While onboarding is a clear priority in B2C products, where it is optimized to acquire and convert users and deliver immediate value, it’s often overlooked in B2B SaaS applications. People assume that professional users will navigate complex systems without guidance, leading to underinvestment in onboarding user experience (UX).
However, this assumption doesn't always hold true: businesses expect seamless registrations, and users often abandon platforms when they encounter friction during onboarding. In a recent project, we were brought in to overhaul a global supplier sourcing portal. We observed that this pattern was not only evident in the analytics of the legacy platform—it was also echoed by stakeholders, who shared that they had to conduct training sessions just to guide suppliers through the onboarding process.
In this post, we share the key principles and lessons learned from this redesign—focused on creating effective B2B SaaS onboarding flows that drive engagement and reduce drop-off.
In our example, users of the application ranged from corporate procurement admins to small, independent businesses with limited digital experience. It wasn’t enough to design for tech-savvy users—we had to support mom-and-pop shops who might be unfamiliar with enterprise tools.
We also had to account for varying levels of trust. Some users knew the platform well; others were encountering it for the first time and could easily drop off if the experience felt confusing or untrustworthy.
That’s why we intentionally designed the onboarding flow to accommodate users with the lowest levels of technical confidence and trust in the platform, i.e., designing for the lowest common denominator. This meant using plain language, providing clear explanations for every required field, and minimizing the cognitive load at every step.
Overloading users with too many questions at the start is one of the fastest ways to create friction. During the supplier application user registration design, we partnered with product, legal, and procurement stakeholders to carefully assess which fields were absolutely necessary to create a usable profile. These included only the essentials—Country of Registration (procurement notices are specific to countries), Company Name, Owner Name and Email, Registered Region, Goods and Services, and Contact Information.
Optional and more complex inputs—like certifications, ownership structure, and client references—were deferred to later steps, after users had successfully registered on the platform. To streamline the flow further, we made fields like Goods and Services and Phone Number optional. Selecting goods and services from a long list can be time-consuming, and some users may hesitate to share their phone number before trust in the platform is established.
Verifying a user’s email or phone number early in the process is critical for both security and engagement. It ensures the contact details are valid for future communications—whether it's sending platform notifications or supporting account recovery. However, it’s important to balance this with a positive user experience: make the verification step seamless and avoid interrupting momentum unnecessarily.
With the essentials captured, we focused on delivering early value. Users could access the platform and start exploring procurement opportunities without completing every profile detail. This approach gave users an immediate reason to stay engaged and return. It also created natural touch points—like gated features (the ability to reply to a business notice)—to prompt users to work on their profiles gradually. Instead of forcing completeness upfront, we designed onboarding as a phased journey, which improved data quality over time while minimizing early abandonment.
Clarity is critical in any onboarding flow—especially in B2B SaaS products where users may be encountering industry-specific or regulatory terms for the first time. To address this, we embedded just-in-time support directly into the form interface:
These small UX touches reduced user hesitation and helped build credibility with users unfamiliar with the platform. By meeting users where they are—rather than assuming prior knowledge—we created an onboarding flow that felt accessible, trustworthy, and easier to complete.
Validation isn't just about catching mistakes—it's about guiding users to complete the onboarding forms accurately and confidently. In the supplier registration flow, we treated error handling as a key part of the user experience, not just a technical safeguard.
Take the password field as an example. Instead of showing a generic message like “Invalid password,” we provided clear criteria upfront, showing green checkmarks as the strong password criteria are satisfied.
We also ensured that messages were placed clearly near the relevant field, avoiding generic warnings at the top of the page. This reduced guesswork and made it easy for users to take immediate action.
Finishing onboarding is a meaningful milestone. A well-timed confirmation message or celebratory screen reinforces the user’s progress and makes the experience feel rewarding. Recognizing this moment helps transition users smoothly into the core product experience with a sense of accomplishment and momentum.
We implemented a short, focused walkthrough to help new users understand the key steps of registration and where to find important features.
The guided tour was designed with a few key principles in mind:
Rather than expecting users to explore on their own, we offered a clear path forward—turning confusion into confident action from the very first session.
Effective onboarding in B2B SaaS isn’t just about getting users into the system—it’s about setting them up for long-term success. Through our work on the registration flow for suppliers on the platform for our global client, we learned that designing with empathy, clarity, and flexibility is key to building trust and driving engagement. By prioritizing essential information, enabling early access, supporting users with contextual guidance, and reducing friction through validation and guided tours, we created an onboarding experience that worked for a diverse range of users and helped the business achieve its goals.
At Perpetual, we create user-centered digital experiences that foster engagement and build lasting loyalty. Let’s connect to explore how we can support your growth.
