Top 28 Customer Activation Tools to Convert More Customers (Categorized)

28 Customer Activation Tools to Boost Activation Rates

Onboarding and In-App Experience

If you have been in business for a while, you already know how user onboarding can make or break a product.

And a new user’s activation journey usually starts with initial onboarding. If you cannot capture their attention during this stage, it will be very hard for you to re-engage them later.

Here’s what Miro’s former Head of Growth, Kate, has to say👇

“Activated users have two times better retention. And also 70% or less of activated users convert to pay. If we are calculating everything in money, this is our way to increase ARR as well. This is why we need to focus on user onboarding. More people get into the product experiencing the value, staying there, and also this is the most challenging part for the user.”

Kate’s right. Getting the user activated during the onboarding stage is a challenge. Lucky for you, we have the best list of tools for you to try. Let’s go! 🚀

#1 UserGuiding

It’s hard to imagine user onboarding without product tours (if you want to be successful and I assume that you do). Interactive tours, checklists, GIFs, hotspots and many other elements come together to create the best experience for your customers.

UserGuiding’s product tour feature helps users by guiding them through a product’s key features with interactive, step-by-step walkthroughs.

The tours are non-intrusive, meaning they appear as tooltips, pop ups, or sidebars at the right moments without interrupting the user's experience. This ensures users can still explore the interface while learning.

Also, users can move through the steps of the tour at their own pace, enabling them to absorb information without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

Check out this user’s review on G2👇

#2 Appcues

Appcues’ in-app messaging adds an element of personality to users’ day-to-day interactions with your product.

Want to tailor your messages based on user behavior? Done. ✅

Don’t want to spend hours coding a basic message bubble? Appcues has a drag-and-drop, no-code interface.

This feature also helps you users benefit from receiving guidance or information exactly when and where they need it in the app. For example, a user might see a message that highlights a new feature after using a related function or when they appear to be stuck.

#3 WalkMe

Marketed as “unlock the power of automation,” WalkMe’s conversational interface provides interactive, personalized, and context-aware guidance directly within applications.

The conversational interface adapts to each user’s specific needs and actions within the app. 

For instance, if a user is struggling with a particular feature or task, WalkMe’s conversational interface can provide targeted assistance, offering step-by-step instructions, tips, or even suggesting actions to take.

Instead of a static tutorial or documentation, users can ask questions and get real-time responses, making the onboarding experience more intuitive and engaging.

Also, by enabling users to interact with the interface in a conversational, natural way (like chatting), WalkMe lowers the barrier to accessing help. 

Users don’t need to remember specific commands or navigate through menus; they simply ask for assistance in their own words, which makes it an approachable and user-friendly experience.

#4 Userpilot

I personally haven’t read a single blog post on customer activation or onboarding tools and not see user guides listed as essential features.

Userpilot’s in-app guides are designed just for that.

This feature ensures the information users receive is relevant to what they are currently trying to accomplish. 

Users can also see tooltips or small pop-ups that give explanations for buttons, features, or parts of the interface. This is especially great for users who are hesitant about exploring the product on their own and get overwhelmed immediately.

#5 Chameleon

The struggle is real: You have a great product and you release a new feature to make the experience even better for your customers. 

Obviously, you want your customers to be aware of that feature. But they don’t seem to engage with it all.

How can you solve this problem and increase your feature adoption rate?

Enter the scene: Feature announcements.

With Chameleon’s feature, you can show the announcement to those who need or would benefit from a specific feature so only they will see the announcement, which reduces information overload and ensures relevance.

Also, static messages are boring. This feature lets you include visuals, tooltips, or interactive elements that guide users on how to use the new feature. This hands-on approach helps users understand the functionality immediately.  

#6 Userflow

Nobody wants to open 5 different tabs to find information or solve a problem. Your product is no exception.

Userflow’s resource center feature helps users by providing a centralized hub for self-service support and resources within the app.

Instead of relying solely on customer support, Userflow’s resource center feature helps users solve problems or learn how to use new features on their own. They don’t have to wait for help.

Based on the user’s activity within the app, the Resource Center can surface relevant content that’s personalized to their needs. For example, if a user is trying to use a new feature, the Resource Center can recommend articles or tutorials specific to that feature.

#7 Pendo 

This feature enables you more than it does users. 

But hear me out: Without knowing how users interact with your product, you won’t be able to make data-driven decisions to increase your customer activation rate.

Introducing… Pendo’s analytics feature.

By understanding which features are used most often, which are ignored, or where users drop off, you can optimize the product to better meet user needs.

The analytics feature also gives clear insights into user behavior, which can then be used to create targeted in-app messaging, feature announcements, or improvements. 

For example, if analytics show that users are struggling with a particular feature, product teams can act on that information to provide additional help or tutorials. 

