Effective Customer Onboarding Templates and Best Practices

Customer onboarding sets the tone for the entire customer journey, so it’s important for new users to quickly realize the benefits of your SaaS product. If they don’t grasp the value of your product right away, they’ll likely leave. In fact, 55% of people stop using a product when they don’t understand how it works. That’s more than half of your potential customer base! 

With 63% of customers considering the onboarding process when making a purchase decision, you can see why this step is crucial to increasing engagement and satisfaction. 

In this guide, we'll discuss the importance of onboarding for SaaS businesses. Plus, we’ll share actionable customer onboarding templates and best practices to help you streamline your company's customer onboarding strategy.

Essential components of effective customer onboarding

The key to effective onboarding involves hitting the customer experience trifecta: engagement, personalization, and product education. The better you integrate these components into your onboarding strategy, the higher the customer satisfaction, customer retention, and product adoption.

Let's take a closer look at each component:

Initial engagement

The initial engagement phase is where you make first impressions and lay the foundation for a successful customer relationship. Studies show that 89% of customers with a positive experience are significantly more likely to make repeat purchases and recommend your brand to others. 

Start by sending personalized welcome emails to first-time users and scheduling kickoff calls with dedicated account managers. Communicate clearly—make sure the customer knows what the onboarding process will involve and what needs to be done. By setting expectations early, you reduce any uncertainty or anxiety new customers might have about working with your product.

Personalization

Personalizing the onboarding experience makes your customers feel valued and understood. You can achieve personalization through customer segmentation, creating different onboarding paths based on user profiles, needs, and behavior patterns.

For example, new users need a different onboarding flow than experienced users migrating from a competitor. Select applicable tutorials, targeted content, and customized support options for each to make the experience more relevant and engaging. 

When you understand each segment's unique goals and challenges, you can provide more effective support, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful product adoption. In fact, a McKinsey report found that personalized experiences can deliver five to eight times the ROI on marketing spend and boost sales by 10% or more. 

Education

In the end, the goal is to ensure your customers fully understand and can leverage your product's features. 

Product education during onboarding should be multi-faceted, including interactive tutorials, webinars, detailed documentation, and a robust knowledge base. Additionally, you can incorporate in-app guidance and tooltips to help users learn as they navigate the product. This is great for reducing friction and facilitating customer enablement. 

Progressive disclosure, where information is revealed gradually as new users become more proficient, can also help maintain engagement without overwhelming them.

Crafting effective client onboarding templates

Template 1: Welcome email sequence

A welcome email sequence is a series of emails sent to greet new clients, set expectations, provide essential information, and guide them through the initial stages of using your product. It’s an opportunity to create a positive first impression, build trust, and ensure customers feel supported and informed.

Below are four email templates to kick off your SaaS customer onboarding.

Email 1: Welcome and Introduction

Subject: Welcome to [Company Name]!

Body:

Hi [Customer Name],

Welcome to [Company Name]! We’re thrilled to have you on board. Our goal is to help you [solve a problem/achieve a goal] with our [product/service].

To get started, here’s a quick introduction to [Company/Product]. [Brief overview of the company/product, its purpose, and unique value proposition].

We’re here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions, feel free to reply to this email or contact our support team at [contact info].

Best regards,

[Your Name]

[Your Position]

[Company Name]

Best practices

• Personalize the email with the customer’s name.
• Provide a clear, concise overview of the product.
• Include a point of contact for support.

Email 2: Getting Started Guide

Subject: Let's Get Started with [Product Name]! 

Body:

Hi [Customer Name],

Now that you're part of the [Company Name] family, it’s time to get you set up! Here’s a quick

guide to help you get started:

1. **[Step 1: Description]** – [Link to resource/tutorial]

2. **[Step 2: Description]** – [Link to resource/tutorial]

3. **[Step 3: Description]** – [Link to resource/tutorial]

Need help? Check out our comprehensive help center or contact our support team at [contact

info].

Happy exploring!

Best,

[Your Name]

[Your Position]

[Company Name]

Best practices

• Provide clear steps for getting started.
• Include links to tutorials or resources.
• Encourage customers to reach out for support, if needed.

Email 3: Highlight Key Features

Subject: Discover What Makes [Product Name] Unique, [Customer Name]!

Body:

Hi [Customer Name],

We hope you’re settling in nicely with [Product Name]. To help you get the most out of it, we want to highlight some key features you might find useful:

1. **[Feature 1]** – [Brief description and link to detailed guide]

2. **[Feature 2]** – [Brief description and link to detailed guide]

3. **[Feature 3]** – [Brief description and link to detailed guide]

These features are designed to enhance your experience and help you achieve [specific goals].

Best,

[Your Name]

[Your Position]

[Company Name]

Best practices

• Focus on the most valuable features for new users.
• Provide brief descriptions and links to detailed guides.
• Use a positive and encouraging tone.

Email 4: Check-in and feedback request

Subject: How Are You Finding [Product Name], [Customer Name]?

Body:

Hi [Customer Name],

It’s been a little while since you started using [Product Name], and we’d love to hear how you’re getting on. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and it helps us improve our service.

Please take a few minutes to fill out our short survey: [Link to survey].

Thank you for being part of the [Company Name] community!

Best,

[Your Name]

[Your Position]

[Company Name]

Best practices

• Send the email a few weeks after the customer has started using the product.
• Ask for feedback to understand their experience.
• Provide a link to a survey or feedback form.

