As a business owner, you know how critical those first interactions are with new customers. The onboarding process can make or break the relationship and determine whether a new lead converts into a loyal, long-term client. While there are many ways to welcome new customers, email outreach is one of the most effective. Carefully crafted onboarding emails help educate new clients, set the right expectations, and make them feel valued. If done well, these emails can delight customers and turn them into brand advocates. Here are seven of the best onboarding email examples you can use to attract and retain new customers.
Welcome Your New Subscribers
To make a good first impression with your new subscribers, send a welcome email as soon as they sign up. A friendly welcome email helps to build rapport and sets the right tone for your relationship.
Welcome your new subscribers personally by name. Express your excitement to have them on board and share a quick introduction to your company or brand. For example, “Welcome [Name], we’re thrilled you’ve joined us! [Company name] provides [description of your product or service].”
Briefly explain what they can expect from you. For instance, let them know if they will receive a weekly or monthly newsletter, resources, or product updates. Provide an overview of the value and benefits they will gain as your subscriber. For example, “As a subscriber, you’ll receive our monthly newsletter with tips and strategies to help you [benefit]. You’ll also get access to our library of free [resources] designed to help you [benefit].”
Share next steps to help them get started. This could include links to your website, blog, or social media platforms where they can learn more. For example, “To learn more about [topic], check out these popular posts on our blog: [Link 1], [Link 2]. You can also connect with us on [social network] at [@username].”
Thank your new subscribers again for their interest and support. Let them know you’re there to help them in any way you can. For example, “Thank you again for subscribing. We’re here to support you in any way we can. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have.”
A warm and well-crafted welcome email is the perfect way to delight your new subscribers and start building a lasting relationship. Follow these tips and you’ll have happy, engaged customers in no time!
Share Your Brand Story and Vision
To build a meaningful relationship with your new customers, share your brand’s story and vision. Explain your company’s purpose and goals to help customers understand what you stand for.
Share Your Origin Story
Tell customers how your business came to be. For example:
We started our company in 2015 with the goal of providing eco-friendly products to environmentally-conscious consumers. After struggling to find sustainable options for everyday essentials, we decided to make them ourselves. We hope to make a difference by offering high-quality, natural products that are better for you and the planet.
Explain Your Mission and Values
Help customers connect with your brand’s mission and values. For instance:
Our mission is to create natural, non-toxic products for daily use in the home. We value:
- Environmental Responsibility: We source sustainable, organic ingredients and use minimal, recyclable packaging.
- Health and Safety: We rigorously test our products to ensure they are non-toxic, hypoallergenic and safe for all ages.
- Affordability: We believe natural products should be accessible to everyone. We price our products reasonably and donate a portion of profits to environmental causes.
Share Your Vision for the Future
Let customers know what they can expect from your company going forward. For example:
We envision a future where natural, eco-friendly products are the norm. We are continually innovating to develop new products that meet the needs of environmentally-conscious consumers. We hope you’ll join us on our mission to make natural living accessible for all. The future is green!
Highlight Key Features and Benefits
To effectively highlight the key features and benefits of your product or service to new customers, focus on:
Simplicity and Clarity
Explain the core features and main benefits in a straightforward manner without too much technical jargon. Use simple terms and short, clear sentences to describe what your product or service does and how it can help the customer. For example, “Our software platform helps businesses manage their operations, track key metrics, and gain valuable insights to boost productivity and growth.”
Relevance to the Customer
Discuss how the key features directly translate into benefits for the target customer. Explain how the product or service solves their problems or improves their lives. For example, “Our intuitive dashboard gives you an at-a-glance view of your most important KPIs so you can instantly see what’s working and make data-driven decisions to scale your business.” Focus on benefits like saving time, reducing costs, improving experiences, increasing revenue, gaining a competitive advantage, etc.
Calls to Action
Include clear calls to action that prompt the new customer to use the key features and experience the benefits for themselves. For example, “Sign up for a free trial today to start tracking your metrics, uncover key insights, and take your business to the next level.” Provide links to tutorials, product tours, or support resources to help them get started.
Visuals and Examples
Use images, graphics, screenshots, or short videos to visually demonstrate the key features in action. Provide concrete examples and case studies showing how other customers have benefited from those features. For example, “See how Company X increased customer retention by 15% in just 3 months using our advanced analytics and reporting tools.”
By focusing your onboarding emails on simplicity, relevance, calls to action, and visuals, you can highlight the most compelling aspects of your product or service to activate new customers. Be sure to reiterate the key benefits to leave a lasting impression of the value you provide.
Set Clear Expectations
To set clear expectations with your new customers, communicate openly and honestly about what they can expect from your company and product experience.
Be Transparent About Your Onboarding Process
Explain the steps involved in getting started with your product or service. For example:
- Account setup and configuration
- Initial training or education
- Ongoing support and resources
Let customers know upfront how long the overall onboarding process typically takes and what they need to do to get started. This helps avoid confusion and frustration down the road.
