The research shows that delays, confusion, and lack of visibility in the first 90 days of onboarding lead directly to churn and lost growth opportunities.
OnRamp has announced the release of its original research report, “The First 90 Days: Why Customer Onboarding Is the New Battleground for Customer Retention.” The report, based on a survey of 161 customer success and onboarding leaders across SaaS, uncovers how onboarding practices directly impact revenue, retention, and operational efficiency.
According to the report, nearly half of customers will abandon onboarding if they do not see value quickly, and 57% of companies that cut onboarding investments saw churn increase within six months. As SaaS companies scale, the ability to deliver fast, frictionless onboarding is no longer optional. It is a strategic imperative.
“Our customers have long known that onboarding is where revenue momentum is made or lost,” said Paul Holder, CEO of OnRamp.
“This research validates that belief with hard data, showing just how high the stakes are in the first 90 days. Companies that invest in onboarding, automation, and visibility are outperforming those that treat it as a back-office task.”
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Key Report Findings:
- 48% of customers abandon onboarding if they do not see value quickly,
- 57% of companies that cut onboarding investment saw churn increase within six months.
- 65% of companies using digital onboarding reduced time to value by at least 25%.
- 74% of SaaS companies have adopted digital or pooled customer success models.
- 70% of CS leaders expect AI will handle at least half of the onboarding tasks by 2027.
The report also highlights growing trends in onboarding automation, digital customer success, and the increasing role of CROs in owning post-sale growth functions.
“Customers come in expecting follow-through on the promises made during the sales process. When onboarding falls short, it undermines trust from the start and puts the company’s reputation and revenue at risk. Too many companies lose customers before they ever get going,” said Tara Benyousky, VP of Marketing at OnRamp.
“This research makes it clear: onboarding isn’t a phase; it’s a revenue strategy.”
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