Onboarding feedback survey
Ask 'how was setup?' a week later and the people who stayed say 'fine'. The ones who quit never answer. This survey goes out at the end of the first session and asks where people hesitated, what confused them and what nearly made them leave, so you know which step to fix.
Best for: Product and growth teams working on the first session and how many new people get set up.
Use this template freeWhat did you come here hoping to accomplish?
A live preview of this template. Click through it. Nothing gets sent.
The questions
- 1What did you come here hoping to accomplish?Long textFrames the session around what they came to do, not your feature tour.
- 2Did you manage to do that in your first session?Single selectYes / Partly / No. Your first activation read, in their own words.
- 3Where, if anywhere, did you get stuck or confused?Long textThe most useful question here. It names the step to fix.
- 4How much effort did getting started take?Opinion scaleAsk it while the first session is still fresh in their mind.
- 5Was there a moment it clicked, where you saw the value?Long textShows you the moment to lead more people to, sooner.
- 6What almost stopped you from continuing?Long textFinds the near misses your funnel charts can't show.
- 7How likely are you to come back this week?Opinion scaleAsked right after setup, it gives you an early read on who's coming back.
Sample replies, counted
These replies are made up to show the method.
Asked: Where, if anywhere, did you get stuck or confused?
The CSV import. It said 'column mismatch' and didn't say which column.
Import faileddidn't get stuck
No troubleCouldn't tell if I was meant to invite my team before making a project or after.
Unclear next stepThe import screen. Tried three times with your own template file and gave up.
Import failedPicking a plan before I'd seen anything felt backwards, so I closed the tab and came back the next day.
Asked to pay too earlyAfter the welcome video I wasn't sure where to click. The dashboard was just empty.
Unclear next stepImport from Google Sheets wanted access to my whole Drive. Nope.
Import failedNowhere really, took about 5 minutes.
No trouble
| Label | Replies |
|---|---|
| Import failed | 3 |
| No trouble | 2 |
| Unclear next step | 2 |
| Asked to pay too early | 1 |
Three of eight got stuck at the import, each for a different reason, so that step needs work before anything else. Two more hit an empty screen with no clear next step, and a sample project would give them somewhere to start.
How to run it well
- Trigger it at the end of the first session. A few days later, people have forgotten the step that tripped them.
- Line up the 'where did you get stuck' answers with your funnel drop-off. The chart shows where, the replies say why.
- Ask the people who stalled too, not only the ones who finished. They have the most to tell you.
- Look for the moment people say it clicked. Shape the rest of onboarding to get people there sooner.
- If many people get confused at one step, fix the step. A help article about a confusing screen still leaves a confusing screen.
When not to use this: If people have been around for months, they won't remember their first session. Ask them with a product feedback survey instead.
FAQ
When should the onboarding survey go out?
How do I find my activation moment from this?
Where the method comes from
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