5-step template: Create a successful SaaS product tour
Steal our template for creating product tours that engage users and get them to their activation moment.
What is a product tour?
A product tour is a guided walkthrough of a product or service, typically presented to users after they sign up or first log in. Product tours are used to onboard new users, introduce them to a product's key features and value, and help them get started using it.
The top three reasons to use a product tour are:
Compel users to take specific, meaningful actions in your app
Guide users toward their aha moment
Can be simple to build and experiment with
1. Plan a sequential path to activation
Don’t show a random collection of UI patterns with no clear structure. Start by planning out the steps someone needs to take in order to reach your activatation moment. Then setup your tour in a way that each step is clearly defined and moves users along their journey.
Plan your onboarding path with Appcues. Try it now >>
2. Identify your core value
Knowing your core value is key to having an effective product tour. Don’t spend time highlighting every single feature you have. Make sure that the steps in your tour that lead to activation are all necessarily. Each step should be needed to experience your product’s core value and reach the aha moment.
Lead your users to activation with Appcues. Try it now >>
3. Keep your tour short
You have a limited amount of time to get your users interested and activated or they will give up and move on to another solution. Make sure your product tour is as short as possible. Remember: unnecessary steps add unnecessary friction. Usually all you need are three to five steps. If your product tour is longer, take some time to evaluate if every step is truly needed.
Build a product tour in minutes with Appcues. Try it now >>
4. Provide clear next steps
The product tour is just the beginning! You have to make it clear to users what they should do next. Otherwise they may not continue using your product and finding more value. The best product tours clearly explain the next action a user should take.
Personalize onboarding at scale with Appcues.Try it now >>
5. Offer additional help
Once a user is up and running in your product, they may still need help from time to time. Stay on top of users’ progress with your product features. This allows you to provide additional content, guides, and access to real-time customer support as they go. Make sure you are always there to help when and where they need it.
Offer contextual in-app support with Appcues. Try it now >>
Studies show that a 5% increase in customer retention rate can increase profitability by 25%. That doesn't include the value of a satisfied customer’s positive word-of-mouth as they praise your product to six or more people they know.
"In the end, investing in Appcues was a drop in the bucket. At this point, it has probably saved us months of engineering time.”
Peter Clark Prior Director of Product Growth
“Appcues Checklists has been a game-changer for us. We never thought that we could 2X our free trial conversion with such minimal effort.”
Ezra Sandzer-Bell Customer Success Engineer
Right now, your product is your most valuable growth lever.
Lower customer acquisition costs (CAC)
Guiding users to value quickly improves activation and free-to-paid conversion rates. The faster you can show value and make an impact for a propsect, the more likely they are to buy.
Increase customer lifetime value (LTV)
Making your product easy to use decreases churn and helps boost expansion. Plus, targeted in-app nudges can motivate champions to expand, which can help offset churn and improve gross margin.
Become more efficient as a business
Personalize your message at scale without taking up precious engineering resources. Do more with less by allowing your team to focus on the highest impact work and automating the rest.