Happy customers, happy you! 🎉

Customer Engagement and In-App Messaging

What’s better than real-time communication?

For a lot of customers, nothing.

Some may even say that it creates a trust bond stronger than the Fellowship of the Ring.

Jokes aside, it is a must-have for customer engagement. How can I add this to my product, you may say, we already have a chatbot! 

In-app messaging. 

John Kim, a guest on the Agile Brand, told a story of a Fintech company in the Philippines. The company had a modern and really rich mobile app, but they were using SMS to communicate with their customers. 

The setback with SMS is that you get a couple hundred characters of pure text. There are some countries that ban you from sending links because of fraud and scams. 

It’s a lose-lose. 😮‍💨

You can’t engage with customers in a meaningful way that will help their use of the app and customers only get low resolution communication without any context.

The company switched to in-app messaging and the results were immediate.

Their messages had attachments, PDFs, and visual images, which made it easier for customers to contextualize what was being said. The messages were hyper-personalized as well.

Here’s what John says👇

“And what they saw was an overall dramatic increase in the customer engagement. They're opening their messages. They're engaging with their messages a lot more. 

So they saw 90% plus in cost savings and overall customer support, the cost of customer support dropped by half as well. And then customers are just happier and engaged a lot more because of that ability to personalize, ability to send it in a timely manner.”

I bet you’re ready to make your customers thrive! 

Let’s talk more about customer engagement and in-app messaging tools then👇

#8 Intercom

Intercom’s omnichannel support does a little bit of everything: SMS, email, live chat support, and more.

You can manage all your channels from a single platform and see every touchpoint. Meeting customers where they already are? Even better.

New users can receive onboarding messages and tutorials directly in-app and automation tools like bots can provide immediate responses to common questions.

Want to make sure that customers don’t use a single conversation ever? Easy with Intercom.

Conversations through Intercom can continue across different platforms (web, mobile, email, etc.) even if they switch devices.

See what users say on G2👇

#9 Drift

Cadence by Drift (acquired by Salesloft) is designed to streamline and automate customer engagement. It helps you create personalized and targeted outreach strategies.

“What exactly is Cadence?” I can hear you asking. Let me explain🤓

Drift’s Cadence helps you set up automated, multi-step communication workflows (email, in-app messages, etc.) that run over a series of days or weeks. This helps engage users consistently without manual effort, increasing the likelihood of conversion or action.

You can also tailor messages to individual prospects based on their behavior, interests, and past interactions.

Cadence can also be used for lead nurturing, keeping potential customers engaged over time through a series of strategic touchpoints. 

This helps maintain top-of-mind awareness and moves leads closer to a purchasing decision, even if they aren’t ready to convert immediately. 

See what people think about Cadence👇

#10 MoEngage

Promoted as a “cross-channel customer engagement platform,” we can safely say that every feature on the platform is designed to increase customer engagement.

The most interesting one, however, is Sherpa—the AI engine. It provides personalized, data-driven, and timely interactions with customers.

Sherpa uses predictive models to forecast user actions and engagement patterns. For example, the AI engine can predict when a user is likely to make a purchase, churn, or engage with a specific feature. 

You can also set up automated, AI-powered workflows that trigger personalized messages based on specific user actions or conditions. For instance, if a user abandons a cart, Sherpa can automatically trigger a reminder message at the optimal time, increasing the chances of conversion.

With Sherpa’s help, you can also identify high-value users and engage them in a way that maximizes their lifetime value.

#11 OneSignal

Similar to MoEngage, OneSignal is also a customer engagement platform. Their in-app messaging feature is very flexible. You can choose from a variety of message formats—such as pop-ups, banners, or full-screen notifications—and tailor the style, colors, and content to match your brand identity. 

And the best part? You can do A/B testing to experiment with different message formats, content, and delivery timings.

Don’t take my word for it, though. Check out this review from a G2 user👇

Email and Lifecycle Automation

Some people think email (and email marketing) is dead. This cannot be less true.

In fact, emails are one of the cornerstones of customer activation.

Cody Schneider talks about “email nurture” and how it helps build a relationship with a new customer without overwhelming them👇

In this section, you’ll hear all about email nurturing and lifecycle automation tools. Ready, set, go!

#12 Mailchimp

Mailchimp’s core feature is its ability to create and send personalized email campaigns. And it is really helpful for designing visually appealing emails, targeting specific customer segments, and sending them relevant content.

For example, you can send product recommendations, event reminders, or updates to maintain ongoing communication with your customers and keep them engaged.

If your online presence matters to you a lot, then you’re in luck because Mailchimp integrates with social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, so you can engage with your customers on multiple platforms, increasing the reach and impact of your messages.

#13 ActiveCampaign

Better, stronger, and more personal experiences for your customers. ActiveCampaign makes it just that easy.

