6 Customer Onboarding Mistakes to Avoid

By guest author Jason Silberman

Onboarding new customers to your software can seem like a daunting task, especially in the era of ever-growing customer expectations. But exactly what customer onboarding mistakes should you avoid?

If onboarding is slow, unattended customers will wander off to the competition. This means it’s essential to optimize customer risk management. Obstacles such as these are compounded by the fact that customers expect to get a product that is tailored to their needs, works properly every time, and is backed by adequate support.

Although software companies usually have strategies in place for dealing with onboarding challenges, many of these strategies aren’t feasible or have consistently failed. Below are six customer onboarding mistakes you should avoid if you want to build loyal, long-term relationships with new customers:

Avoid These Customer Onboarding Mistakes:

1. Making Promises Your Product Can’t Keep

Your product took a lot of time, effort, and thought to develop, and it’s easy to fall into the temptation of using adjectives like “groundbreaking”, “revolutionary,” and “life-changing.” But these glowing terms might not be entirely accurate. Beware of falling into the trap of overpromising. Why? Because, if your customers don’t experience the same value you claim, they probably won’t stay on board for long. Consider asking a neutral third party to read your copy, try your product, and describe the experience he or she imagines. If the descriptions don’t match, you’ve got a marketing disconnect you’ll want to resolve quickly.

2. Making Users Work for Rewards

Customers don’t have unlimited time or attention spans. It’s your job to get them signed up for your product and help them experience relevant benefits as soon as possible. Don’t make people jump through hoops or invest an unreasonable amount of time and effort before they see meaningful benefits. Onboarding isn’t about training users on every feature of your interface right away. Instead, focus on getting people over initial hurdles and leading them to a first small win that demonstrates your product’s value. The faster you do this, the better.

3.  Responding Slowly to Support Requests

When new customers think your response times are too slow, they’re more likely to look for another product to serve their needs. Responsive customer support is important at any point in the sales cycle, but it is particularly important during the onboarding process. Be prompt and proactive when responding to customer support tickets to ensure you convert your early adopters into engaged users who are prepared to become loyal brand advocates.

4. Designing Software That Is Difficult to Learn and Operate

In general, software user experience is very important. But it’s especially critical when you’re talking about onboarding users. When people are going through the initial process of getting started with a digital application, tool, or system, it’s imperative to remove barriers to their progress. They need to get up to speed quickly and effectively, so they can begin to see the value in their investment. Product adoption is really about ensuring users recognize that your software actually solves the problems they’re facing. But for that to happen, user onboarding must be fast and easy. A user experience that minimizes friction is the key.

5. Ignoring Analytics

Analytics is a must-have. Begin collecting data about everyone who visits your site and logs into your platform. Then track everything they do as soon as the onboarding process begins. This information lets you identify obstacles and helps you refine the onboarding process to better address customer needs. Using analytics can also help you better understand what new customers are looking to accomplish and how you can respond to those interests and objectives. If your product causes frustrations, fails to meet customer needs, or seems cumbersome to use, new customers are likely to conclude that the product is flawed or simply not a wise choice.

6. Making Assumptions about Your Customers

Don’t mistake your own passion for your product with a strong understanding of your customers’ needs. Even companies with the best buyer research and profiling can make the mistake of getting so excited about features and functionality that they forget to ask whether customers actually want or need these capabilities. Make regular customer interaction and feedback part of your onboarding process. Connecting with users and gathering valuable insights will help you not only develop stronger relationships but also build a better product in the long run.

A Final Note On Avoiding Customer Onboarding Mistakes

Getting onboarding right can be difficult. But although no two onboarding strategies will be exactly the same, all successful onboarding strategies are driven by a deep desire to discover and deliver what customers need. It also requires honesty about the product you’re delivering and a commitment to ongoing customer support. If you commit to avoiding these customer onboarding mistakes and focus on continuous improvement you’ll be prepared to succeed in today’s competitive software marketplace.

Want more LMS insights? Replay our on-demand webinar:

How to Succeed at Extended Enterprise Education: Strategies for Learning Engagement

Convincing employees to engage in training is hard enough. So what happens when you want to educate customers, channel partners and others across your extended enterprise? Relevant content is a start, but it is not enough.

What else does it take to succeed?

Join John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning, and Kevin Hanegan, VP of Knowledge and Learning at Qlik, as they explore learning strategies that win extended enterprise hearts and minds. They discuss:

• Innovative marketing techniques to attract external audiences
• Methods for improving content quality and contextual relevance
• How to motivate learners with contests and rewards
• Creative ways to leverage video for stronger engagement
• What custom mobile apps can do to drive continuous learning
• How to measure, analyze and improve your impact, over time

REPLAY THE WEBINAR NOW!

Need Proven LMS Selection Guidance?

Looking for a learning platform that truly fits your organization’s needs?  We’re here to help!  Submit the form below to schedule a free preliminary consultation at your convenience.

About Guest Author Jason Silberman

Jason Silberman is the Lead Author & Editor of Training Station Blog. Jason established the Training Station blog to create a source for news and discussion about some of the issues, challenges, news, and ideas relating to training, learning and development.

You can connect with Jason through LinkedIn, Facebook or follow the blog at @tstationblog