5 User Activation Trends You Need to Follow in 2023

You’re already familiar with the critical role user activation plays in your enterprise app’s success. But are you on top of the latest trends that are shaping 2023? The landscape is evolving, and the techniques that worked yesterday might not cut it today.

This piece highlights 5 user activation trends that are defining this year, offering you practical insights that can be applied directly to your product. Let’s dive in.

1— Personalized onboarding

Personalized onboarding in B2B SaaS applications refers to the practice of customizing the initial setup and instructional process for individual users or user groups.

Instead of providing a generic introduction to the product, personalized onboarding caters to the specific role, industry, or needs of the user, aiming to streamline their experience right from the start.

Personalized onboarding directly addresses the unique requirements and expectations of each user segment.

By aligning the onboarding process with a user’s particular role or industry needs, it increases relevance, thus fostering quicker adaptation and engagement with the product. It reduces confusion and friction that might otherwise lead to early abandonment, optimizing the path from sign-up to sustained, valuable product interaction.

Leveraging Personalized Onboarding for Your Product:

• Data Collection: Start by collecting pertinent information from the user, but be mindful of not overwhelming them. This could be as simple as asking about their primary goals with your app.
• Segmentation: Divide your users into distinct categories or segments based on their inputs or behavioral data.
• Customized Walkthroughs: For each segment, design a tailored walkthrough or tutorial highlighting features most relevant to them.
• Feedback Loop: After onboarding, prompt users for feedback. This helps refine the experience further for future users.

2— Behavioral Nudges

Behavioral nudges are subtle, strategic prompts or cues designed to guide users toward specific actions within a B2B SaaS application. Unlike forceful commands or pop-up reminders, nudges operate on a psychological level to encourage desired behaviors without being intrusive.

Well-timed nudges can prevent users from becoming inactive or disengaged, thereby reducing churn rates.

Examples of Behavioral Nudges:

• Progress Bars: Showing users their progress in completing a profile or task can motivate them to continue. For instance, a 70% complete bar may prompt them to fill in the missing 30%.
• Suggested Next Steps: After a user successfully completes an action, subtle suggestions for the next logical step can guide them deeper into the product.
• Highlighting Unused Features: Gently pointing out features that haven’t been used yet can encourage exploration without pressuring the user.

How to Implement Behavioral Nudges in Your B2B SaaS Product:

• Identify Key Behaviors: Understand what actions you want to promote within your user base, whether it’s completing a setup, exploring a new feature, or following through on a task.
• Design Thoughtful Nudges: Create nudges that feel natural and supportive, not forceful. The design should align with your user’s workflow and the overall user interface.
• Test and Iterate: Implement nudges on a small scale initially, gather user feedback, and continuously adjust to make them more effective.

3— AI-Powered Recommendations

AI-powered recommendations utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior and data within B2B SaaS applications. The analysis then informs personalized suggestions or recommendations tailored to individual users or companies, helping them find value more quickly within the product.

These recommendations adjust in real time to users’ behavior during the activation phase, constantly refining their guidance and increasing relevance.

Examples of AI-Powered Recommendations:

• Feature Highlighting: For a new user, AI might recommend specific features based on their role or industry, helping them quickly discover what’s most relevant to their work.
• Tailored Onboarding Paths: AI could create personalized onboarding paths based on initial user inputs or known information about the company, ensuring that the user sees the most pertinent tutorials and guidance.
• Usage Suggestions for New Features: If a user hasn’t yet tried an essential feature, AI could recommend a tutorial or provide usage tips at an opportune moment, encouraging exploration and understanding.

How to Implement AI-Powered Recommendations in Your B2B SaaS Product:

• Identify Areas for Recommendations: Determine where in your user journey AI-powered recommendations could provide the most value, such as during onboarding, regular usage, or troubleshooting.
• Leverage Appropriate Algorithms: Choose or design algorithms that align with your users’ needs and the type of data you have available.
• Ensure Data Privacy: Handle all user data with utmost care, adhering to all relevant privacy regulations, and clearly communicating how the data will be used.
• Monitor and Refine: Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your recommendations, using user feedback and behavior to refine and improve the recommendations over time.

4— Social Proof

Social proof is a powerful tool in the B2B SaaS world, particularly during the user activation stage. By providing real-world examples and insights from peers or industry leaders, it creates a bridge of trust and encouragement, guiding new users to engage fully with the product.

As they see how others have found success, they are more likely to envision how the product can fit into their own workflows, accelerating the activation process.

Examples of Social Proof for Activation:

• Testimonials During Onboarding: Featuring testimonials from satisfied customers who have similar roles or are in the same industry can resonate with new users and encourage them to proceed.
• Case Studies in Help Sections: If a user is struggling with a particular feature, a case study showing how another company successfully used that feature could offer guidance and inspiration.

How to Implement Social Proof in Your B2B SaaS Product for Activation:

• Identify Relevant Social Proof: Gather testimonials, case studies, or endorsements that are particularly relevant to new users during the activation phase.
• Incorporate Into Key Activation Points: Place social proof at strategic points in the user’s journey where encouragement or affirmation might be needed, such as during onboarding or feature exploration.
• Test and Adjust: Monitor how users interact with social proof, and adjust placement or content as needed to maximize its impact on activation.

5— Micro Moments

Micro-moments refer to the brief and critical touch points within a user’s journey that can significantly influence their experience and decisions.

In B2B SaaS applications, these are the fleeting instances where users make key decisions, such as whether to explore a feature, follow a prompt, or seek help. Recognizing and optimizing these moments can significantly impact the activation stage.

Addressing users’ needs or concerns in micro-moments can smooth their journey, preventing drop-offs or frustration during the activation stage.

Examples of Micro-Moments for Activation:

• First Feature Interaction: The moment a user first interacts with a key feature, providing a concise tip or guidance can lead to more effective use and satisfaction.
• Decision Points in Onboarding: During onboarding, recognizing when a user might choose between different paths or features, and offering timely insights can guide them in the right direction.

How to Implement Micro-Moments in Your B2B SaaS Product for Activation:

• Identify Crucial Moments: Analyze user behavior to pinpoint the critical micro-moments that occur during activation, such as key decision points or common stumbling blocks.
• Provide Timely Support: Design interventions that are immediate and relevant to the user’s current action or decision, such as contextual tooltips, inline help, or dynamic content adjustments.
• Maintain User Flow: Ensure that the interventions are smooth and non-intrusive, enhancing rather than disrupting the user experience.
• Evaluate and Iterate: Monitor the effectiveness of the micro-moments strategy and make continuous improvements based on user feedback and behavior patterns.

Final Thoughts

Whether it’s the little nudges that guide a user’s journey or the mighty power of AI recommendations, these trends are reshaping how B2B SaaS companies connect with users. Think of them as your secret weapons to turn curious explorers into devoted customers.

Feeling inspired but not sure where to start? Inturact is here to assist.

With decades of hands-on experience with B2B SaaS companies, we don’t just know the trends; we help you implement them. From trimming down churn to boosting up activation, we’re here to help you create that perfect onboarding journey for your users. So why not grab a virtual coffee with us? Reach out today, and let’s turn those trends into growth vehicles for your business.