You can address recipients by their name, tailor content based on past behavior (like recent purchases or website visits), and recommend products or services relevant to them.

ActiveCampaign’s email templates are mobile-responsive, ensuring that emails look great and are easy to read on any device.

And the best part is that you can build a customer journey map and automate them. You can create and visualize complex email sequences based on how customers move through their buying journey.

Check out a user’s review on G2👇

#14 Braze

With Braze, you can customize different sections of an email based on user segments or real-time data. For instance, an email may show different product recommendations based on past purchases or browsing behavior, ensuring content is relevant to each individual recipient.

Braze is also great for cross-channel integration. This is especially helpful if you want to engage customers across different touchpoints. By sending a push notification and prompting the customer to check their inbox for a special offer, you can actually create a more consistent experience.

Here’s what Laura on G2 has to say👇

#15 HubSpot

Investing in a new product can be daunting, especially when you’re not sure if you’ll see a return on your investment or not. Thankfully, we have HubSpot email marketing.

Want to start simple and scale later? Sure, try HubSpot’s free email marketing tools first.

Low open rates? HubSpot’s AI integration helps you write better subject lines.

You can also send follow up emails to remind your product to customers or create a drip campaign. 

Danielle describes HubSpot as her company’s “life blood”👇

Product Analytics and User Behavior

CEO and Founder of ProductLed, Wes Bush advises watching users weekly.

“Set up recording tool, block 30 minutes weekly, find one improvement per session,” he says. 

You can read the rest of the post here👇

You can do this on your own for sure. But do you really need to when there are amazing tools out there that will get the job done faster and better?

Keep reading then! 

#16 Mixpanel

I get it. Not every one of us can be good at understanding user behavior and how they interact with the product. 

This is why Mixpanel’s analytics feature is a gold mine. You can track button clicks, page views, purchases, and feature usage in real time. Then, you will find it easier to identify which features are popular, which users are most engaged, and where users might be dropping off.

Do you need more insights? Don’t worry. Predictive analytics will help you identify and take action for early churn or promote your new feature.

#17 Amplitude

With Amplitude’s product analytics feature you can build and visualize funnels, which track user progress through a series of steps, like signing up, completing a purchase, or using a product feature.

You can also measure user retention by tracking how often users return to the product after their first visit or interaction.

Similar to Mixpanel, Amplitude also offers predictive analytics to forecast future user behaviors so you can manage a steady level of customer engagement.

#18 Heap

If you’re a visual learner, Heap’s analysis charts will be a game changer for you. These charts help you visualize customer behavior and make it easy to track funnels and conversion rates.

You can see how users move from one action to another like from browsing to adding items to a cart, or from completing a tutorial to making a purchase. This means that you can also track how users adopt new features over time.

If a feature isn’t driving engagement as expected, you can optimize its design, provide more guidance through onboarding, or create targeted campaigns to encourage adoption.

#19 Microsoft Clarity

Session recordings give you real-time access into user interactions on your website. By visualizing how users navigate through pages, where they click, and where they pause or abandon, you can better understand pain points or areas where users may be struggling.

Similarly, heatmaps show where users are clicking, scrolling, or hovering on a page.

Are your call-to-actions (CTAs) being ignored? You can optimize your website layout, try a new design, or update the copy for better results. 

This will help customers by making the most impactful elements more prominent or accessible.

Check out what David says about Clarity👇

#20 PostHog

Another free product analytics tool to have more loyal customers? Sign me up!

PostHog’s autocapture feature tracks user interactions, such as clicks, page views, form submissions, scroll depth, and more, without needing manual tagging.

This eliminates the need for developers to manually instrument each event, so you can collect data on every user interaction effortlessly.

With autocaptured data, you can analyze user behavior without the need for custom events. 

For example, you can identify which parts of the product users interact with most frequently and which features are underutilized. 

This insight helps businesses prioritize updates, fix pain points, and improve features that drive the most engagement, ultimately boosting overall customer satisfaction.

Here’s what Adam has to say (very enthusiastically, I have to add)👇

Feedback and In-App Surveys

You can’t spell customer activation without customers.

As much as you believe that you can anticipate their needs, you won’t actually know until you talk to them. Therefore, collecting feedback through various channels, including in-app surveys, is a golden rule.

In an episode of Thrivecast, Yaakov Carno identifies key challenges to customer activation: feature overload, unclear value, ineffective onboarding, ignoring feedback.

For early stage SaaS companies, Carno advises regularly incorporating user feedback to avoid pitfalls and staying adaptable.

This section is dedicated to tools that will help you achieve that. Grab a coffee and notebook and let’s get to work🧑‍💻

#21 Survicate

Ready to take some in-app action? Survicate’s online survey software and feedback analysis feature are here to help you.

You can collect feedback across different platforms, including websites, emails, mobile apps, and even through integrations with other tools. These surveys are customizable too: NPS (Net Promoter Score), customer satisfaction surveys, or product-specific questions.

