The idea of a “start flow”—a multi step form with a series of screens for tasks or questions—is common in consumer and business applications. In this post, I will outline some of the different categories for this type of application.
Categories
End-to-end service as a start flow
Some businesses make a multi step start flow their main call to action. Usually a prominent above-the-fold button on their home page links to the flow app. At the end of the flow the service is actually delivered.
In this case the entire business is driven by the start flow app. An example is the insurance provider Lemonade.
After you complete Lemonade's start flow, you have insurance.
Onboarding customers
For businesses that work with clients, onboarding customers is often a manual process. Manual onboarding makes sense in this case, as client service businesses often deliver projects (not products). A client project is unique, so a provider and a client usually need to collaborate, whether face-to-face in meetings or by sharing documents, until they reach an understanding of what's required.
But some client services are nonetheless transactional. 99Designs is an example of a web app that provides a start flow for customers that need a design service. Upon completing the flow, the service provider has everything it needs to start delivering the service.
99Designs have built an impressive start flow. They've extracted a repeatable process from the steps frequently taken by designers to start a design project. This includes using visual examples to help guide the customer in expressing what they've got in mind.
Fill out a form
It's very common today for businesses to ask customers to fill out a form. This often happens after the business has started delivering the service. It may serve starting a new sub-process, or an adjacent optional process.
Businesses already have plenty of form options:
- Build a form in one of the many no or low code form building tools
- Provide a fillable PDF form
- Use a standard form provided by a partner platform that services their industry
Web developers can embed the forms in an iframe on the business' website. Or the website can simply link to the form or the business can send a link by SMS or email.
With a start flow, instead of a form, a business decides to structure the data collection as a series of steps, and possibly to build in some actions that leverage data entered by the customer.
An example is Stripe's company formation service Atlas.
Existing Stripe users can initiate starting a company with Atlas using their start flow. In the flow you're asked to provide the information Stripe requires to lodge your application with the relevant government bodies. They also ask you to sign the details and pay the fees, all in the same flow.
Does your client service have a start flow?
The examples above illustrate different ways to think about data collection. However, what's common is how the service providers have invested in streamlining starting the related process for clients.
I often encounter such examples and in my mind think, “oh, that's a start flow”. However, usually they're built by large companies as point solutions. Startflows is a platform to support this type of application, making it much cheaper and accessible to more businesses.
A common client service pattern
Many businesses that work with clients may recognise a common pattern in starting to work with clients.
- Book a consultation
- Send a quote
- Get a signed contract
- Do the work
- Get paid
Now compare this with a typical e-commerce checkout experience. In online shops, onboarding is crucial. Getting started easily is one of the biggest barriers to winning customers—think shopping cart abandonment.
Can the same way of thinking be applied to client services? As noted above, not all client services can get delivered straight through in one flow. However, all client services need to start somewhere, and getting further into the service delivery in a more streamlined way is a bit like a checkout experience.
An example of an industry vertical SaaS application to support exactly this pattern of interactions is Tave, a solution for professional photographers.
I think client service businesses should consider adding a new phase to their digital strategy: starting. Onboarding is often a missing piece in client services.
| Stage | Function | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Before starting | Marketing | Ads, websites, SEO etc |
| Starting | Onboarding | Startflows |
| After starting | Service delivery | Client portal |
Can you see a pattern in the way you start your services?
This article has outlined some different ways to categorise starting to deliver client services. It then prompts you you to think about your own service delivery.
The article outlines a common pattern in client service delivery, so you can consider what Startflows is about with a real example in mind. There'll be many more nuanced patterns in different industries.
With Startflows businesses can streamline their customer's experience when starting out. It brings together you workflow in an app that runs under your own domain name and can be customised to meet your exact requirements.