Customer Onboarding
The process of guiding new customers to successfully use and derive value from your product.
Also known as: User onboarding, New customer experience, Welcome experience
Category: Concepts
Tags: customer-success, businesses, retention, user-experience, processes
Explanation
Customer onboarding is the critical period after purchase when customers learn to use your product and experience its value. Poor onboarding leads to confusion, frustration, and churn; great onboarding creates engaged, successful customers. Key elements include: welcome communication (setting expectations), setup assistance (reducing friction), education (teaching key features), milestone celebrations (reinforcing progress), and check-ins (addressing concerns). The goal is reducing Time to First Value—how quickly customers experience the benefit they purchased. For creators, onboarding might include welcome email sequences, course orientation modules, community introductions, or quick-start guides. The investment in onboarding pays off through higher retention, better reviews, and more referrals.
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