5 Effective Onboarding Best Practices for Creative Agencies [2025]

Too many agencies kick off projects without a solid onboarding framework or onboarding checklist. Instead of the onboarding process being a moment of clarity, it leads to:

• scattered communication
• clients feeling disconnected
• and way too many last-minute revisions

Think it’s okay? Guess what: 74% (yes, the majority) will choose another option if the onboarding process is tough. But if you do it right, you get a chance to demonstrate the value of your service and the support you offer.

So, in this guide, we’ll break down the client onboarding best practices (step-by-step) designed for creative agencies—one that eliminates friction, sets clear expectations, and makes clients love working with you from day one.

Challenges when it comes to the client onboarding process

Every great creative project must start with a strong foundation. However, creative agencies face difficulties when bringing new clients on board. 

Here are some challenges when it comes to trying to achieve a seamless onboarding:

• Drawn-out onboarding process: The excitement of signing a new client fades fast when the client onboarding process drags on for weeks.
• No standardized documentation requirements: Nothing slows down a creative project faster than missing information like your client’s brand assets. 
• Implementing a one-size-fits-all onboarding experience: Trying to squeeze everyone into the same rigid onboarding process? This is a definite no. Not all clients are the same, and your dreams of achieving frictionless digital customer onboarding will not come true if you continue to push generic processes.
• Insufficient support: This is especially problematic when the agency juggles multiple new clients and your team is understaffed to provide adequate support to new clients.
• Setting an unrealistic timeline. Overpromising might make clients happy at first, but under-delivering destroys trust.
• Lack of a single point of contact within the client's organization. It’s nearly impossible to maintain creative momentum when client-side communication is scattered.

Step-by-step client onboarding process for agencies

A disorganized onboarding experience is a surefire way to create roadblocks before work even begins. How do you get the client onboarding process right? Here are the client onboarding best practices perfect for creative agencies—in just FIVE steps.

Step #1: Kickoff & welcome

This is day one stuff. Your first task is to make clients feel like they’ve made the right choice of working with you. So, hit them with your warm, professional, and informative welcome email. What you can include:

• A greeting thanking them for their trust.
• Introduction to key contacts (who handles what, how to reach them).
• Outline of next steps (the "Here's exactly what happens next" gameplan).
• Easy access to onboarding resources 

Then top everything off with a client onboarding checklist template—they should never have to chase you for access to necessary tools and platforms, logins, or instructions. 

Step #2: Discovery & goal alignment

Most agencies waste weeks on "discovery." But here's what really results in frictionless digital customer onboarding:

• One focused strategy call (discuss the primary goals, direct competitors, internal workflow, and their review and approval process)
• A killer questionnaire that asks the hard questions—think of this as an “intake form,” similar to those you fill out before seeing a new doctor.
• Clear success metrics (real numbers—not fluffy goals—what KPIs define success for them?)
• Competitive gut check (what's actually working in their space)

Step #3: Documentation & agreements

Lock down the details. A [virtual] handshake deal won’t cut it. Every client onboarding process should include documentation that outlines what’s expected, such as deliverables and timelines, as part of their onboarding. Before any work begins, ensure the following are signed and understood:

• Service agreements/contracts that define scope, timelines, and pricing.
• NDAs or confidentiality agreements (if necessary).
• Payment structure & invoicing details (one-time fee, retainer, milestones).

Step #4: Project setup & first deliverables

Now that everything is aligned and documented, it’s time to begin the work. It’s best to ensure the client has a clear preview of what’s coming next. The success of this phase depends on clear communication and structured workflows. Let your clients know you’re there for them and how they can contact you.

Two essential things in this step:

• Internally, teams should have assigned tasks. After you’ve gathered all of the necessary information on your new client, you need to pass that information along to your team. A structured setup phase keeps projects on track and demonstrates that your agency operates with precision and efficiency.
  
  
• Another thing, your clients should receive a roadmap outlining project milestones, deadlines, and review points so they understand what to expect at each stage. It's to reassure them that there’s progress while allowing them to course-correct before too much work is completed.

