle emails play a starring role in nurturing user relationships and guiding them through their onboarding journey.

Identify the key actions and milestones users should hit during onboarding, then plot these on a user journey map. Align your content delivery with these touchpoints—from support at the start to product-focused nurturing emails to timely offers when it’s time to convert. Monitoring user behavior throughout the process helps you tailor your content to meet their specific needs at key moments. 

Users not converting? Here’s where you’re going wrong 

Even seasoned marketers can stumble when it comes to user onboarding. Avoid these common pitfalls to keep your onboarding process on track:

Losing sight of user goals

If users don’t see how your product meets their needs, they’re likely to bail and head somewhere else. Focus on showing value early on to capture their attention and keep them engaged.

Bombarding them with TMI

Overwhelming users with information is a no-no. Bombarding users with lengthy tutorials or complex features can lead to them pulling their hair out. Instead, prioritize key actions and introduce additional features gradually as users gain familiarity with your product.

Activation emails that kill your onboarding flow

Activation emails take users away from getting set up. Why would you do that? Instead, let users get rolling with your product, then remind them later on to activate it. 

Speaking of which, those activation emails can also backfire if they’re not done well. Sending too many emails or including irrelevant details can overwhelm your crowd and kill their enthusiasm. You need to strike a balance between sending valuable information and respecting their time.

To avoid this mistake, create short and engaging emails that highlight key benefits and include a CTA. Personalize the content to make it relevant to each user. Make sure those emails are strategically spaced out so you don’t spam their inboxes.

User onboarding does not start in the product

Thinking onboarding kicks off when users first log into the product is a mistake. In truth, the onboarding journey starts the moment they hear about what you offer.  For this reason, it’s wise to set clear expectations right from the get-go. 

Sign your marketing with your onboarding strategy. Make sure the messages you send out reflect the genuine benefits of your product. And make sure it’s consistent at every touchpoint — from your marketing materials all the way through the signup process. 

By creating a smooth and cohesive experience, you’ll build trust and generate buzz even before they dive into using your product.

The value gap

A value gap happens when users don’t quickly grasp the benefits your product offers. This disconnect can lead to disengagement and, unfortunately, high churn rates. 

Aim to deliver quick wins right from the start of the onboarding process. 

Quick wins are little victories — simple tasks that users can easily accomplish to see immediate value. By guiding users to achieve something tangible early on, you build momentum and keep them engaged. This approach helps users recognize the product’s worth and boosts the chances of them sticking around for the long haul.

Missing out on meaningful quick wins

Quick wins are essential for grabbing attention and encouraging users to dive deeper into what you offer. But not all quick wins are equal. When you fail to give value early on, you risk users losing interest and abandoning your product. 

To create meaningful quick wins, pinpoint the key actions or features that users can easily tackle and benefit from. Highlight these during onboarding, and guide users in completing them. By showing value right off the bat, you foster a positive experience that keeps users engaged.

Treating users like just customers

Thinking of users as mere customers during onboarding can really hinder relationship-building. Onboarding is more than that—it’s about establishing genuine connections and providing value that transcends transactions. 

Focus on building trust and rapport with users. Engage them with personalized content and support, highlighting the long-term benefits of your product. By treating them as partners in their own journey, you cultivate a sense of community and loyalty that carries on well past the initial onboarding phase.

Sending nagging emails

No one likes a needy company. Spamming users with constant or repetitive emails can quickly lead to frustration and disengagement. While email is an important tool for onboarding, finding the right balance between sharing valuable content and respecting users’ preferences is key. 

Consider segmenting your email audience based on their behavior and engagement levels. Send targeted, relevant emails that address specific needs and provide useful insights. Also, give users the option to customize their communication preferences, allowing them to control how often and what types of emails they receive.

Diagramming tools were made for onboarding

Diagramming tools are your secret weapon when it comes to onboarding new users. Imagine having a central hub where you can visually map out workflows, user journeys, and brainstorm, all in one place. 

With Cacoo, you can do all that and more. It not only keeps your design process organized — it also encourages collaboration among team members. By breaking down the onboarding experience into clear, digestible steps, everyone, from UX designers to marketers, can follow along without feeling overwhelmed. Working from a single, intuitive hub helps you create a seamless and engaging onboarding experience that captivates new users right from day one.