Improving the onboarding flow for new members

Improving the onboarding flow for new members
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 Sep 06 2017
29 Comments (29 New)
Planned

How can the Microsoft Tech Community better welcome and encourage new members? One suggestion I have is to improve the 'Learn More' link on the front page.  At the moment it just goes straight to the Community Info Center listing the latest activity in this space. 

 

Microsoft Tech Community Lean More 3.gif

 

This is such a lost opportunity! It doesn't help potential new members at all, to get any real info they would have to navigate to the 'Getting Started' space and read the relevant posts.  How many people will spend the time to do this or will just loose interest more likely?  Here are just a few additional ideas:

 

  • Pin some getting started resources or guides to the Community Info Center
  • Even better change the 'Learn More' link to go straight to a getting started guide
  • Have some additional resources, a cheat sheet, infographic, map to all the communities, scavenger hunt etc. anything that promotes new (and potential) members to explore and engage with the community

I write this as possibly being one of the biggest fans of the Microsoft Tech Community, which is why I wrote Why I love the Microsoft Tech Community. I also have attempted a short introduction into the Microsoft Tech Community here Your 5 minute guide to the Microsoft Tech Community and have written a getting started guide on the TechNet Wiki - Microsoft Tech Community: Getting Started amongst other things. 

 

I'd be interested in anyone else's thoughts!

Comments

Cian, great idea, fully support

Copper Contributor

And here I am a very new member of the community. My full support goes to your ideas. I did lose some interest to see that Getting Started thing.

 

I just found following typo in the second paragraph of your post.

 

-Best Wishes

 


@Cian Allner wrote:
How many people will spend the time to do this or will just loose interest
Community Manager
Status changed to: Under review

I like this idea, probably more so the part about exposing "Getting started" content on the front page, I think the community Info Centre is perhaps a little to burried. 

 

Even if it was something that appeared only for the first 30 days you were a member of the community I think this would help.

 

I will discuss this with our team and see what we can come up with.

 

Thank you for suggesting it.

Silver Contributor

Thanks @Allen for the support.  I think this would be a positive change and help ease new potential members into signing up, getting started with all the options and becoming active members.

Steel Contributor

There has been a ton of growth in the Microsoft Tech Community over the past 2 years. Simply amazing.

I travel the country and speak at various events, and I like to interact with the audience. One of the first questions I ask is whether or not they are members of the Microsoft Tech Community. Shockingly, the results are surprisingly low - somewhere around 2% of our session attendees.

Other than strongly encouraging, not sure what else I can do as an individual to help evangelize this great community, short of promoting it in person and through social channels. 

Open to suggestions! 

 

Silver Contributor

Hey @David Leveille, agreed the Tech Community has been a revelation and has grown immensely.   I also help evangelize the Tech Community in my own way.  While growing numbers are great, it's also about making sure existing members keep coming back and feel connected to the community.  Some new or revised getting started resources I think would serve this very well, with welcoming new members or helping those looking to join.

Community Manager
Status changed to: Planned

We are planning to do some work on this in 2018 however exactly when in 2018 is TBC

Silver Contributor

Thanks @Allen for the update, great to hear this is still on the agenda and will be looked at further.

Community Manager
Status changed to: Working on it
 
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Guess i may be one of them...loll but I did spend quite some time to figure some of it. Eyes are hurting is why i'm dipping for a while.

Deleted
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great :light_bulb: tho Cian Allner

 
Community Manager
Status changed to: Under Review

Hi all,

 

I am fixing a bug with status ideas which has resulted in allot of our ideas having wrong statuses. This one is currently under review.

 

@Cian Allner  - Would you mind if I changed the title of the idea to: Improve the onboarding experience for new users?

Silver Contributor

@Allen No problem, please change the title accordingly.

Community Manager
Status changed to: Planned

We will be doing a review of our on-boarding experience this year and this feedback will be feed into that process, stay tuned for updates!

Community Manager
Status changed to: New Idea
 
Community Manager
Status changed to: Planned
 
Steel Contributor

Hi everyone,

 

I am a "new" member of the MS Tech Community. I personally think a better guide how to start in the MS Tech Community, when creating a profile would be a great thing. 

 

Let me know your opinions.

 

Schnittlauch

Gold Contributor

Hello!

I agree that in the form of such a tutorial after you set up an account in MTC should receive a link to familiarize yourself to avoid problems and misunderstandings!

I support your idea.

Creating of profile shall be self explainable procedure, if something goes wrong contact support. No tutorials here are needed. And yes, before creating the profile you shall know what this resource about, how to use it and what is the Code of Conduct. Based on this information you decide to create or not to create the profile. Above shall be on home page, didn't check now.

Gold Contributor

@Siergiej Baklan

 

Hi! I supported this idea because the information is scattered and it would be good after creating an account in the Community to pass on to get acquainted with the most important things - I had problems with the implementation of translated texts and other problems , but

really worth seriously analyzing!

A set of suggestions and suggestions would be especially suitable for people who do not write in English- we have Members from all over the world worth remembering!

Deleted
Not applicable

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/admin-center/zakisinaiisamsungcom/m-p/2442679#M2682

 


This is an example of how difficult it is for new Members of the Community to start a discussion

It's worth helping to explain even technical issues to properly start a discussion in the Community and get the answer - which they need.

Steel Contributor

This is 1 of like 10 people each month. That's the reason why I posted this idea. 

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Yes , now i like this discussion - that's why it's this space to show and solve

such problems - surely this matter must be examined!

Deleted
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https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-insider-program/lll/m-p/2442132

These examples are certainly very much and I do not think that someone specifically spammer!

Steel Contributor

Any kind of confirmation for the first few posts could be a solution.

Community Manager
Status changed to: Planned
 
Deleted
Not applicable

@Allen 

Thank you 

This is a great decision - Planned!

Steel Contributor

Thank you @Allen! <3