SaaS customer onboarding checklist

When a new customer signs up for your SaaS, send them a triggered greeting.

Why is it important to prepare an automated welcome message?

This is the first interaction that a new customer has with your company. It’s crucial to make this message as friendly and welcoming as possible, as it will set the tone for future interactions.

How to prepare an automated welcome message?

Your greeting should include information on how to get started with your software and what they can expect from the customer onboarding process. It’s also a good idea to include links to helpful resources, such as your company’s blog or FAQ section.

What tools to use for preparing an automated welcome message?

• Marketing automation platform – to set up a triggered greeting
• Email service provider – to send the automated welcome message
• Your company’s blog or FAQ section – to provide helpful resources for new customers

Once you’ve greeted the customer, it’s time to reach out to schedule a call.

Why is it important to schedule a call with the customer?

A phone call is a great way to build rapport with a new customer. It’s an opportunity to introduce yourself, get to know them better, learn more about their needs, and answer any questions they may have.

How to schedule a call with the customer?

Send the customer an email or calendar invite with the date and time of the call, as well as a link to the meeting. Be sure to include any additional information that they may need, such as an agenda or a list of questions to prepare for the call.

What tools to use for scheduling a call with the customer?

• Scheduling tool – to arrange a time for the call
• Calendar software – to save the date
• Email service provider – to send the invite

This is the first thing that new customers see when they sign in, so it will set the tone for future interactions.

Why is it important to include a greeting screen or modal?

Not only is this an opportunity to make a great first impression, but it’s also a chance to provide some helpful information about your software. This will let your customers know what to expect and how to get the most out of your SaaS application.

How to include a greeting screen or modal?

Either create one yourself using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript or use a tool like Appcues to create and manage your greetings.

What tools to use for including a greeting screen or modal?

• HTML, CSS, and JavaScript – to create a greeting screen or modal
• Appcues – to create and manage greetings

During the call or meeting, ask what the client wants to achieve by using your SaaS.

Why is it important to set customer success goals?

Having a clear understanding of the client’s onboarding goal means that you’ll be able to tailor the onboarding process to their specific needs. This will help them see results faster and increase their chances of success using your product.

How to set customer success goals?

Work with the client to identify their specific aims of using your software. Once you have a good understanding of what they’re hoping to achieve, create a list of onboarding tasks so they can best use your SaaS application to achieve those goals.

What tools to use for setting customer success goals?

• Goal-setting worksheet – to help you and the client identify specific objectives
• Project management tool – to create a plan for achieving those objectives

Once the client’s goals have been set, it’s time to appoint someone to look over the progress made towards achieving them.

Why is it important to assign a customer success manager?

A good customer success manager will help the client get the most out of your software by providing guidance and support. They’ll be there to answer any questions, offer advice, and monitor how the client is doing.

How to assign a customer success manager?

Choose someone who is both knowledgeable about your software and good at working with people. This person should be someone who the client can feel comfortable communicating with and can trust to help them achieve their goals.

What tools to use for assigning a customer success manager?

• Staff directory – to find someone who is both knowledgeable about your software and good at working with people
• Customer relationship management (CRM) system – to keep track of the client’s progress and interactions with the customer success manager

The type you choose will depend on the needs of your business and your customers.

Why is it important to choose the right onboarding model?

The SaaS onboarding process should be designed to meet the specific needs of your business and your customers. If it’s too long or complicated then you’ll risk losing customers before they even get started.

How to choose an onboarding model?

Self-serve onboarding means that customers can get started using your software without any help from you, often making it the best option for simple applications with a low learning curve. A low-touch onboarding model requires you to provide some assistance, but customers can still largely figure things out on their own. A high-touch model is best for more complex applications when customers will need significant help to be successful.

What can help you choose an onboarding model?

• Your business goals – to determine what kind of customer onboarding experience will best meet your needs
• Your customers – to understand their needs and how they learn best

This will allow you to identify any areas where the customer might be struggling.

Why is it important to set up tracking and analytics?

Checking in on how the customer is progressing will help you measure their progress towards meeting their goals and spot any potential problems. As a result, you’ll be able to assist them and ensure that they stay on track.

How to set up tracking and analytics?

One of the most effective methods is to use a data-driven approach. This means gathering information from a variety of sources to get a complete picture of the customer’s progress.

What tools to use for setting up tracking and analytics?

