Getting started with a new software service or platform can be intimidating, especially when the service has an extensive variety of features and integrations. We’re proud of how robust FormAssembly is, but we understand that the learning curve can feel a bit steep for a beginner.
Not knowing where to begin or what step to take can frustrate your users, which could get them considering other options. Or worse—your users might feel discouraged enough to jump ship altogether.
It’s our top priority to help everyone get the most out of FormAssembly, whether they’re novices or experts. We always strive to meet the significant challenge of connecting with users across all different levels. It’s essential to deliver the right messages at the right time, so we use a number of engagement strategies to ensure that our users are warmly welcomed to our app. Here are the onboarding best practices that work for us:
1. Be proactive
Don’t wait until your users contact you with a problem. At that point, it’s likely that they’ll already be unhappy and confused.
Instead, start a conversation early. Welcome your users at the very beginning of their journey as they start to use your product and follow up periodically to make sure they’re accomplishing their goals. Offer multiple opportunities for them to ask questions and to learn more about how everything works. Reach out before your users hit a hurdle, and you’ll set a friendly foundation for any future interactions.
2. Offer onboarding support
While some customers may be ready to dive into our product on their own, others may want or need an extra boost as they get up and running. That’s why we provide onboarding guides for new customers, and our Implementation Services team offers Onboarding Packages for customers who need specialized support. Onboarding Packages are customized for each user’s needs based on their plan, use cases, and goals. Each package includes onboarding calls and product training with a designated Implementation Manager. With extensive onboarding support available, we make sure that all of our users are well-equipped to get the absolute most out of FormAssembly.
We’ve designed our Onboarding Package to provide a helpful introduction to FormAssembly, where we encourage users to ask whatever questions they might have. Throughout the onboarding process, we cover the basics of the Form Builder and talk about our integrations and common workflows depending on users’ needs. We always follow up with additional resources to ensure that our users have everything they need to get started with FormAssembly.
Onboarding Packages are perfect for large teams that need group training, organizations with several complex use cases, and anyone who needs additional support as they get started. We tailor each package to the integrations and features they’ll be using, and we help users customize their FormAssembly setup. Customers who are interested in getting onboarding support from our Implementation Services team can submit a scoping call request here.
3. Provide helpful resources
To make sure users have everything they need as they get started, it’s important to provide helpful resources, tutorials, and step-by-step documentation. That’s why we have built an extensive resource center that users can access within the FormAssembly app or on the FormAssembly website. We’re always adding new resources, updates, and information to help our users familiarize themselves with the app, learn key features, and explore form building possibilities.
We understand that some people prefer videos, others like reading in-depth documentation, and some learn best through interactive guides. Since there are different learning styles, it’s important to provide all kinds of resources to our users.
Here’s a sampling of the variety of content types available in our Resource Center:
- Step-by-step instructions with screenshots
- Videos with real-time screencasts of FormAssembly
- Online classes and webinars with plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get answers
- Best practice guides with guidelines and examples
Our Knowledge Base is under constant revision to ensure that all help topics are not only easy to find, but also easy to understand. We avoid technical jargon and complicated wording because we want our documentation to be as accessible and friendly as possible. Regardless of technical level, anyone can easily understand and get the information they need from our Resource Center or our other support options.
4. Host free online webinars and classes
To expand on specific topics, consider hosting classes or webinars to offer specialized knowledge and answer questions from attendees. FormAssembly regularly hosts new webinars and classes for our users, covering everything from specific use cases to demos and detailed tutorials. Each class or webinar is followed by a Q&A session to make sure no questions go unanswered.
Our users and prospective users love our classes and webinars, and we have hundreds of people register for our most popular topics. After the sessions are over, we provide recaps on our blog and documentation library for easy reference.
5. Gather feedback
User feedback is a crucial part of our onboarding practices. We’re always listening to the seasoned pros who use FormAssembly every day, as well as the newcomers who experience our app with fresh eyes. Reviews and suggestions are incredibly valuable to how we improve and refine all of our messaging and resources.
It’s important to ask for feedback early and often. Guesswork will only take you so far, and user insights help us understand what could help them get more out of FormAssembly.
We pride ourselves on the onboarding experience we provide to our customers. We want to make sure every single FormAssembly user has a smooth experience from the first moment they log in, to their thousandth form and beyond. Learn more about our Customer Success team here.
