Case Study: Aha!

Aha!: A world-class user onboarding experience

In this case study, I’ll peel back the layers of Aha!'s onboarding, revealing how they've delivered immediate, tangible value to their users by addressing their specific jobs-to-be-done (JTBD).

Aha! is a product roadmap tool that helps businesses plan, track, and manage their product strategy and releases. It provides a platform where teams can collaborate and define their strategy, create visual roadmaps, prioritize work, manage releases, and capture ideas.

Personalization starts with the initial step: Naming my workspace

Signing up for Aha! presented me with an initial task that was almost effortless: naming my first workspace.

As a new user, the concept of a 'workspace' was unclear to me, but the process was smooth and straightforward. This created a sense of personalization and ownership, enhancing my connection with the platform even though naming a workspace doesn't directly address my JTBD.

Setting up my workspace based on my role

On the next screen, I had the option of selecting from several pre-built workspaces based on my role. Again, this feels like I am personalizing the product

These workspaces weren't arbitrary; they were thoughtfully curated based on various roles within a business. This showed an understanding that different roles have distinct requirements— a nuance not all companies grasp.

The onboarding tasks, tutorials, and even the support offered were all aligned with the workspace I had chosen, ensuring a cohesive, relevant, and engaging onboarding experience. This level of personalization reinforced Aha!’s value and increased my engagement with the platform right from the start.

Setting the stage for sticky tasks

The next stage of my onboarding included an invitation to invite colleagues to join the workspace.

This step felt somewhat premature, considering I was still familiarizing myself with the platform. While I am unlikely to invite teammates this early in the onboarding process, there still is value in offering this option at this part of the onboarding. Aha! is planting the seed in my mind that it facilitates shared usage, which could enhance user engagement and retention over time.

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Key tasks based on the workspace selected

Next was the welcome screen. This is where they increased the focus on a specific JTBD.

On the bottom of the screen, I was offered a two-minute video that provided a general overview of the platform. On the top of the screen, there were tailored call-to-action tasks based on my earlier selection of the workspace.

In my instance, the JTBD I zeroed in on was 'set strategies.'

Instantly, the platform provided me with personalized resources. This deliberate and targeted approach provided instant value into my onboarding experience.

Unique onboarding guides for each JTBD

To get new users to value fast, Aha! has built onboarding guides and videos for each JTBD. This allows each user to determine what their priority and solve that need fast.

Aha! has unique onboarding guides for each JTBD.

Linking education to menu navigation

Another impressive feature was how the platform linked the educational aspects of the onboarding process to the menu navigation.

The options in the navigation bar mirrored the initial call-to-action tasks, creating a coherent user experience. This seamless integration of education and navigation based on my specific JTBD made the user journey feel intuitive and personalized.

Product-led support

Despite boasting an impressive $100M+ ARR, Aha! has zero salespeople. This fact isn't just an interesting tidbit— it's a key element of their strategy.

This commitment to product-led growth was refreshing and felt less threatening. I was guided by former Product Managers, who were there to educate and assist, not to sell. I wasn't a target to be converted, but rather a user to be guided and educated.

This level of support continued within the product itself, where a 'Join a Demo' button was always present. Group demos with a product specialist are always made available. There was also a chatbot ready to assist and several demo videos available. This combination of proactive support and self-help resources created a balance that allowed me to explore at my own pace while knowing help was just a click away.

This user-centric, value-driven approach is a key contributor to their success and something that other SaaS companies could learn from.

Easy to return to quick start guide and join a demo

At any point during my onboarding, I could easily return to the quick start guide. This constant access to the guide acted as a safety net, reassuring me that assistance was always available. The easy availability of the 'Join a Demo' button similarly provided an easy way to explore the platform in more depth.

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The goal of new user onboarding is to provide value quickly

Aha!’s ultimate goal seemed clear: to provide value quickly for one specific JTBD. This was achieved by offering tasks that I could choose based on my needs. It enabled me to connect with the software in a way that had an immediate and meaningful impact.

This approach is an essential takeaway for all other SaaS companies: the faster you can deliver value, the higher the probability that users will not only stick around, but become invested enough to explore your product further.

The key to Aha!'s success and a lesson for other SaaS companies

Aha!'s PLG success stems from an exceptional onboarding experience that is focused on delivering value and solving a specific JTBD fast.

The platform expertly eases users into their platform with low-friction tasks, gradually revealing more complex features, all while maintaining an individualized approach that centers around a user's specific JTBD. This tailored experience, coupled with readily available resources and expert assistance, promotes a sense of ownership and relevance that encourages users to delve deeper into the platform.

For other SaaS companies, the key takeaway from Aha!'s success story is the importance of a user-centric approach, both in terms of product design and the onboarding process. By offering immediate value, personalized experiences, and proactive support, companies can enhance user satisfaction, increase retention, and ultimately drive growth. The focus should always be on helping users achieve their JTBD as efficiently and effectively as possible, which will naturally lead to a positive user experience and product stickiness.

About Winware

Steven Cohn is the Founder and CEO of Winware.

Winware helps SaaS teams drive better trial conversion rates by optimizing SaaS onboarding to align product features with customer's goals.

I have learned that user engagement heavily influences trial upgrade and renewals. And the first interaction a user has with your product critical to a user's future engagement.

That’s why I created this series of case studies where I dissect and share the most outstanding onboarding experiences in SaaS.

Want a free analysis of your onboarding? We'll review and analyze your user onboarding and create a short video with our thoughts. The service is free, remote, and doesn’t require us to set up a meeting.

Simply provide us with your information and we'll get started.

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