Template 2: Onboarding Checklist

A client onboarding checklist is a step-by-step guide to help customers set up and start using your product effectively. It ensures that customers don’t miss any critical onboarding tasks and can fully utilize product features.

Checklist items for different onboarding stages

Stage 1: Account setup

• Create an account: Sign up for a new account using your email or social login.

• Verify email: Check your email for a verification link and confirm your account.

• Complete profile: Fill in your profile information including name, contact details, and preferences.

Stage 2: Initial setup

• Download and install: Download the [product/app] and install it on your device.

Login: Use your credentials to log in to the [product/app].

• Basic configuration: Set up initial preferences and basic settings (e.g., language, time zone).

Stage 3: Product tour

Note: We're assuming you have set up a Learning Management System (LMS) to simplify and automate product tours.

• Take a tour: Use the LMS to access an interactive, guided tour of the main features and use cases of the product.

• Explore dashboard: Navigate through the workspace and dashboard with the help of contextual tips and tooltips provided by the LMS to understand the UI layout.

• Access help center: Utilize the LMS’s integrated help center, which includes a robust knowledge base, interactive tutorials, and instant support resources.

Stage 4: Feature utilization

• Set up [Key Feature 1]: Follow the tutorial to set up and start using [Key Feature 1].

• Set up [Key Feature 2]: Follow the tutorial to set up and start using [Key Feature 2].

• Set up [Key Feature 3]: Follow the tutorial to set up and start using [Key Feature 3].

• Integrate with other tools: Connect the product with other tools you use (e.g., CRMs like HubSpot, automation software like Zapier, and Gmail).

Stage 5: Ongoing support

• Follow-up: Accept the follow-up invitation from the Account Manager.

• Join the community: Join the user community or forums for peer support and networking.

• Schedule training: Sign up for a live training session or webinar.

• Contact support: Save contact information for customer support for future reference.

Top Tip: Use visual aids like screenshots, GIFs, or short clips to complement written instructions, making it easier for users to follow your customer onboarding checklist. Also, include links to relevant tutorials, guides, and support resources.

Best practices for customer onboarding

Practice 1: Clear communication

Clear communication helps customers understand each step of the client onboarding process, reducing confusion and frustration. And when customers know what to expect, they feel more confident and satisfied with the product. 

Tips for managing expectations and addressing customer queries

• Set expectations early: Right from the first welcome email, you should outline what the customer can expect from onboarding to reduce anxiety. Be clear about the timelines, key milestones, and support resources, too.
• Regular updates: Keep customers informed about their progress and next steps. Regular check-ins, through automated emails or direct contact, ensure customers know their status and what to expect next.
• Use simple language: Avoid technical jargon and complex language. Make instructions and communications easy to understand for all customers, regardless of their technical expertise.
• Multiple communication channels: Different customers prefer different methods of communication. Use multiple channels like email, in-app messages, Slack, and phone calls to reach and engage more customers.
• Prompt responses to queries: Set up an LMS to quickly address customer queries. Be sure to include a responsive help desk or an extensive FAQ section. Prompt responses show customers that their concerns are important and valued, reinforcing your customer success efforts.

Practice 2: Continuous support and education

Continuous support and education are crucial for helping customers fully utilize your product or service. Achieve this by providing ongoing customer training that is available in-person, online, or via self-paced modules. Offer training resources like tutorials, user guides, and FAQs to address any customer questions or concerns.

To enhance support, use SaaS tools for interactive tutorials and knowledge bases:

• Learning Management System: An LMS centralizes training materials and onboarding processes, simplifying management and scaling. It delivers interactive, self-paced modules accessible anytime, plus it tracks progress and offers personalized learning paths to enhance your onboarding strategy.
• Interactive tutorials: Use SaaS tools like WalkMe or Whatfix to create interactive tutorials that guide customers through onboarding. These tools provide step-by-step instructions and can be customized to fit your customers' specific needs. They're especially effective for complex processes or features, allowing customers to learn by doing.
• Knowledge bases: Platforms like Zendesk or Help Scout can help you build and manage knowledge bases. These online repositories of information about your product or service can include articles, FAQs, and video tutorials, accessible to customers anytime. Knowledge bases are great for customers who prefer finding answers on their own and help reduce support requests.

Streamline your onboarding with a LMS

While these best practices and templates are invaluable, managing and scaling your customer onboarding process manually can quickly become overwhelming and costly. That's where a Learning Management System can make a world of difference. 

Imagine automating repetitive tasks, delivering personalized content effortlessly, and centralizing all your onboarding activities in one place. An LMS enables you to deliver personalized content at scale, ensuring each customer receives a tailored onboarding experience without increasing your workload. They can access these courses anytime, anywhere, ensuring a consistent and delightful onboarding experience.

Plus, with built-in analytics, you can track user progress and engagement, allowing you to continuously refine your strategy and showcase tangible results.

Elevating customer onboarding with Skilljar

With Skilljar, you can boost your customer onboarding by creating a personalized, branded customer academy that caters to your users' needs. The platform supports both on-demand and instructor-led courses, offering flexibility in training delivery. 

Seamless integrations with tools like Salesforce, Zoom, and WebEx ensure easy incorporation into your workflows. Skilljar's native analytics give you insights into user engagement and training effectiveness, linking customer education to key business outcomes like higher product adoption and lower support costs.

‍Get a Skilljar demo to start crafting effective customer onboarding processes today.