Why Most SaaS Onboarding Feels Like Driver’s Ed Gone Wrong
Most Users Quit Before They Even Get Started
If your trial users sign up and disappear, your onboarding is probably the reason. Most SaaS companies try to teach everything at once. You end up with a big feature dump that feels like homework. Users get overwhelmed and quit before they ever experience a real win.
What Driver’s Ed Gets Right That SaaS Onboarding Gets Wrong
Think about driver’s ed. You don’t start with the AC, the radio, or cruise control. You don’t even touch the turn signal in your first lesson.
You start in a parking lot.
In the daytime.
The goal is simple. Get the car moving without hitting anything.
That’s the kind of simple win you should be giving new users. One small task that builds confidence.
What Bad SaaS Onboarding Looks Like
You’ve probably seen this before:
A full dashboard tour with every button labeled.
A long explainer video that tries to teach the entire product before showing how to do one thing.
Overwhelming the user by showing everything the product can do before they’ve done anything themselves.
It’s impressive to you. It’s overwhelming to them.
What Good SaaS Onboarding Looks Like
Good onboarding feels too simple. Like it’s missing something. But that’s the point.
One task. One outcome. One success.
You don’t need to show everything. You need to show the next thing that gets the user a win.
That could be setting up their first project. Sending their first invite. Seeing their first result.
If you need ideas on where to start, read this post on explainer videos that actually convert.
How to Rethink Your Onboarding Video
Start small. Help your users get one win.
You don’t have to explain everything. You just have to move them forward.
Need help?
Book a Free SaaS Onboarding Video Strategy Session
We’ll map out the first task your users actually care about and show you how to build content that makes it easy to succeed.
FAQ
What makes a good SaaS onboarding video?
It shows one task, one outcome, and nothing else. Simple is better.
How long should an onboarding video be?
Under 90 seconds. Anything longer feels like work.
Should I show the whole dashboard in my onboarding video?
No. Show the first task, not the whole map.
