Every business, small or large, thrives on repeat customers. It’s essential to create a great first impression and provide a fantastic customer experience that will make customers want to come back and recommend you to other possible customers.
Here are 19 ideas to help you better onboard new customers. Implement as many as you can, and watch your customer base grow.
What is Customer Onboarding?
Customer onboarding is the process of introducing new customers to your product or service and transitioning them from new customers to engaged, long-term ones. It usually happens after the customers make a purchase, but it can also occur when they first sign up for a free trial.
Customer onboarding aims to help the customer get started with using your product or service and ensure that they have a positive experience. It can be done in person, over the phone, or online. The most important thing is that you make it easy for the customer to get started and provide them with everything they need to be successful.
The Customer Onboarding Process
The customer onboarding process aims to transition a customer from being a new customer to an engaged, long-term customer. The process generally includes three steps:
1. First, the company must introduce the customer to the product or service. It may include providing training on using the product or service and demonstrating its value.
2. Next, the company must help the customer start using the product or service. You may consider providing customer support during the initial setup and usage phases.
3. Finally, the company must continue to engage with the customer over time to ensure that they remain satisfied with the product or service. They may be offering discounts or other incentives for continued use, and provide customer service to address any issues.
Benefits of a Good Customer Onboarding
A Precursive study found that 82% of businesses consider onboarding a significant value-added service. But only 74% of companies have dedicated customer onboarding staff. Customer onboarding is a fundamental part of the customer lifecycle, and it needs to be executed correctly.
Good customer onboarding can result in several benefits for your business.
Some of the benefits include:
- Increased customer loyalty
When customers have a positive experience with your product or service, they’re more likely to be loyal to your brand.
- Increased customer satisfaction
If customers are happy with their purchase, they will buy from you again and again.
- Increased customer lifetime value
Customer lifetime value is the total value a customer brings to your business throughout their relationship with your brand. By providing a smooth and easy onboarding experience, businesses can encourage customers to keep using their products or services.
- Reduced churn
Churn is the percentage of customers who stop using your product or service within a certain period. If a customer feels like they’ve missed out on something or didn’t get the most value out of your product, they’re more likely to churn. But if they feel like they were guided through the product’s features and given some helpful tips on using it, they’re more likely to be satisfied with their experience and less likely to churn.
- Reduced customer inquiries
When a customer is well-onboarded, it means that they have been introduced to your product in a way that makes them feel comfortable and confident using it. They understand how your product works, and what its key features are. As a result, they’re less likely to need support from customer service because they can solve most of their problems on their own.
On the other hand, if a customer is poorly-onboarded, it means that they weren’t given the proper tools or information to use your product effectively. Poor customer onboarding can lead to frustration and confusion, resulting in more customer inquiries. Effective customer onboarding reduces customer inquiry because it helps customers become self-sufficient users of your product.
19 Best Ways to Onboard a Customer
More and more organizations are waking up to the benefits of a good customer onboarding process, with an increasing number introducing initiatives to better engage with their customers. It’s important to help them feel like they’re part of something and not just a nameless face.
Here are 19 ways to create a better customer onboarding experience that will lead to increased customer loyalty, satisfaction, and lifetime value.
| 1. Make sure you understand the customer’s needs. |
| 2. Help the customer understand what your product or service can do for them. |
| 3. Create a clear and concise onboarding process. |
| 4. Provide the customer with the resources they need to succeed. |
| 5. Follow up with the customer after they’ve completed your onboarding process. |
| 6. Check in with the customer periodically to see how they’re doing. |
| 7. Offer a discount for completing your onboarding process. |
| 8. Send a welcome email to the customer after they’ve signed up. |
| 9. Give the customer a tour of your product or service. |
| 10. Offer live chat support during the customer’s onboarding process. |
| 11. Send helpful tips and tricks to the customer during their onboarding process. |
| 12. Set up a webinar or an in-person meeting to help the customer understand your product or service. |
| 13. Invite the customer to join your social media community. |
| 14. Offer a free trial of your product or service. |
| 15. Give the customer access to exclusive content. |
| 16. Offer a money-back guarantee. |
| 17. Ask the customer for feedback during and after their onboarding process. |
| 18. Celebrate the customer’s success. |
| 19. Thank the customer for being a part of your community. |
1. Make sure you understand the customer’s needs.
Why is it important to understand the customer’s needs? The customer’s needs should be the focus of your onboarding process because they will determine what type of product or service they need.
Your onboarding process should be designed to help the customer achieve their goals as quickly and easily as possible.
2. Help the customer understand what your product or service can do for them.
Customers often have a general idea of what they need, but they don’t know what your specific product or service can do for them. It’s important to help them understand how your product or service will solve their problem.
3. Create a clear and concise onboarding process.
Your onboarding process should be easy to understand and follow. It should be designed to help the customer quickly become confident in using your product or service.
4. Provide the customer with the resources they need to succeed.
Your onboarding process should include links to helpful resources, such as tutorials, how-to videos, and FAQs.
5. Follow up with the customer after they’ve completed your onboarding process.
It’s essential to follow up with the customer after they’ve completed your onboarding process to make sure they’re still happy with your product or service. This follow-up can be in the form of an email, a phone call, or a survey.
6. Check in with the customer periodically to see how they’re doing.
Even if the customer is happy with your product or service, it’s important to check in periodically to see how they’re doing. A check-in allows you to offer additional support if needed, and helps keep the customer engaged with your brand.
