Christina Tsiripidou
How to Perfect Your SaaS Onboarding with Profiling Questions

Are you struggling with low activation and engagement rates in your SaaS company? The key to unlocking growth potential lies in the onboarding process, specifically the use of profiling questions. In this article, we'll delve into the benefits of SaaS onboarding profiling questions, the challenges that come with them, and how to overcome those challenges. We'll also highlight five companies that are doing it best.
Content
Benefits of SaaS Onboarding Profiling Questions
Challenges of Onboarding Profiling Questions
Best Practices for Onboarding Profiling Questions
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Benefits of SaaS Onboarding Profiling Questions
Asking onboarding profiling questions may seem like a daunting task, but it can have numerous benefits for your SaaS company, such as:
Better Segmentation
Profiling questions provide valuable data points that help in the segmentation of activation, engagement, and monetization efforts. This data can be used company-wide to provide more personalized experiences for your users.
Personalization
With the information gathered through profiling questions, you can send quick personalized emails and in-app messaging, which can lead to higher engagement and retention rates.
Platform Personalization with SaaS Onboarding Profiling Questions
Eventually, the information gathered through profiling questions can be used to personalize the platform itself, providing a more tailored experience for each user.

Challenges of SaaS Onboarding Profiling Questions
While there are numerous benefits to using profiling questions in your onboarding process, there are also some challenges to consider:
Drop-off Rates
Asking too many questions can cause potential users to abandon the onboarding process. It's important to strike a balance between gathering valuable information and not overwhelming the user.
Privacy Concerns
Some users may be hesitant to provide personal information, particularly if it's not immediately clear how it will be used.
How to Overcome Challenges
To overcome the challenges associated with onboarding profiling questions, consider the following tips:
Prioritize Questions
Determine which questions are most important and ask those first. Additional questions can be asked later in the onboarding process or at a later time.
Be Transparent
Be clear about why you're asking for certain information and how it will be used. Providing transparency can help alleviate privacy concerns.
Companies That Do It Best
Here are five companies that are excelling at onboarding profiling questions:
Miro
Miro has perfected their sign-up profiling questions to provide a personalized experience for each user.

Canva
Canva's onboarding process includes questions about the user's role, goals, and experience level. This information is used to provide tailored design suggestions and tutorials.
HubSpot
HubSpot's onboarding process includes questions about the user's marketing goals, allowing the platform to provide personalized recommendations and tips.
Dropbox
Dropbox's onboarding process includes questions about the user's file storage needs and collaboration preferences, allowing the platform to provide personalized file suggestions and collaboration tools.
Grammarly
Grammarly's onboarding process includes questions about the user's writing goals and style, allowing the platform to provide tailored suggestions and corrections.

Best Practices for Onboarding Profiling Questions
Here are some best practices to keep in mind when using onboarding profiling questions:
Keep it simple: Only ask for information that is necessary and relevant to the user's experience.
Be transparent: Clearly explain why you're asking for certain information and how it will be used.
Prioritize questions: Ask the most important questions first and consider asking additional questions later.
Use conditional logic: Use conditional logic to only show questions that are relevant to the user.
Test and iterate: Continuously test and iterate your onboarding process to improve conversion and engagement rates.
Conclusion
Onboarding profiling questions may seem like a small part of the onboarding process, but they can have a big impact on your SaaS company's growth and success. By gathering valuable information and providing personalized experiences for your users, you can increase activation, engagement, and retention rates. While there are challenges to consider, such as drop-off rates and privacy concerns, by following best practices and being transparent, you can overcome these challenges and reap the benefits of onboarding profiling questions. Keep in mind the examples provided by companies such as Miro, Canva, HubSpot, Dropbox, and Grammarly, and continuously test and iterate your onboarding process to ensure its effectiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many profiling questions should be asked in the onboarding process?
It's best to strike a balance between gathering valuable information and not overwhelming the user. Prioritize the most important questions and ask additional questions later if needed.
What if a user doesn't want to answer a profiling question?
It's important to be transparent about why you're asking for certain information and how it will be used. If a user still doesn't want to answer a question, allow them to skip it and continue with the onboarding process.
How can I use the information gathered through profiling questions to personalize the platform?
The information gathered can be used to provide tailored experiences, such as personalized recommendations, tutorials, and design suggestions.