In the age of the internet, most businesses worth their salt have apps or intend to do so. Having an app can win a business a place in its customers’ devices and that app icon can help customers recall. However, there are several factors to be considered when developing an app for your business. One of the most underestimated of these factors is product tours that can be developed via a product tour software. Also known as product walkthroughs, they are a great tool to introduce your product to new customers coming on board with your app.
What are product tours?
Simply put, product tours are in-app tips and tutorials that can guide your customer through your website, app, etc. They are tremendously valuable for products that have Software As A Service (SAAS).
They can help smoothen the learning curve that a new customer has to go through when starting with a new product. Thus the experience of a new user is streamlined and made more efficient.
Several elements come together what are called product tours. These include tutorials, tooltips, pop-ups, interactive walkthroughs, beacons, explainer videos, etc.
Why should one use product tours?
Having product tours for your product will help you in
1. Simplifying your product for users
The product tours can help users figure out how to use your SAAS. They are right there where the user needs them. No need for the user to figure it out himself or to make a Google search.
2. Improving your first impressions
Another advantage of using your product tours is that they help in creating great first impressions. In the world of the internet, where the competition is only a couple of clicks away, the saying ‘the first impression is the last impression’ is far more true than ever and that makes having great product tours in your product indispensable.
3. Learning by doing
With product tours, customers learn the use of your software by doing things instead of learning from some dull instructional manual.
4. Helps knowledge retention in customers
Products tours help in increasing knowledge retention in customers.
5. Improve product adoption
By smoothening the learning curve, good product tours can help you improve product adoption rates.
6. Helps increase product engagement
The easier the product is to learn, the more likely our customers are to stick to them. Thus customer tours also help in increasing product engagement.
How can I develop good product tours?
The following are some of the tips that can help you develop an excellent product tour:
1. Personalize
Generic product tours that are the same for all one’s customers can be very ineffective. It is preferable to personalize your product tours according to user segments. Often with apps and SAAS, different types of users are looking for different.
2. Trigger product tours with actions
An effective way of personalizing your product tour is to make it trigger-based. These triggers can be based on various user actions and should be intuitive about what users want to do.
3. Match your product tours with UI patterns
Product tours must seem a natural part of flow rather than something intrusive. For example, a pop-up window can be rather intrusive except in rare cases. A subtle tooltip is far better in directing customer attention to a particular button on the screen.
4. Maintain your product design in product tour
Products tours should have the look and feel of the rest of the product. Any changes in colors and styles can come out as unnatural and disruptive.
5. Keep them small
Product tours should be small. They must help guide the user in a general direction and not make them follow a long series of steps as customers might lose interest halfway.
6. Tell your customers why
When making product tours, make sure to treat your customers as rational decision-makers and explain to them why you are asking them to do something. Knowing the reason why will motivate them to learn the ‘how’ of it.
7. Updates
It is not enough to make your product tours once and be done with it. It is important to make the necessary changes as and when desired or needed.
What are some of the UI patterns that can be used?
The following are some examples of different UI patterns that can be used to make good product tours:
- Pop-ups
- Tooltips
- Hotspots
- Task lists
- Interactive walkthroughs
- Explainer videos
Each of these tools offers its unique advantages and benefits and are suitable for different type of uses and customers.
Where to create product tours?
The product tours can be created in-house or by using plug-ins. For the best experience, it is recommended to use software that falls in the category of digital adoptions platforms or DAPs.
As the last word
One can conclude that product tours have grown to be an integral part of modern apps and the SAAS experience. They are an amazing way to create aha! moments for your customers.
