If you’re building a SaaS product and your onboarding is confusing, clunky, or just plain boring, users will bail. Fast. That’s where interactive guides like Arcade come in—they let you show, not just tell, your users how things work. But dropping in a fancy demo and hoping for magic? Doesn’t cut it. This guide is for product managers, designers, and anyone who actually cares if new users “get it” or get lost.
Below, you’ll find an honest, step-by-step playbook for embedding Arcade demos into your onboarding—what works, what’s just noise, and how to keep things simple (and actually useful).
1. Figure out where Arcade fits (and where it doesn’t)
Not every step in your onboarding needs a demo. You don’t want to overwhelm new users with walls of interactivity or distract them from the main goal: getting value from your product.
Start by mapping your onboarding flow: - Where do people get stuck or confused? (Check support tickets, heatmaps, or user interviews.) - What’s critical for first-use success? (Usually, one or two “aha!” moments.) - Where would a visual, hands-on guide actually help? (Skip steps that are self-explanatory.)
Pro tip:
Resist the urge to “Arcade-ify” everything. Focus on 1-3 moments where users consistently struggle, not every single feature.
2. Build focused, skippable Arcade demos
Short and sweet wins. Users are impatient—especially during onboarding. Your Arcade demo should walk through one task, not the entire product.
What works: - One clear goal per demo. E.g., “How to create your first project.” - 3-7 steps max. Any longer and you’ll lose people. - Optional, never required. Make it easy to skip or close the demo.
What to avoid: - Huge, multi-feature walkthroughs (“Here’s everything you could ever do!”). - Demos that block the UI or force users to follow along. - Overly polished “marketing” tone. This isn’t a promo video—be practical.
Pro tip:
Show common mistakes and how to fix them. Users appreciate honesty. “Oops, clicked the wrong button? Here’s how to undo it.”
3. Embed thoughtfully—don’t hijack the experience
Just because you can drop an Arcade demo anywhere doesn’t mean you should. Poor placement annoys users or gets ignored.
Best practices: - Inline with context. Place demos next to the feature or step they explain, not just in a help center. - Clear call-to-action. Use inviting language: “See how it works” or “Watch a quick guide.” - Responsive and accessible. Make sure demos look good on all devices and can be used with a keyboard or screen reader.
Be careful with: - Popups on first login. Many users just close them. If you must, let users revisit the demo later. - Autoplay. Automatically starting demos (with audio) is a fast way to annoy people. - Stacking demos. One at a time. Don’t hit users with three popups in a row.
Pro tip:
Test your embeds as a brand-new user—on mobile and desktop—before shipping. “Works on my machine” doesn’t mean “works for everyone.”
4. Keep your Arcade demos up to date
Nothing kills trust faster than showing a demo that doesn’t match the product. If your UI changes, your demos need to change too.
What works: - Version control. Track which onboarding steps use which Arcade demos. - Regular review. Set a monthly reminder to check all embedded demos. - Quick iterations. The good news: Arcade makes it easy to update demos. Don’t put it off.
What to ignore: - The hope that “users will figure it out anyway.” If the demo is outdated, it’s worse than nothing.
Pro tip:
Assign someone (not “the team”) to own demo upkeep. Otherwise, it won’t get done.
5. Measure what matters (and ignore vanity stats)
It’s tempting to chase big numbers—demo views, time spent, etc.—but what actually matters is: did users complete onboarding and get value faster?
Track: - Completion rates. Did people who used the Arcade demo finish setup more often? - Support tickets. Did questions drop for the feature you demo’d? - Activation metrics. Did more users reach your key “aha!” moment?
Ignore: - Raw view counts. Lots of views don’t mean users “got it.” - Demo duration. Longer time doesn’t mean people liked it. Maybe they were confused.
Pro tip:
Run an A/B test: show the Arcade demo to half your new signups, and compare results. Real data beats wishful thinking.
6. Don’t use Arcade as a crutch for bad UX
Interactive demos are great, but if your product is too complex or confusing, they’re just a Band-Aid. Use Arcade to highlight good UX, not patch up bad flows.
Ask yourself: - Would this step still be confusing if the UI were clearer? - Are users forced to watch a demo because the feature is buried or mislabeled?
If so, fix the underlying UX first. Arcade should clarify, not compensate.
7. Respect your users’ time and attention
Onboarding is already a hurdle. Don’t make users jump through hoops or sit through demos they don’t need.
Best practices: - Let users opt in. “Want a quick walkthrough?” not “Watch this or else.” - Provide alternatives. Some folks prefer docs, others want video, some just want to click around. - Be honest about what’s covered. Set expectations (“2-minute guide to your first project”).
What to avoid: - Forcing everyone into the same flow. One size never fits all. - Hiding the “skip” or “close” button. That’s just annoying.
Wrapping up: Start simple, iterate fast
Arcade demos can make SaaS onboarding way better—if you use them intentionally. Start by identifying real user sticking points, craft focused, honest demos, and embed them where they’ll help most. Keep things up to date, measure real outcomes, and don’t let shiny tools distract you from building a product that makes sense on its own.
Don’t overthink it. Get the basics right, ship, and improve as you learn. That’s how you get users to stick around—and actually enjoy onboarding for a change.