• Customer success platform – to track customer health and activity across multiple channels
• Data visualization tool – to help you make sense of all the data and identify patterns

The “a-ha!” moment is when a customer suddenly realizes the value of your product.

Why is it important to identify your Eureka moment?

The “a-ha!” moment is essential for driving product adoption and preventing customers from churning. It’s the point at which they realize the full potential of your product and how it can help them achieve their goals.

How to identify your Eureka moment?

First, you can ask existing, satisfied customers when they experienced it through surveys, interviews, or even just casual conversations. You can also look for patterns in your data to identify when different customers are most likely to have their Eureka moments.

What tools to use for identifying your Eureka moment?

• Survey tool – to collect customer feedback about their “a-ha!” moments
• Chat tool – for talking with customers in real-time to ask them
• Data analysis tool – to identify patterns in customer behavior

This is the sequence of events that leads a client from first using your software to having their “a-ha!” moment with it.

Why is it important to build a customer path backward from the Eureka moment?

By understanding the steps that lead up to the “a-ha!” moment, you can work to ensure that all customers have a smooth and successful journey to it. This will ultimately help reduce churn and increase product adoption.

How to build a customer path backward from the Eureka moment?

Start by mapping out the different steps that lead up to the “a-ha!” moment, then reverse engineer them to create a customer path. Once you have the path, you can identify any potential roadblocks and work on removing them.

What tools to use for building a customer path backward from the Eureka moment?

• Customer journey mapping tool – to visualize the customer’s journey from start to finish
• Project management tool – to help remove any roadblocks and streamline the journey

Having a collection of articles, product tutorials, and other resources available will help customers with using your SaaS.

Why is it important to set up a knowledge base or FAQ page?

They can be valuable resources for customers who are struggling to use your product or who have questions about it. By providing them with the answers they need, you can reduce the likelihood of giving up and churning.

How to set up a knowledge base or FAQ page?

Create the articles yourself, hire someone else to write them for you, or use a tool to generate them automatically. Altogether, you should aim to have at least 100 articles in your knowledge base.

What tools to use for setting up a knowledge base or FAQ page?

• Feedback tool – to identify customers’ frequently asked questions
• Knowledge base software – to generate articles automatically based on customer questions
• Content management system – to host and manage all the articles in one place

Guides of any kind are a great way to help customers learn how to use your product.

Why is it important to make (video) tutorials?

If customers can’t figure out how to use your product, they’re likely to give up and churn. By providing them with step-by-step guides, you can increase the chances of them becoming long-term customers or even brand advocates.

How to make (video) tutorials?

You can either create them yourself or hire someone else to do it for you. There are several different ways to make tutorials, but a video is often the most effective.

What tools to use for making (video) tutorials?

• Screen recording tool – to record your screen while you walk through the steps
• Video editing software – to add visuals and polish the final product
• Video hosting platform – to host and deliver the videos to your customers

This is a great way to offer support to customers in real-time while they are using your software.

Why is it important to implement chatbots or live assistance tools?

Customers who are struggling to use your SaaS might need assistance in real-time. Offering this kind of support will help them get the most out of your product and reduce the likelihood of them churning.

How to implement chatbots or live assistance tools?

There are several different chatbot and live assistance tools available, so you’ll need to decide which one is right for your business. Once you’ve made your decision, you can start setting up the tool and training your product team on how to use it.

What tools to use for implementing chatbots or live assistance tools?

• Chatbot software – to automate support conversations
• Live chat software – to offer real-time support to customers
• Customer relationship management (CRM) software – to track and manage customer interactions

LiveAgent is a powerful tool that offers a great way to provide excellent customer support.

Why is it important to use help desk software like LiveAgent?

By providing support through a help desk, you can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. That is because you’ll be able to address their issues and help them get the most out of your SaaS.

How to use help desk software like LiveAgent?

You’ll need to sign up for an account and then start setting up the features.

To know how to do that, check out the LiveAgent knowledge base. You will find many useful tutorials there that help launch the software without any hassle.

When you use multi-channel help desk software, you can provide seamless customer service across all channels. By using this solution, you’ll be able to improve your response time and respond to customer inquiries faster – making your customers happier after all.

LiveAgent offers a free trial, so you can explore the key features and see if it’s right for your business at any moment.

What help desk software to use?

• LiveAgent – offers a 14-day free trial and is one of the most popular options for help desk software, with many features such as ticketing, live chat, knowledge base, and automation