Step #5: Ongoing support & check-ins

An excellent client onboarding process doesn’t stop after sending the first deliverable. Many agencies lose clients because they fail to maintain proactive communication throughout the engagement. This is not set-it-and-forget-it. You need:

• Regular check-ins to keep clients engaged and provide opportunities to adjust strategies based on real-time feedback. High-touch clients prefer weekly progress reports or bi-weekly status meetings, while lower-touch clients may be satisfied with automated updates.

• Create feedback loops. Projects can stall indefinitely if clients aren’t clear on how to request revisions or provide input. Agencies that establish a well-defined feedback and approval process experience fewer bottlenecks and faster turnaround times. 

📌 Tip: To ensure long-term satisfaction, you should conduct periodic performance reviews, assessing how well your project meets the client’s goals. 

Common client onboarding mistakes to avoid

Many creative agencies unknowingly mess up projects before they get off the ground. Below are the most common client onboarding mistakes to avoid.

Overloading clients with too much information too soon

The excitement of starting a new project can sometimes be an enemy—especially if you bombard your clients with too much information all at once. How does it look? Take for example, A new client signs on, and you give a 20-page PDF on your entire creative process. So, the most probable result is that you will make your clients disengage or respond late simply because they don’t know where to start.

A better approach is to phase out the information in digestible steps. Why not begin with the essentials—introductions, project timelines, and immediate action items—then gradually provide more profound insights as the project unfolds? Structured onboarding sequences help clients receive the correct information at the right time.  

Lack of clear ownership and accountability

The truth is creative projects involve multiple moving parts. Everyone has a crucial role in bringing ideas to life, from the creative director to the graphic designers and copywriters to account managers and strategists. But when roles and responsibilities aren’t clearly defined, clients don’t know who to contact for what. 

So, from day one, clients should know exactly who their main point of contact is. If possible, a dedicated account/project manager oversees the entire client onboarding process—someone to turn to with questions or concerns. Internally, tasks should be assigned so every team member knows their responsibilities.  

Poor follow-ups and misaligned expectations

Are you among those who assume that the client will seamlessly move through the process independently once the onboarding documents are sent and the first call is completed? You shouldn’t be.  Clients often need guidance and consistent follow-ups—communication is the key. 

A frictionless digital customer onboarding process is one with scheduled follow-ups (most especially at key points). An onboarding review ensures the client is comfortable before fully transitioning into project execution.  

Not setting boundaries to prevent scope creep from day one

What is scope creep? Scope creep refers to how projects expand gradually beyond their original objectives and requirements. Here’s a sample scenario: A client signs off on a logo design, but suddenly, they also want social media graphics, an email signature, and a website banner—without additional payment. A spiral of unpaid extra work.

During onboarding, the scope needs to be airtight. Get SPECIFIC in your contracts—no gray areas. You should outline exactly what’s included (and not included) in the contract and provide a structured process for handling additional requests. Learn to say this magic phrase: "We'd love to help with that. It's outside our scope, but I can develop a quick proposal."

Assuming clients already understand how to work with a creative agency

Don’t just assume they get it. Many clients have never worked with a creative agency before. They don't know:

• Why good design takes more than 24 hours
• Why you can't do 47 rounds of revisions
• Why you need ACTUAL feedback (not just "make it pop")

If you fail to educate clients during onboarding, they often deal with unrealistic expectations and unnecessary frustrations. To prevent this, onboarding should include a quick guide or walkthrough of the agency’s creative process. Stop assuming. Start teaching.

Not automating key onboarding tasks

A slow onboarding process kills momentum. A bottleneck. PERIOD. If a client signs on but waits a week for an introduction email, excitement fades, and engagement drops. You might also lose time manually sending contracts, requesting assets, and setting up project management tools when these tasks could be automated.

How do we automate the client onboarding process? When a contract is signed, an automated workflow should trigger welcome emails. In a nutshell, automate client intake, invoice payments, and document requests.