Share Key Features, Functions and Limitations
Don’t surprise customers with product limitations or lack of functionality after they’ve signed on. Provide an overview of your core features, as well as any key limitations they should be aware of:
- Core features: What your product is designed to do. For example, project management, billing and invoicing, CRM, etc.
- Integrations: Any third-party apps or services that integrate with your product.
- Limitations: Functionalities your product does not currently offer. Be open about future roadmap plans.
Define Communication Expectations
Explain how and when you will communicate with new customers. For example:
- Weekly or monthly newsletter with product updates, tips and resources
- Regular check-in calls or emails from their account manager or customer success representative
- Advance notice of new feature releases, product changes or scheduled maintenance
- Preferred methods for contacting support (email, chat, phone) and expected response times
Setting clear expectations upfront builds trust, strengthens your relationship with new customers and leads to higher satisfaction and retention rates. Be transparent, share the details about your onboarding process, product features and communication cadence. Your new customers will appreciate your honesty and proactive approach.
Provide an Easy Quick Win
Providing an easy quick win for new customers is key to delighting them in the onboarding process. Early success builds confidence in the product or service and strengthens the new customer relationship.
Offer a Trial Period or Freemium Option
Allowing new customers to try the full product for a limited time at no cost removes barriers to adoption and lets them experience the key benefits firsthand. A freemium model gives access to essential features for free permanently while offering a premium upgrade. Either approach leads to higher conversion and retention rates.
Share Resources for Getting Started
Create resources like video tutorials, how-to guides, and cheat sheets to help new customers achieve quick wins. Walk them through initial setup, key features, and common use cases. The easier you make it for them to get started, the more likely they are to find value fast. Offer live or chat support as an additional resource.
Suggest Easy First Tasks
Prompt new customers with specific and simple tasks they can complete to gain momentum. For example, suggest they connect their first account or import existing data to your software. Recommend an easy workflow they can implement right away. Give clear guidance on where to start to minimize confusion and decision fatigue.
Highlight Key Benefits Prominently
Reiterate the top benefits of your product or service prominently in the onboarding flow. Draw attention to the specific problems you help solve and outcomes customers can achieve. The more you reinforce the key benefits, the quicker new customers will experience them. Consider including benefit-focused testimonials and case studies from existing happy customers.
Request Feedback Early and Often
Ask new customers for feedback early on about their experience with your product or service. Send a quick survey after the first week to see how you can improve the onboarding process and better support them. Make it easy to provide feedback at any time. The feedback you receive will help you strengthen your onboarding and ensure new customers achieve quick wins. Continually optimizing the customer experience leads to higher satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.
Ask for Feedback
Ask for Feedback
Once your new customers have had the opportunity to experience your product or service, ask them for feedback. Send an email requesting they fill out a short survey about their experience so far. Let them know their input is valuable in helping you improve the customer experience.
Keep the survey concise, around 3 to 5 questions. Ask open-ended questions to gain qualitative data, such as:
- How would you describe your experience with [Company Name] so far?
- What do you like most about our product/service? What could be improved?
- How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague? Why or why not?
Be sure to thank them for their time and feedback. Let them know you review all survey responses and use them to make ongoing improvements to benefit your customers.
Follow up the survey with an email summarizing the key points of feedback and any changes you will implement as a result. This demonstrates you truly value their input and are committed to optimizing their experience. It also gives them confidence their voice was heard and helped shape the future of your company.
Continually monitoring customer satisfaction and making improvements based on feedback is key to reducing churn and building brand loyalty. While it can be difficult to receive critical feedback, addressing issues and concerns promptly leads to a better overall customer journey and long-term relationships.
Make customer feedback a priority in your onboarding process and beyond. Regular check-ins and surveys, monitoring social media and reviews, and direct outreach are all simple yet effective ways to stay engaged with your customers and ensure their needs are being met. Valued customers who feel heard become your biggest brand advocates, helping to attract new customers through word-of-mouth marketing and online reviews.
Stay in Touch and Build the Relationship
Once a new customer has gone through your onboarding process, it’s important to stay in regular contact with them to strengthen your new relationship. Consistent outreach and engagement will increase customer satisfaction, build loyalty, and boost retention rates.
Send a Welcome Email
Within 24 hours of a new customer signing up, send an email officially welcoming them. Thank them for their business, express your excitement to work with them, and provide helpful resources to get started. This initial contact sets the right tone for your partnership.
Share Helpful Tips and Tricks
Send a series of 3 to 5 emails with useful tips, advice, and best practices for getting the most out of your product or service. For example, highlight key features, share video tutorials, or suggest ways to streamline workflows. These helpful hints demonstrate your value and expertise.
Request Feedback
A month or two into your relationship, send a survey or email asking for feedback on their experience so far. Ask open-ended questions about what they like as well as what could be improved. Let them know you take their input seriously and are committed to continuous optimization. Their responses provide key insights into their needs and pain points.