Want to level up your feedback game? The use of advanced logic, such as branching and skip logic, makes surveys more interactive and relevant to the participant. 

This encourages customers to complete the surveys and makes the engagement more meaningful.

#22 Typeform

Typeform’s surveys use a one-question-at-a-time approach, which makes them feel more like a conversation than a traditional survey. This interactive format keeps users engaged and less overwhelmed by a long list of questions.

The survey templates are also aesthetically pleasing, increasing the likelihood of participation.

Similar to Survicate, Typeform also allows users to create surveys with branching logic, meaning questions can change based on previous responses. You can also use gamified elements (like progress bars or reward systems) and motivate customers to complete surveys.

#23 SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey’s drag-and-drop interface makes it simple for those without technical expertise to design and launch surveys. 

One of the best features of SurveyMonkey is Genius. You can start typing a question and Genius will predict the most effective question type. 

SurveyMonkey’s advanced reporting tools also allow you to analyze results in real time, with the option to filter, segment, and visualize data in a way that is easy to understand.

By integrating with CRM or marketing automation tools, this tool can create more detailed customer profiles for you.

See what users think about SurveyMonkey👇

#24 Jotform

Unlike the other tools in this list, Jotform specializes in forms that act as surveys. This is really helpful if you want to embed the form into websites, blogs, or landing pages. 

You can engage customers directly on their platforms of choice and increase the chances of receiving feedback.

Similar to other tools, Jotform also offers a drag-and-drop interface so you don’t have to worry about coding and see in real-time how the form will look like. 

After completing a form, customers can be directed to a personalized thank-you page or confirmation message. What’s even better is that you can integrate payment gateways to collect feedback in exchange for rewards, such as gift cards, discounts, or contest entries.

Here’s what Jeremy thinks about the tool👇

Knowledge Base and Self-Serve Support

Did you know that about 73% of customers want the ability to solve their issues independently?

In other words, people don’t want to wait in front of their screens or on their phones for an answer.

It’s frustrating, wastes everyone’s time, and often the answer is not even relevant to the initial problem.

Instead, create and trust knowledge bases. Always.

Here’s a list of knowledge base and self-serve support tools to get you started👇

#25 HelpScout

Do you want your users to find answers to their questions without needing direct interaction with a support team? Then, HelpScout’s knowledge base is perfect for you.

Your customers can access the knowledge base anytime, allowing them to get immediate answers to their questions, even outside of business hours.

The knowledge base ensures that all customers have access to the same, up-to-date information. Also, in some cases, knowledge base content can be tailored to specific customer needs or behaviors. 

For instance, customers might be presented with relevant articles based on their past interactions or preferences, leading to more engaging and useful experiences.

#26 Document360

If you want customers to get faster answers and not be restricted to search engines like Google, Document360’s AI powered knowledge base is a great option! 🥳

The platform allows for the creation of detailed and well-structured knowledge articles, with options for rich media (videos, images, etc.) and customizable templates. You can also integrate community-driven features like forums or user-generated content, where customers can share experiences, ask questions, and provide answers.

Do you want to make your knowledge base private? No problem. 

You get to control who has access to specific knowledge base content. 

Whether it’s customer-facing documentation or internal team knowledge, you can provide tailored access based on the user’s role.

See why users love Document360’s knowledge base feature👇

#27 Confluence

Collaboration and intuitiveness? Confluence has both. It serves as a centralized platform where teams can create, organize, and share knowledge articles, guides, and FAQs.

The platform encourages collaboration among team members to create and update knowledge base content. By allowing multiple contributors, including customer support teams, developers, and product managers, the knowledge base reflects up-to-date and accurate information.

The cherry on top? 🍒

A robust search function that allows users to quickly find relevant articles, even across large knowledge bases. The search tool includes filters and auto-suggestions, helping your customers locate information without wasting time.

#28 HelpJuice

With categories, tags, and a powerful search function, users can quickly find the information they need and spend more time within your product. 

Similar to Confluence, Helpjuice's advanced search engine offers features like auto-suggestions, relevancy ranking, and filters. So, your customers can easily and quickly find the right information.

You can also enable users to leave feedback on knowledge base articles. Whether it's thumbs-up/thumbs-down voting or comments, this feedback helps you understand whether the content was helpful. 

Engaging users in this way also creates a loop where customers feel their opinions matter, encouraging further interaction.

See what John thinks about Helpjuice’s knowledge bases👇

Conclusion

In short, customer activation tools are not just a luxury. They're a necessity for driving meaningful connections with your audience.

By helping you deliver tailored experiences, these tools enable you to engage customers at the right time with the right message.

The result? 

Stronger relationships, increased loyalty, and sustained growth. 

Embracing these tools today will set you up for success, good luck!