Customer onboarding is the process of familiarizing new customers with a company's products or services, aiming to create a positive experience and set the tone for their ongoing relationship with the product or brand
. It is a crucial stage of the customer journey, as it can significantly impact customer retention, satisfaction, and loyalty
. The onboarding process typically involves a combination of the following elements:
- Software tutorials or training
- Online documentation
- Correspondence, via email, phone, or in-person
- In-app guidance and contextual learning
The main goals of customer onboarding are to:
- Set the tone for the ongoing relationship with the product or company
- Deliver value to the customer as early as possible, ideally in their first use of the product
- Keep customers engaged and help them understand the value they will get from the product
- Improve trial conversions by demonstrating the value of the product during the trial period
Customer onboarding can be handled by various team members, such as customer success managers, trainers, technical support staff, or dedicated onboarding specialists
. The process can be optimized using digital adoption platforms, which automate aspects of the onboarding process and help customers get started with the product more efficiently