Cross-Sell and Upsell
Once new customers are happily engaged, introduce additional products or service upgrades that complement what they already use. Explain how the new offerings can further benefit them. Cross-selling and upselling to existing customers is an easy way to boost revenue and build loyalty.
Stay Engaged on Social Media
Connect with new customers on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Share relevant content, comment on their posts, and engage with them regularly. Social media interactions help to strengthen your connection outside of standard email communication.
Consistent and thoughtful outreach will transform new customers into loyal advocates. An onboarding process is not complete without ongoing nurturing to develop long-term relationships. With regular communication, you can provide value, gain insights, increase sales, and build customer loyalty.
The Power of Personalization
Personalization is key to engaging new customers and making a great first impression. When crafting your onboarding email series, be sure to incorporate personal details about your new subscribers whenever possible.
Use the Customer’s Name
Addressing customers by their first name helps to establish a personal connection right from the start. For example, “Welcome aboard, [First Name]!” or “We’re excited to have you join us, [First Name].” Using a customer’s actual name, rather than a generic greeting, demonstrates your attention to detail and personal investment in the customer experience.
Reference Details from Their Sign-Up
If customers provided any additional details during signup like their company name, location or interests, incorporate that information into your welcome email. For example, “Welcome, [First Name] from [Company Name]!” or “We’re thrilled to welcome you, [First Name] from [City, State].” Mentioning these small but meaningful details shows customers you value the information they provide.
Highlight Relevant Products or Services
Based on the customer’s signup details or initial selections, recommend specific products, services or resources you think would be helpful for them. For example, “Since you mentioned an interest in [topic], I’d recommend checking out [resource] to help get you started.” Providing recommendations tailored to the customer’s needs establishes your expertise and the value you aim to provide.
Set the Right Tone
The language and tone of your emails significantly impacts the customer experience. Aim for a friendly yet professional tone that balances warmth with competence. Use an active voice, speak conversationally using “we” and “you,” and share your genuine excitement to have the customer on board. For example, “We’re thrilled to welcome you to [Company Name]! My team and I are looking forward to providing you with [benefit] and supporting your [goal].”
Using personalization in your onboarding emails is key to making a great first impression and building rapport with your new customers. With small customizations and a thoughtful, engaging tone, you can craft welcome emails that delight customers and start your relationship off on the right foot.
FAQs: Your Questions About Onboarding Emails Answered
What are onboarding emails?
Onboarding emails are a series of automated messages sent to new customers after they purchase a product or service. The goal of onboarding emails is to welcome new customers, provide helpful information to get started, and encourage engagement and loyalty.
Why are onboarding emails important?
Onboarding emails are crucial for:
- Welcoming new customers and making a good first impression.
- Educating new customers about your product or service so they can use it successfully.
- Building rapport and establishing your brand’s helpful, friendly tone.
- Encouraging new customers to take action like setting up an account or scheduling a consultation.
- Reducing confusion, frustration, and buyer’s remorse.
- Increasing customer satisfaction, retention, and lifetime value.
What should you include in onboarding emails?
Effective onboarding email campaigns typically include:
- A welcome message thanking the new customer for their purchase.
- Key details about the product or service like how to access it or get started.
- Useful resources such as video tutorials, manuals, or knowledge bases.
- Clear calls-to-action to complete important next steps.
- Opportunities to provide feedback or ask questions.
- Information on your refund policy, guarantees, and customer support options.
- Exclusive offers or discounts to encourage repeat purchases.
How many onboarding emails should you send?
Most companies send 3 to 5 onboarding emails:
- A welcome message sent immediately after purchase.
- An email with resources and next steps sent 1-3 days later.
- Follow-up emails to check in on the customer and provide more value over the next 1-2 weeks.
- Optional promotional emails with special offers sent sporadically over the next 1-3 months.
The key is to strike a balance – send enough emails to properly onboard new customers without overwhelming them. Monitor open and click rates to determine the optimal number and frequency for your audience.
What’s the best way to design onboarding email campaigns?
The most effective onboarding email campaigns:
- Have a consistent, cohesive design and tone aligned with your brand.
- Are personalized and segmented based on customer attributes and behaviors.
- Provide value and useful information, not just sales pitches.
- Have clear, scannable content with headings, bullet points, images, and minimal text.
- Include prominent calls-to-action to drive engagement and conversions.
- Are optimized for mobile devices since many people read emails on their phones.
- Are A/B tested to improve open rates, click-through rates, and other key metrics over time.
Conclusion
As you’ve seen, a thoughtful onboarding email campaign is one of the best ways to make a great first impression and set new customers up for success. By personalizing your messages, providing value, and building excitement, you’ll turn new signups into loyal brand advocates. Keep your onboarding emails friendly, helpful, and focused on the customer. If you take the time to craft a memorable experience, your new users will appreciate your product and support from day one. Onboarding is your chance to roll out the red carpet – so make the most of it! With the right welcome series, you’ll delight customers and drive higher engagement and retention.
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