What is Customer Onboarding Software?

Customers expect an exceptional experience from the very beginning of their relationship with an organization.  One misstep in the onboarding process can have a customer looking for the door.  

With the stakes so high to effectively introduce customers to an organization’s products or services, it’s no wonder that more organizations are automating their customer onboarding process. 

This article details customer onboarding software, how it works, and the benefits it provides.

The need for customer onboarding software

The combination of evolving customer expectations and the increasing complexity of the products and services that they are offered have made it necessary for organizations to rethink the way that they onboard customers.  A simple welcome email is no longer enough to satisfy new customers. 

Customers have high expectations when is comes starting a relationship with an organization. 

• Personalization.  Today’s customers expect deeper connections right from the start, with an onboarding journey tailored to their individual needs, preferences, and usage patterns.
• Consistency.  The thing any customer wants is unnecessary or manual tasks.  They expect a consistent and efficient experience, regardless of the complexity of the product or service.
• Relevance.  Customers are searching for impactful experiences.  They want products and services built on data-driven insights to meet their unique needs and pain points.  

Meeting these expectations can help a business increase retention rates and drive growth. 

Benefits of customer onboarding software

Digitizing and simplifying the customer onboarding process can deliver big benefits. 

• An enhanced experience.  An exceptional onboarding process sets the tone for the entire customer journey, leaving a lasting impression of professionalism and competence.  In an automated environment, customers feel valued and supported from the moment they sign up.
• Increased operational efficiency.  Automating tasks such as sending welcome emails, collecting user preferences, and delivering personalized content frees up time and resources.
• Enhanced decision-making.  Automating the customer onboarding process provides businesses with a wealth of data on customer behavior, engagement, and satisfaction, empowering them to make better informed decisions to optimize the customer experience.
• Improved agility.  Automation enables businesses to adapt their onboarding processes to accommodate growth, new products or services, and shifting market dynamics.
• Competitive advantage.  Delivering a superior onboarding experience that delivers value to customers helps businesses stand out from their competition and drive sustainable growth. 

These are some of the reasons that more organizations are automating their customer onboarding. 

How does customer onboarding software work? 

Customer onboarding software digitizes and streamlines the process of introducing customers to an organization’s products or services.  Here’s how most customer onboarding software works. 

• Setup and customization.  Customer onboarding software segments customers based on their demographics, behavior, specific needs, and other criteria.  Some solutions enable organizations to customize onboarding tasks or workflows to different customer segments.   
• Communication.  Customer onboarding software automatically send emails introducing customers to the organization and providing initial information.  The emails may include links to interactive product tours or user guides highlighting essential features of the product or service.  Customers also may receive automated reminders of pending onboarding tasks. 
• Educational resources.  Customer onboarding software typically provide contextual access to educational content such as tutorials, how-to guides, videos, and webinars.  And interactive elements such as real-time pop-ups help users understand the onboarding process.    
• Tracking.  Customers can see their progress through the onboarding process and what is still pending.  Some solutions also recognize and celebrate when customers complete milestones in the onboarding process.  The software enables organizations to track the progress of individual users or user segments, to understand where users are getting stuck or dropping off.  Detailed reports provide insights into the effectiveness of the onboarding process.  
• Customer feedback collection.  Customer onboarding solutions may use automated surveys and forms to collect user feedback at different stages of the customer onboarding process.  Onboarding content and steps can also be adapted based on user feedback and interactions. 
• Integration.  The best customer onboarding solutions integrate with customer relationship management (CRM) systems to synchronize customer data and ensure a unified view.  The software also works with marketing automation tools to tailor follow-up communications. 
• Support.  Customers may receive periodic checks-ins to ensure continued success. 

 These capabilities help organizations efficiently and effectively onboard new customers.

Who needs customer onboarding software?

Customer onboarding software is beneficial for a wide range of businesses and industries, particularly those that offer complex products or services where a smooth integration if crucial.  Here are some types of organizations that can greatly benefit from customer onboarding software.   

• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies.  Customer onboarding software can help customers quickly grasp how to use the features and functionalities of a SaaS solution.
• Financial services firms.  Banks, investment firms, and other financial services providers can use customer onboarding software to guide new customers through account setup.    
• Healthcare firms.  Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare service providers can use onboarding software to ensure that patients understand how to effectively use services. 
• E-commerce platforms.  E-commerce providers can use customer onboarding software to help customers navigate the platform, set up their profiles, and understand transactions. 
• Telecoms.  Onboarding software is ideal for helping customers of telecommunications firms set up their services, understand their telecommunications plans, and use self-service options.
• E -learning firms.  Customer onboarding software helps students and educators get started with online courses, understand online platforms, and access learning materials.   
• Human resources (HR).  HR can use onboarding software to streamline the process of integrating new employees and ensure they understand company policies, tools, and culture.
• Travel and hospitality.  Customers can use onboarding software to understand booking processes, travel itineraries, and the use of travel and hospitality services.  

These are a few of the use cases for customer onboarding software.  

Improve the customer experience

The importance of delivering exceptional experiences from the very start of a customer relationship cannot be overstated.  Customer onboarding software empowers organizations to streamline and enhance the onboarding process, providing personalized, efficient, and engaging experiences that drive customer satisfaction, loyalty, and success.  As organizations continue to prioritize customer experience as a strategic differentiator, investing in customer onboarding software will be key.