Onboarding: Build an on-demand customer journey that creates long-term fans

Bird

Jan 28, 2020

Onboarding

1 min read

Onboarding: Build an on-demand customer journey that creates long-term fans

Key Takeaways

    • Successful on-demand companies like Uber, Instacart, and Deliveroo use seamless onboarding to build lasting customer loyalty.

    • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) prevents over 80% of data breaches, securing users during sign-up and login.

    • Embedding real-time chat, voice, and SMS support directly into apps improves activation rates and retention in the first week.

    • Using SMS and WhatsApp reminders for scheduling and updates helps reduce missed appointments and increases engagement.

    • Omnichannel onboarding — spanning Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS, and email — ensures users stay connected on their preferred channels.

    • Ongoing onboarding keeps users informed about new features, updates, and promotions, extending customer lifetime value by up to 500%.

Q&A Highlights

  • Why is onboarding so critical for on-demand businesses?

    It sets the tone for the entire customer relationship. A smooth, engaging first experience can increase user lifetime value by up to 500%.

  • How does 2FA improve user trust?

    Two-Factor Authentication adds a vital layer of security to user verification — helping protect sensitive data and preventing account breaches.

  • What role does communication play in retention?

    Real-time in-app support and proactive notifications help users resolve issues quickly and feel confident using the service.

  • Why should businesses use SMS for onboarding?

    SMS has a 94% open rate, making it ideal for sending appointment reminders, account notifications, and reactivation nudges.

  • What’s the biggest takeaway for brands?

    Onboarding is not a one-time process — it’s an evolving journey. Continuous communication and channel personalization are key to long-term user engagement.

You’ve heard about the mega-successful on-demand companies like Instacart or Lyft. And, you may be aware of the innovative tech tools and CPaaS solutions that drive every aspect of their businesses.

You’ve heard about the mega-successful on-demand companies like Instacart or Lyft. And, you may be aware of the innovative tech tools and CPaaS solutions that drive every aspect of their businesses. But whether you’re Uber, Deliveroo, or the new kid on the block, you need to create a great first impression with your customers — so that they’ll come back to you again and again. After all, effective onboarding can increase user lifetime value by up to 500%. Dating apps excel at user engagement through strategic email triggers. Learn from dating app email strategies to improve your own user retention.

You’ve heard about the mega-successful on-demand companies like Instacart or Lyft. And, you may be aware of the innovative tech tools and CPaaS solutions that drive every aspect of their businesses. But whether you’re Uber, Deliveroo, or the new kid on the block, you need to create a great first impression with your customers — so that they’ll come back to you again and again. After all, effective onboarding can increase user lifetime value by up to 500%. Dating apps excel at user engagement through strategic email triggers. Learn from dating app email strategies to improve your own user retention.

You’ve heard about the mega-successful on-demand companies like Instacart or Lyft. And, you may be aware of the innovative tech tools and CPaaS solutions that drive every aspect of their businesses. But whether you’re Uber, Deliveroo, or the new kid on the block, you need to create a great first impression with your customers — so that they’ll come back to you again and again. After all, effective onboarding can increase user lifetime value by up to 500%. Dating apps excel at user engagement through strategic email triggers. Learn from dating app email strategies to improve your own user retention.

1. Authenticate. Authenticate. Authenticate.

Most onboarding processes ask customers to submit sensitive information, such as names, passwords and sometimes payment details. Passwords are hard to remember and often easy to compromise. Due to heightened vulnerability from hackers and data breaches, 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) is an extremely effective best practice for protecting data. According to Symantec, over 80% of security breaches could be prevented with 2FA, and it’s a quick and easy way to verify account credentials and secure your customers’ information.

Most onboarding processes ask customers to submit sensitive information, such as names, passwords and sometimes payment details. Passwords are hard to remember and often easy to compromise. Due to heightened vulnerability from hackers and data breaches, 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) is an extremely effective best practice for protecting data. According to Symantec, over 80% of security breaches could be prevented with 2FA, and it’s a quick and easy way to verify account credentials and secure your customers’ information.

Most onboarding processes ask customers to submit sensitive information, such as names, passwords and sometimes payment details. Passwords are hard to remember and often easy to compromise. Due to heightened vulnerability from hackers and data breaches, 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) is an extremely effective best practice for protecting data. According to Symantec, over 80% of security breaches could be prevented with 2FA, and it’s a quick and easy way to verify account credentials and secure your customers’ information.

2. Provide real-time customer support

Using any new service right after you’ve signed up can be challenging. According to one study, most companies lose 90% of new users within the first week. But you can make it easier for your users by embedding communications capabilities into your apps. These built-in functionalities let you chat, text, or call your customers real-time, providing top-notch, in-the-moment support along the way.

Using any new service right after you’ve signed up can be challenging. According to one study, most companies lose 90% of new users within the first week. But you can make it easier for your users by embedding communications capabilities into your apps. These built-in functionalities let you chat, text, or call your customers real-time, providing top-notch, in-the-moment support along the way.

Using any new service right after you’ve signed up can be challenging. According to one study, most companies lose 90% of new users within the first week. But you can make it easier for your users by embedding communications capabilities into your apps. These built-in functionalities let you chat, text, or call your customers real-time, providing top-notch, in-the-moment support along the way.

