Anyone who has worked in an organization that is changing some aspect of their software has heard the collective groan that echoes throughout the building when a new system is going to be implemented. Common questions include the following:
- What if the new software is too complicated?
- What was wrong with the old software?
- How will the new software benefit me?
The good news is that some of the rough edges usually associated with new software or feature adoption can be greatly smoothed with an effective onboarding process. Onboarding can make all the difference as to whether you retain clients or lose them to a competitor.
According to a recent survey by Gartner, 40% of users resist using applications after a negative experience, and 56% of users said new software at work made them wish management would bring the old software back. While it would be easy to generalize and say that these numbers are due to a resistance to change, the truth is that humans are not naturally change adverse. In fact, people tend to embrace change that they perceive as beneficial to them. For software as a service (SaaS) companies, this is why a positive SaaS onboarding process and experience that explicitly communicates the value of the product to users, is so crucial.
Here are a few other elements that contribute to great SaaS customer onboarding experiences:
- Match the product to the need
Often, when a new client purchases your product, it is after some type of decision-making process where they evaluated your product against some of your competitors. They likely chose your product because of some additional perceived benefit that your competitors lacked. If your sales team has promised features that you do not provide, that will create an instant negative experience for your users. Making sure the features and benefits of your product are clear to buyers is where the SaaS customer onboarding experience truly begins. Be certain your sales team has a full understanding of your product and all its available features and that the potential clients they approach meet the profiles you have created for your ideal target customer.
- Create that “aha moment”
Even if your organization has a rockstar sales team, their efforts gaining new customers will be held back if the SaaS onboarding process you offer is poor. The customer onboarding experience is usually the first impression most of your users will have with your product. According to marketing expert Neil Patel, it is the job of onboarding professionals to eliminate buyer’s remorse and to create that “aha moment” when the true value of your product is experienced by the users. Another way to look at the “aha moment” is when your user says to themselves, “This is way better than the way we used to do it!”
- Reduce churn rate
According to experts, SaaS companies should aim for a monthly churn rate of less than 1% and a yearly churn rate of less than 5-7%. Churn is a common problem for companies that do not focus their onboarding process on immediately showing users the value of the product. If the initial instructions are unclear, if the product is slow or clunky, if the user cannot see how the product benefits them, then your SaaS onboarding strategy and experience may need work.
Integrating Payment Technology and Processing
When integrating payments into your SaaS solution, Sphere delivers the onboarding experience that turns clients into brand ambassadors. Sphere’s web-based customer onboarding process allows your clients to easily set up merchant accounts so they can hit the ground running. Our automated application is easy to fill out, reduces abandonment, can prepopulate known information and defaults common data, which makes for a greater client experience and reduces human errors. And—it’s self-service. No need for your clients to reach out to sales.
TrustCommerce’s full service ISV partner program provides a single source of end-to-end, scalable and rapidly deployable payment solutions that integrate seamlessly with your SaaS solution. Download our free guide to learn how you can grow revenue with payments.
For more information on our products and how our SaaS customer onboarding experience is different, contact a TrustCommerce sales representative.
