In our previous article, we talked about onboarding types and why it is important for online businesses. We’ve highlighted the main features of it and described which type of onboarding is more appropriate for each type of business.
In this article, we will help you choose the best type for your product and/or service, and as well share our knowledge about how to write content for onboarding, since this is a very unique tool and can have a big impact on business development if set up correctly.
#1 How to choose the right type of onboarding
For Onboarding, the product defines the type that needs to be used. But generally, there are three key features products have and are considered important factors that determine the onboarding types that can be used for each: Content flow, product complexity, and it’s uniqueness.
Rich Content Products.
User problem: Not clear how to start
Onboarding Goal: To understand user’s preferences and based on these preferences to provide relevant content to read. To make the user interested in your product, and convince that your content product deserves his money and time.
Solution: Create interactive onboarding, to understand user preferences, and make a custom selection of content to attract user attention and interest. If you still are not able to understand user preferences, then a good solution is to provide generally interesting content:
- Popular
- Filtered by category or genre
- Relevant for multiple types of users
Keep in mind that most important is to make users feel helped in face of the content selection process.
Complex Products.
User problem: Not sure what features are useful
Onboarding Goal: Point out how the product solves issues of the target audience
Solution: Best of all work here case studies. This will help you convince users that your product or service is useful and they need it. As an alternative, you can provide how-to-use guides that come both as a helping hand on handling the product or service, and as well convince the user that your product is exactly what they need.
Unique product
User problem: Not clear what kind of product is
Onboarding goal: Show, how your product solves the problem
Solution: Help users understand how this product works and for whom is designed. You can make this either using case studies, or interactive onboarding.
#2 How to setup onboarding content
For high-quality onboarding you need to have relevant and interesting content, that attracts and sells. The best solution to get this type of content is to understand the goals and needs of your audience. Based on our experience, these are the steps you need to take for the best outcome:
a) Identify who is your target audience and what is important to them
It is essential to understand who might want to buy your product, and why. What makes your product attractive and if there are any ways to improve or multiply key features. Further, you should breakdown your audience into segments and for each of these segments, identify the following:
- Purposes why the product should be used
- Current necessities of each segment
- Barriers users might meet when using the product/service
If you have the audience profile, it would be easier to understand the reasons, purposes, and goals of each segment, and thus, you will be able to define a clear marketing strategy and ways of approaching your audience.
b) Understand what motivates users to use your product/service
Find out if users are positive or negatively motivated to use your product. Based on these results you will be able to understand what features to promote and what is already visible enough.
Positive motivation is when the product is bought as a gift for someone, entertainment, and generates feelings. If there is a difference between the moment when the product wasn’t bought and after this then your product is successful. The bigger the difference – the better for your product’s success.
Negative motivation is when your product is a necessity and is purchased to solve a problem. Focus on a simple problem fix, that not only looks easy, but it really is.
Users usually take a decision after they understand what are the advantages and disadvantages of using a product. This is why, before/after showcases is a good idea for products where the difference is substantial, or at least visible.
c) Understand what makes your product valuable and what benefits can bring to users.
A product can have one or multiple features that make it valuable.
In case your product has only one feature than try to promote it from different perspectives and create the illusion of multiple benefits.
If your product has multiple features, identify which one comes first, and connect it to other features in order to multiply the feeling. Adjust your price to product features, and make it look cheaper than users expect.
d) Create User Flow
If you have multiple types of onboarding, identify their consecutivity, sync them, and create a complex call-to-action strategy. It is important to simulate the process multiple times, in different shapes, and decide several approaches that you think would work better.
In case it didn’t work as you expected, find out what wasn’t good, and replace/erase. Then, try again.
e) Measure results, and experiment.
Just like we mentioned previously, the analysis process is very important. Even if your product is successful now, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be more successful. And the other way around. Try different approaches and strategies, follow the trends, be aware of your competitors, take decisions only based on facts and figures. But don’t neglect creativity.
Setting up the content and choosing the right direction is essential for onboarding since it will shape the final result of your work. Here, at Mobiteam, we encourage responsibly approach your product to get the best results. This means that you don’t have to cut time and resources, but instead focus more and eventually get someone else to help you with. And yes, you can choose Mobiteam as your partner in business development!