3. Send timely account notifications and reminders

After you’ve gotten your users signed up, you need to focus on giving them a great first experience.

Let’s say your marketplace trades cleaning or repair services, and you want to help your users set up appointments. While most of this will be handled within the app, SMS (or WhatsApp, depending on which channel is more common in your region) can help you send out reminders to ensure that the first delivery or service appointment goes smoothly. Text messages do have a 94% global average opening rate and adding SMS appointment reminders to an app takes minimal engineering effort with easy-to-install APIs. Plus, the SMS you send can even link back to the scheduling feature, allowing users to cancel or reschedule appointments as necessary.

After you’ve gotten your users signed up, you need to focus on giving them a great first experience.

Let’s say your marketplace trades cleaning or repair services, and you want to help your users set up appointments. While most of this will be handled within the app, SMS (or WhatsApp, depending on which channel is more common in your region) can help you send out reminders to ensure that the first delivery or service appointment goes smoothly. Text messages do have a 94% global average opening rate and adding SMS appointment reminders to an app takes minimal engineering effort with easy-to-install APIs. Plus, the SMS you send can even link back to the scheduling feature, allowing users to cancel or reschedule appointments as necessary.

After you’ve gotten your users signed up, you need to focus on giving them a great first experience.

Let’s say your marketplace trades cleaning or repair services, and you want to help your users set up appointments. While most of this will be handled within the app, SMS (or WhatsApp, depending on which channel is more common in your region) can help you send out reminders to ensure that the first delivery or service appointment goes smoothly. Text messages do have a 94% global average opening rate and adding SMS appointment reminders to an app takes minimal engineering effort with easy-to-install APIs. Plus, the SMS you send can even link back to the scheduling feature, allowing users to cancel or reschedule appointments as necessary.

4. Omni-channel onboarding?

With a fragmented communications landscape marked by the rise of channels like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, it’s important to tailor your channel to the ones your users prefer — to maximize your visibility.

Your customers also want to learn about your product on their time frame, and not necessarily on yours. So, if a week has gone by, and a new user hasn’t activated an account or tried out your service, why not reach out to them on the channels they prefer? Send a WhatsApp message with a discount. Or, if they’re active on Messenger, find and chat with them there.

Using a multi-channel communications strategy can go a long way toward engaging and motivating your users to take the right steps at the right time in the signup process.

With a fragmented communications landscape marked by the rise of channels like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, it’s important to tailor your channel to the ones your users prefer — to maximize your visibility.

Your customers also want to learn about your product on their time frame, and not necessarily on yours. So, if a week has gone by, and a new user hasn’t activated an account or tried out your service, why not reach out to them on the channels they prefer? Send a WhatsApp message with a discount. Or, if they’re active on Messenger, find and chat with them there.

Using a multi-channel communications strategy can go a long way toward engaging and motivating your users to take the right steps at the right time in the signup process.

With a fragmented communications landscape marked by the rise of channels like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, it’s important to tailor your channel to the ones your users prefer — to maximize your visibility.

Your customers also want to learn about your product on their time frame, and not necessarily on yours. So, if a week has gone by, and a new user hasn’t activated an account or tried out your service, why not reach out to them on the channels they prefer? Send a WhatsApp message with a discount. Or, if they’re active on Messenger, find and chat with them there.

Using a multi-channel communications strategy can go a long way toward engaging and motivating your users to take the right steps at the right time in the signup process.

5. On-demand onboarding never ends

You might think that onboarding should wrap up after you’ve gotten a customer signed up and using your product.

But if you think about it, you’re constantly enhancing your service and launching new features. You need to keep your users up-to-date on everything they need to know — to keep them coming back to you for groceries or rides or hotel rooms.

MessageBird’s communications solutions have been created to help on-demand businesses stay ahead of their customers’ expectations by constantly innovating.

From onboarding your users to helping them connect, we power every aspect of the on-demand marketplace to ensure that the experience is as smooth as it needs to be.

Learn more about using CPaaS strategies like these today!

You might think that onboarding should wrap up after you’ve gotten a customer signed up and using your product.

But if you think about it, you’re constantly enhancing your service and launching new features. You need to keep your users up-to-date on everything they need to know — to keep them coming back to you for groceries or rides or hotel rooms.

MessageBird’s communications solutions have been created to help on-demand businesses stay ahead of their customers’ expectations by constantly innovating.

From onboarding your users to helping them connect, we power every aspect of the on-demand marketplace to ensure that the experience is as smooth as it needs to be.

Learn more about using CPaaS strategies like these today!

You might think that onboarding should wrap up after you’ve gotten a customer signed up and using your product.

But if you think about it, you’re constantly enhancing your service and launching new features. You need to keep your users up-to-date on everything they need to know — to keep them coming back to you for groceries or rides or hotel rooms.

MessageBird’s communications solutions have been created to help on-demand businesses stay ahead of their customers’ expectations by constantly innovating.

From onboarding your users to helping them connect, we power every aspect of the on-demand marketplace to ensure that the experience is as smooth as it needs to be.

Learn more about using CPaaS strategies like these today!

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The complete AI-native platform that scales with your business.

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© 2025 Bird

Contact Support

A person is standing at a desk while typing on a laptop.

The complete AI-native platform that scales with your business.

Contact sales

Start for free

© 2025 Bird

Contact Support