{"id":78,"date":"2022-02-23T10:44:37","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T10:44:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saas-heaven.com\/?page_id=78"},"modified":"2022-05-12T08:54:42","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T08:54:42","slug":"product-tour","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/saas-heaven.com\/saas-marketing\/product-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Interactive Product Tours Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Product tours (sometimes called product walkthroughs) are digital cues and instructions used in user onboarding (and occasionally, before a customer purchases new software in interactive demos, for example) to show customers how to derive value from your SaaS solution.<\/p>\n
In SaaS, your product tour can be a screencast, an instructional video, an overlay, or even a sandbox interactive version of your SaaS solution.<\/p>\n
Your product tour should introduce new users to your user interface and guide them through a series of meaningful actions they need to take to realize their goals (and the value of your solution).<\/p>\n
SaaS product tours are most commonly deployed once a customer has signed up for a new software solution, during an interactive demo, either for a free trial period or a paid subscription.<\/p>\n
In most cases, it usually works as an overlay on top of your SaaS app, separate from your core product code.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The aim of a good product tour is to help customers take meaningful action that guides them towards their goals and realize your solution’s benefit, reducing churn and, in the case of free trials, encouraging conversion to a paid subscription.<\/p>\n
Most customers find learning a new software (and the subsequent new behaviors they have to adapt to use it) challenging. New features and an unfamiliar interface combined with the fear of doing something irrevocably wrong may undo their progress. You can use product tours to show prospective clients or new customers how the software works in practice.<\/p>\n
Product tours are a way of helping users find their way through new tech solutions. Many SaaS products offer options for customization and numerous features, which can be complicated or overwhelming to navigate. If users feel intimidated, it can get in the way of adopting the new solution.<\/p>\n
An interactive walkthrough or product tour can introduce new or prospective customers to your SaaS product during the onboarding or demo stage of your relationship, building trust and insight they need to discover the value of your solution from the start.<\/p>\n
Your product tour can guide users through the first steps during onboarding to gain value from the solution faster. It will make it easier for your customers to interact with your SaaS solution and reduce churn.<\/p>\n
You can use product tours during the demo stage, especially when no account executive or rep is present to guide the prospect through the software solution. For example, in demos that serve marketing purposes.<\/p>\n
By reducing the learning curve for your users, you can increase the number of users moving from product trials to paid plans. In addition, existing customers can use product tours to discover new features and benefits, which increases the likelihood of retaining them for the future.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
No two SaaS solutions are alike, and every user will have different needs and requirements, so product tours tend to vary. Here are a few of the most common features of product tours used in the SaaS industry:<\/p>\n
Tooltips are pop-up overlay boxes used to highlight features on your platform. They are the most common product tour feature type you\u2019ll come across.<\/p>\n
Tooltips are useful because they offer a contextual way of steering users through your solution without being overly prescriptive. They are highly interactive; each time a feature is highlighted, users have to try it before moving on to the next feature in the sequence. You can guide users in a way that doesn\u2019t interrupt the user experience.<\/p>\n
Hotspots drive feature adoption and engagement. They use small icons, arrows, or highlight buttons to show new customers how to get started or draw benefits from your solution. These are subtler than tooltips and are best if your software is simple and suitable for self-discovery.<\/p>\n
Pop-up task lists show users how many steps they need to take to reach a set goal, e.g., registering their account or creating a campaign.<\/p>\n
Clients get frustrated if they feel that product tours take too long; task lists indicate the time investment they need to make and encourage them to persevere until the end.<\/p>\n
Progress bars operate in the same way by helping clients visualize the progress they\u2019ve made towards achieving their goal through a graphic.<\/p>\n
Modal windows pop up over the user interface (either taking up the full screen or partially covering the screen) with welcome messages and instructions. They are larger, conveying more information than tooltips (including videos and images).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Whichever interactive product tour features you use, you have to optimize them according to your objectives.<\/p>\n
Good product tours are as simple as possible. It defeats its purpose if the tour is too complex, takes too long to complete, or tries to cover off too much at once. Remember, the goal of the product tour is to keep your customers from feeling overwhelmed by new technology. It also has to steer them towards realizing value right away.<\/p>\n
Your interactive product tour\u2019s purpose should be to help your new users or prospects have a positive experience and reach the \u201cAha\u201d moment where they can witness the transformative power of your solution first-hand. Use tooltips, hotspots, or modal windows to communicate the first onboarding steps with simple images or copy.<\/p>\n
Interactivity and personalization are the keys to making users feel like you understand their needs. You\u2019ve already spent time getting to know your prospects and their pain points – why not use that knowledge to create a highly relevant first-run experience? Personalizing your product tour will increase engagement rates for the better.<\/p>\n