Not measuring the effectiveness of your onboarding process

If you think you nailed onboarding but never checked if it actually works, you’re doomed for inefficiencies to creep in. Agencies that don’t actively refine their process often struggle with project delays and frustrated clients without realizing what’s causing the issue.

Real talk: You need to track this stuff:

• How long until clients get their first deliverable?
• Are clients happy after onboarding?
• What questions do they keep asking over and over?

Transform client onboarding experiences with ManyRequests

A seamless onboarding experience is a significant factor in client satisfaction and long-term retention. And ManyRequests, a client onboarding software, offers a comprehensive suite of features that can help. Plus, this tool is specially built for creative services.

Centralized client portal

ManyRequests is best known for its intuitive client portal—a centralized hub for all client interactions. This portal lets clients access project updates, submit requests, and communicate with your team in real time. No back-and-forth emails. All information is organized and easily accessible. 

Customizable checkout and intake forms

To gather essential client information upfront, ManyRequests offers customizable checkout and intake forms. These forms can be tailored to capture specific details relevant to your services, ensuring your client and team have all the necessary information to kickstart the project without delays. 

Service catalogs and sign-up pages

How you present your services is essential for understanding and making decisions for clients. ManyRequests features service catalogs and sign-up pages that showcase your offering. Your new clients can easily select and sign up for the services that best meet their needs. 

Integration with favorite apps

To further enhance the onboarding experience, ManyRequests integrates seamlessly with various popular applications like Zapier. This allows agencies to connect their existing tech stack and systems into a cohesive workflow.

Client onboarding: email templates

A big part of client onboarding is through email and other written communication. Below, you’ll find a few templates you can use immediately. 

Welcome email template: questionnaire

Use this template to provide your client with a link to a questionnaire or client portal:

Hi [Client],

Welcome to [Your company]! I am writing to say thank you on behalf of the entire team. We’re so excited to have you with us!

To get you started, I wanted to share some important resources that I think you’ll benefit from. Take a look at our blog [link] and follow us on Instagram [link], Facebook [link], and [any other important links you want to share] to get a better idea of what we’re all about.

So that we can get to know your wants, needs, and expectations more, please fill out this questionnaire [link - to form OR client portal]. This will help me and the team understand what you’re all about and help us do our best work.

In the meantime, feel free to contact me or anyone else on our support team anytime. We're here for you!

Talk soon,

[Your name]

Welcome email template: several steps sequence

Use this template if there are several different steps involved in your onboarding process:

Hi [Client],

Welcome to [your service here]. We’re so happy to have you with us!

I’m here to help make sure you get everything you expect from [your service here], so don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.

To help you get started, I recommend checking out these resources:

[Resource 1 - ex: intake form]
[Resource 2 - ex: link to create an account for client portal/other project management software]
[Resource 3 - ex: link to an important blog article to help the client better understand your service]

[Anything else your client needs to see before you get started]

I’ll be in touch soon with the next steps. We can’t wait to get started!

All the best,

[Your company/name]

Welcome email template: checking in

Use this template to check in with your client and/or if they haven’t filled out the intake form (or accessed other onboarding documents) yet:

[Client Name],

I hope you’re doing well, just wondering if you had a chance to check out [intake form or the client onboarding portal or resources that you’ve already sent]? 

Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions! Once you’ve [filled out the form, created an account, etc], you’ll hear from me! 

If you have any questions, please reply or book a call with me here [scheduling service].

Looking forward to getting started!

Talk soon,

[your name]

Make your onboarding work for you and your clients

Creative agencies live by client relationships. Unfortunately, if the client onboarding experience is messy, you’re already losing them. A seamless onboarding experience means no more back-and-forth emails just to get started. No more endless revision cycles because feedback wasn’t structured from day one. 

And that’s precisely what ManyRequests helps you build. Coupled with client onboarding best practices, our client onboarding software enhances client satisfaction and contributes to higher retention rates and a more efficient operational workflow. 

Sign up for ManyRequests’ free trial today and see why creative agencies choose us. 

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Originally Posted: January 18, 2022