7. Offer a discount for completing your onboarding process.
Offering a discount for completing your onboarding process is a great way to encourage the customer to complete it. It also shows that you’re invested in their success.
8. Send a welcome email to the customer after they’ve signed up.
A welcome email is a great way to start customer onboarding on the right foot. It’s an opportunity to introduce the customer to your company culture and values, and set expectations for what they can expect from the relationship. It also sets the tone for the rest of the onboarding process.
Include links to helpful resources and encourage the customer to reach out if they have any questions. By sending a welcome email, you demonstrate your commitment to your customer – and that’s the fastest way to build a lasting relationship.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when crafting your welcome email:
– Keep it short and sweet – customers are busy, and they don’t want to read a novel. Get to the point and let them know what they can expect from your product or service.
– Personalize it – use the customer’s name in the subject line and throughout the email. This method will make them feel like you’re talking directly to them and not just sending out a generic message.
9. Give the customer a tour of your product or service.
When you bring a new customer on board, it’s important to give them a tour of your product or service. This will help them understand what they are getting and how to use it. Customer onboarding is all about making the customer feel comfortable and informed, so take the time to show them around.
10. Offer live chat support during the customer’s onboarding process.
A live chat support feature can be a great addition to your customer onboarding process. Offering this type of support will allow you to address any questions or concerns that your customers may have in real-time. This feature can help reduce confusion and ensure that your customers have a positive experience as they begin using your product or service.
By offering this type of support, you can increase your customers’ chances of a successful onboarding experience.
11. Send helpful tips and tricks to the customer during their onboarding process.
You want your customers to have a smooth, positive experience as they transition to using your product or service. One way to help ensure this is to send helpful tips and tricks during their onboarding process. In this way, they can learn more about your product or service faster and more efficiently, and they can gain confidence and competence as they begin using it.
Of course, you’ll want to tailor your tips and tricks to the specific needs of your customer base. Some general ideas include providing step-by-step instructions, highlighting key features, and offering helpful resources.
12. Set up a webinar or an in-person meeting to help the customer understand your product or service.
Another way you can do this is to set up a webinar or an in-person meeting. This step will allow the customer to ask questions and better understand what you offer. In addition, it will enable you to get feedback and make sure that the customer is happy with your product or service.
13. Invite the customer to join your social media community.
One of the best ways to encourage customer engagement is to invite them to join your social media community. You can engage with your customer and keep them informed about new products, services, and promotions by using it.
In addition, social media provides an excellent platform for customers to interact with each other and provide feedback. Inviting customers to join your social media community can create a more engaged and loyal customer base.
14. Offer a free trial of your product or service.
A free trial is a great way to get new customers interested in your product or service. By offering a free trial, you are giving potential customers the chance to experience your product or service without any commitment or risk. This method can be a powerful marketing tool, as it allows customers to try before they buy.
Additionally, a free trial can help build trust and establish credibility with potential customers. By offering a free trial, you are showing that you are confident in your product or service and that you are willing to let customers try it out risk-free.
15. Give the customer access to exclusive content.
Another way to better onboard a customer is to give the customer access to exclusive content. This could include helpful guides, behind-the-scenes videos, or even early access to new products or features.
By giving the customer something that they can’t get anywhere else, you’ll help them better understand your product or service and create a sense of loyalty and exclusivity that will encourage them to stick with your company in the long run.
16. Offer a money-back guarantee.
No one likes to feel like they’ve been duped, especially when it comes to spending hard-earned cash. That’s why one of the best ways to build customer confidence and loyalty from the outset is to offer a money-back guarantee on your product or service. This process sends a strong signal that you believe in what you’re selling and willing to put your money where your mouth is.
In addition, it gives customers a safety net in case they’re not satisfied with what they receive. Of course, you’ll want to set some clear parameters for your guarantee, such as limiting it to first-time buyers. But as long as you’re upfront about the details, a money-back guarantee can be another amazing idea to better onboard your customers.
17. Ask the customer for feedback during and after their onboarding process.
Onboarding is an essential part of the customer journey, but it doesn’t stop when the sale is made. Your work is just beginning. It’s important to stay in touch during and after their onboarding process to ensure the success of your customers.
How can you do this? Schedule regular check-ins, send surveys and encourage customers to reach out with any questions or concerns. By making sure that you’re always available and by gathering feedback at every opportunity, you can ensure that your customers have a positive experience from start to finish.
18. Celebrate the customer’s success.
One simple way to make sure your customers have a positive experience is to celebrate their success. When a customer achieves a goal or reaches a milestone, take the time to recognize their achievement. Send them a congratulatory message, give them a shout-out on social media, or offer them a discount on their next purchase.
By celebrating your customers’ successes, you’ll not only make them feel good, but you’ll also create a stronger bond between them and your company.
19. Thank the customer for being a part of your community.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in business for years, customer onboarding is always a crucial part of maintaining a healthy relationship with your customers. And one of the most important things you can do during the onboarding process is express your gratitude. After all, every customer is an essential part of your community, and without them, your business would not be where it is today.
So take the time to thank them for their support and let them know that you’re excited to have them on board. A simple “thank you” can go a long way toward making your customers feel valued and appreciated.
Conclusion
Your customer onboarding process is the first impression you make to your customers. It’s important to take the time to design a process that will engage and delight them and provide value from the very beginning.
By taking advantage of these 19 amazing ideas, you can create an onboarding experience that will have your new customers singing your praises and eager to do business with you again in the future. How has your company improved its customer onboarding process?