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The onboarding experience can make or break a user’s journey with your product. Which means the pressure to design a smooth and effective onboarding experience can be overwhelming.
Instead of going in blind, the best way to create a great onboarding experience is to see what tried and tested methods have worked.
The products in this list have onboarding experiences that stand out in their respective industries. Learning what they do and why it works in creating a satisfying experience can help you develop an ideal onboarding experience for your customers.
By the end, you’ll have practical examples and actionable insights to help you design a tailored onboarding process that sets your customers up for long-term success.
First, let’s dive into what effective onboarding actually looks like.
The foundations of a successful onboarding process
Understand the core elements of effective onboarding:
- Clarity
A successful onboarding process begins with a clear understanding of its purpose. Intuitive instructions, quick realization of value, and mastery of essential features are all priorities for a good onboarding experience.
- Engagement
The content within the onboarding has to be engaging for users. Implement interactive learning methods through product tours and in-app guides to help users retain information. Gamifying the process with challenges and rewards can also make users eager to learn more.
- Personalization
Tailoring the process to the individual makes onboarding more effective. Gather data from surveys, interviews, or registration forms to understand needs and expectations. Use your understanding of customers to deliver personalized experiences.
- Simplicity.
Instead of overwhelming users with information, keeping the onboarding process simple can make the use of a new product more manageable. Deliver information progressively, focusing first on essential information and reinforcing confidence over time.
The goal is to reduce the time to value – when customers see the initial benefit of your product – and track progress along the way, offering guidance as needed.
While following all these guiding principles to design the perfect onboarding experience can be tricky, Velaris’s dedicated onboarding tools can streamline the process.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s look at examples of successful onboarding to see how effective onboarding works in practice.
1. Slack - Communication
Slack, the workplace communication platform, is known for crafting an onboarding experience that’s as collaborative and seamless as the product it offers. Slack’s onboarding process combines technology and guidance to ensure new users feel welcomed and set up for success.
What They Do:
- Effortless Signup Process: Slack allows an easy way to join existing workspaces with just a click of a link and a simple signup form. It also gives simple instructions to set up a new workspace, invite team members, and define channels.
- Guided Walkthrough: Important features like channels, direct messages, and the search bar, are highlighted with brief descriptions and demonstrated. For example, the users are shown how to use filters in the search bar to refine their searches.
- Pre-Built Channels: Slack simplifies team organization by suggesting pre-built channels like #general and #random based on typical workplace communication needs. There are also tips provided for creating purpose-specific channels, such as #announcements or #project-updates.
- Ongoing Support: Slack continues to support a user after the first onboarding session. Slackbot t acts as a virtual assistant, offering tips and answering common questions. Users also get onboarding emails with links to tutorials and are given access to a help center where they can find further answers to their questions.
This blend of simplicity with depth ensures new users feel supported from their first day.
2. Canva - Design Software
Canva, the graphic design platform, removes barriers for first-time users with a user-friendly and interactive onboarding experience. Their focus is on showcasing the platform’s capabilities and empowering users to start creating immediately.
What They Do:
- Interactive Walkthroughs: Canva guides users through the platform’s features with engaging, step-by-step tutorials. These walkthroughs highlight essential tools like drag-and-drop functionality and text editing.
- Pre-Made Templates: New users are encouraged to use Canva’s extensive library of templates, enabling them to complete their first project quickly and get a sense of accomplishment.
- Custom Recommendations: Based on the user’s initial actions, Canva suggests templates, tools, and design ideas tailored to their needs. This makes it easier for a new user who isn’t ready to dive through Canva’s big library on their own.
- Follow-Up Content: Post-onboarding, Canva sends helpful tips, inspiration, and design challenges via email, keeping users engaged.
By simplifying the design process and delivering immediate value, Canva ensures users feel confident and capable.
3. Duolingo - Education
Duolingo’s user onboarding experience exemplifies simplicity, engagement, and motivation, making it easy for users to dive into language learning from the first click.
What They Do:
- Gamified Tutorials: New users are introduced to Duolingo’s interface through short, interactive tutorials that allow them to start learning within minutes. Progress bars and badges make learning fun and rewarding.
- Customized Learning Paths: Users select their target language, proficiency level, and learning goals (e.g., “Learn for travel” or “Learn for work”), ensuring the app aligns with their specific needs.
- Quick Wins: Duolingo focuses on quick successes by letting users complete their first lesson in under five minutes. Earning badges and tracking streaks early builds confidence and momentum.
- Personalized Reminders: Duolingo uses push notifications and email nudges to encourage users to maintain their streaks, reinforcing consistent learning habits.
By making onboarding enjoyable and goal-oriented, Duolingo ensures users stick around and stay motivated.
4. HubSpot - CRM
HubSpot, a leader in CRM and marketing software, has developed a customer onboarding process that aligns perfectly with its goal of helping businesses grow better. Their process is centered on helping businesses see tangible results quickly.
What They Do:
- Assigned Onboarding Specialists: New customers are paired with a dedicated specialist who provides personalized support and helps set up the platform to meet specific business needs.
- Customized Onboarding Plans: HubSpot creates tailored onboarding plans based on the customer’s industry, goals, and chosen tools within the platform. These plans focus on implementing key features that align with the customer’s immediate needs.
- Comprehensive Resources: Customers gain access to HubSpot Academy, a rich library of tutorials, webinars, and certifications that cover everything from basic setup to advanced strategies.
- First-Value Focus: HubSpot emphasizes achieving “quick wins” by helping customers implement features that deliver immediate results, such as automating email workflows or tracking leads.
By delivering personalized support and actionable results early, HubSpot ensures a smooth transition for customers while fostering long-term loyalty.
5. Asana - Project Management Software
Asana, a popular project management tool, offers an onboarding experience that helps teams hit the ground running. From the moment users sign up, Asana provides step-by-step guidance to set up projects, assign tasks, and collaborate efficiently. The process is designed to showcase how Asana can streamline workflows and increase team productivity.
Why It Works:
- Interactive Tutorials: New users are guided through hands-on tasks like creating projects and assigning team members, helping them understand the platform by actively using it.
- Tailored Onboarding: Asana’s onboarding process adjusts based on the user’s role and goals, ensuring relevance and efficiency.
- Templates and Examples: Pre-built project templates for common workflows (e.g., content calendars or team meetings) help users see immediate value and reduce setup time.
Key Takeaways for Crafting Exceptional Onboarding Experiences
The common thread among these companies is their commitment to personalization, clarity, and engagement. Here’s what we can learn:
- Prioritize Personalization: Tailor the onboarding process to individual needs, whether for employees or customers.
- Focus on Quick Wins: Deliver immediate value to create confidence and momentum.
- Leverage Technology and Human Touch: Combine tools like interactive tutorials with mentorship or personalized support.
By implementing these strategies, businesses across industries can create onboarding experiences that leave lasting impressions and foster loyalty. If you want to learn more in-depth methods to designing onboarding processes, check out the ultimate guide to customer onboarding.
Conclusion
Creating an effective onboarding process doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require a thoughtful approach.
By focusing on clarity, engagement, and personalization like the examples in this blog do, you can help your customers see the value of your product early on.
Tools like interactive walkthroughs, in-app messaging, and gamification can make onboarding more engaging and intuitive, helping you retain customers and drive adoption.
Velaris can support you by automating and personalizing your onboarding process. Book a demo today to explore how it can help create the perfect onboarding experience for your customers.
