Understanding user onboarding barriers helps you identify what blocks early adoption and prevents users from successfully getting started with your product. This guide shows you how to use the Onboarding Barriers template in Insight7.
Accessing the User Onboarding Barriers Template #
Step 1: Navigate to Templates #
- Login to your Insight7 account at https://insight7.io
- You’ll see two main options: Analyze and Templates
- Click on Templates
Step 2: Select Research Category #
- In the templates view, you’ll see different template categories
- Click on Research to see all research template types
- You’ll see five research categories:
- Market Research
- User Research ← Click this one
- Product Research
- Competitive Research
- CX Research
Step 3: Choose User Research #
- Click on User Research
- You’ll see various user research templates available
Step 4: Select User Onboarding Barriers Template #
- Find and click on Understand User Onboarding Barriers
- You’ll see the description: “Analyze what blocks early adoption”
- This template is specifically designed to identify friction points in the onboarding experience
Running Your Onboarding Barriers Analysis #
Step 5: Upload Your Files #
- Click Upload Files or the upload button
- Select the conversations you want to analyze
Tips for effective onboarding analysis:
- Focus on conversations from users’ first 30-90 days
- Include both successful and unsuccessful onboarding experiences
- Upload calls from users who churned during onboarding
- Add conversations from different user personas or segments
- Include support interactions from the onboarding period
- Aim for 15-25+ conversations for comprehensive insights
Step 6: Run Analysis #
- Once your files are uploaded, click Run Analysis
- The system will process your conversations
- Wait for the analysis to complete
Using Onboarding Barriers Analysis Effectively #
For Product Teams #
Onboarding Experience Design
- Prioritize barriers by frequency and impact
- Redesign flows to remove top friction points
- Build progressive onboarding that reduces overwhelm
- Create multiple onboarding paths for different users
Feature Prioritization
- Fix technical barriers blocking activation
- Build tools to reduce setup time and effort
- Improve feature discoverability
- Automate manual onboarding tasks
Measurement and Optimization
- Track metrics for each barrier type
- A/B test solutions to barrier problems
- Monitor onboarding completion rates
- Measure time to value improvements
For Customer Success Teams #
Proactive Onboarding Support
- Anticipate common barriers in advance
- Provide preemptive guidance at friction points
- Offer white-glove onboarding for complex cases
- Create personalized onboarding plans
Resource Development
- Build guides addressing specific barriers
- Create video tutorials for confusing steps
- Develop templates and checklists
- Offer office hours or live training
Early Warning System
- Identify users stuck at known barrier points
- Reach out proactively when barriers detected
- Prevent churn during onboarding
- Track onboarding health scores
For Marketing and Sales Teams #
Expectation Setting
- Accurately represent onboarding complexity
- Preview common challenges and solutions
- Qualify leads based on onboarding fit
- Set realistic timelines for value realization
Enablement Materials
- Create resources addressing organizational barriers
- Build ROI calculators for stakeholder buy-in
- Develop team adoption playbooks
- Provide change management guidance
For Support Teams #
Knowledge Base Optimization
- Create articles for each identified barrier
- Prioritize documentation for common issues
- Build troubleshooting guides for setup
- Develop contextual help content
Support Prioritization
- Fast-track onboarding support requests
- Assign specialized onboarding support agents
- Monitor and respond quickly to new users
- Escalate critical onboarding blockers
For UX and Design Teams #
Experience Improvements
- Redesign confusing interfaces
- Simplify complex workflows
- Add contextual guidance at friction points
- Improve mobile and accessibility
User Testing
- Test onboarding flows with new users
- Validate barrier solutions
- Iterate based on user feedback
- Measure task completion and satisfaction
Best Practices for Onboarding Barriers Analysis #
Comprehensive Coverage #
Include Diverse User Types
- Different personas have different barriers
- New vs. power users face different challenges
- Self-serve vs. assisted onboarding differ
- Various company sizes have unique barriers
Track Full Onboarding Journey
- From signup through first value
- Include setup, activation, and early adoption
- Cover days 1, 7, 30, and 90
- Map barriers to specific journey stages
Regular Analysis #
Quarterly Reviews
- Run analysis every quarter
- Track if barrier-removal efforts are working
- Identify new barriers as product evolves
- Monitor onboarding completion trends
Continuous Monitoring
- Set up alerts for onboarding friction
- Track support tickets from new users
- Monitor onboarding metrics dashboard
- Review churn reasons from early users
Prioritization Framework #
Impact vs. Effort Matrix
- High impact, low effort barriers: Fix immediately
- High impact, high effort barriers: Prioritize for roadmap
- Low impact barriers: Address opportunistically
- Track which barriers cause most churn
Frequency and Severity
- Barriers affecting many users: High priority
- Barriers causing complete blocks: Critical
- Barriers slowing but not stopping: Medium priority
- Rare edge cases: Low priority
Solution Validation #
Test Before Rolling Out
- Validate solutions with user testing
- A/B test barrier removal strategies
- Measure improvement in key metrics
- Iterate based on results
Monitor Impact
- Track activation rate improvements
- Measure time to value changes
- Monitor support ticket reductions
- Survey new user satisfaction
Common Onboarding Barriers Use Cases #
Reducing Time to Value
- Identify what delays users from seeing value
- Remove or automate time-consuming steps
- Show value earlier in journey
- Streamline critical path to first win
Improving Activation Rates
- Find where users get stuck and abandon
- Remove blockers to key activation milestones
- Simplify complex setup requirements
- Increase percentage reaching “aha moment”
Reducing Early Churn
- Understand why users leave during onboarding
- Address critical friction causing abandonment
- Provide better support at vulnerable moments
- Improve onboarding completion rates
Scaling Self-Serve Onboarding
- Identify barriers requiring human support
- Automate or eliminate need for assistance
- Build better self-service resources
- Enable users to succeed independently
Optimizing Trial Conversions
- Remove barriers to experiencing core value
- Help trial users reach success quickly
- Address concerns preventing purchase
- Demonstrate value before trial ends
