Onboarding Copy for SaaS
Overview:
Pollfish is a DIY market research solution for consumer surveys. Because many of Pollfish’s users are new to the world of market research or simply do not want to create the survey themselves, we released an offering that allowed them to hire a research consultant to assist or create the survey for them.
Our Problem:
The “research expert” offering was intended for users with little experience in market research, yet they were often signing up for the DIY offering first, then later asking if there was an option to get help.
We suspected that the language used in our onboarding flow needed to be updated to provide better clarity about the value of the service and cost of using it.
My Approach: Plain Language Based on User Research
I started by organizing a small hallway test of users to understand how they were experiencing our offerings from the initial onboarding to determine where pain points began.
My goal was to learn how users talked about the features or what they valued to identify areas for improvement in our language or design.
User Research Findings
Many users found the term “exclusive” to be intimidating, believing that the “research expert” was an add on feature for advanced users, rather than a consulting option for novice researchers.
Specific features of the DIY offering didn’t appeal to the novice users, who didn’t immediately understand the value of the features.
Some users liked having control and wanted to use the platform on their own. Others were hesitant and wanted to ensure it was done correctly.
Pricing was phrased in a confusing way, suggesting both a fixed price and a variable cost through the use of the word “quote.”
Original onboarding cards.
Audit of Onboarding Flow
The biggest issue I identified from my research was a lack of clarity over the offering itself, so I saw an opportunity to clearly differentiate the benefits of the two options in a way that would appeal to users.
Many of the terms were too jargon-y or required a previous understanding of Pollfish, as those who were primarily using the “research expert” feature were first-time users of the platform and unfamiliar with details such as “target group options” that they wouldn’t see until they had already created a survey on their dashboard.
Because the pricing model had changed to a true quote-based system, mentions of flat-rate pricing were inaccurate and confusing for users and needed to be updated to effectively explain that the cost of the service would be variable based on their needs.
Key changes: 1st Card
I framed the two offerings in ways that appealed to our different audiences: those who like the idea of exploring the tool and doing it on their own (control) and those who want assistance to ensure they’re doing it correctly (expertise).
I removed mention of specific features, which could be discovered at a later time, and opted to use terms like “hire” and “schedule a free consultation” to make it clear that the “research expert” was an additional service.
Key changes: 2nd Card
I removed language specific to cost, as the pricing had changed to a quote-based system. I focused on letting users know that they wouldn’t need to pay until they accepted a quote that was specific to their project.
I refined the copy for brevity, testing among a group of users to ensure clarity with each iteration.
Throughout both cards, I took on a friendlier and more human tone to match our brand voice across the product and website.
Outcome:
Within our first week of making the changes, we saw an increase in bookings for consultations with the research experts, and a reduction of DIY users asking if we had a consulting option to help them build a survey.
After 2 months, the research experts shared that they had been more successful in turning consultations into sales because users were not confused or feeling mislead about pricing, making them open to a range of options that fit their needs.
