Introducing Smart Walk-Thrus

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to identify use cases and value of Smart Walk-Thrus.

Overview

Smart Walk-Thrus provide step-by-step on-screen guidance through a process using balloons to guide the user. In this unit, you will learn all about the basics of building a Smart Walk-Thru and driving engagement to improve the user experience and increase productivity.

Watch the video to understand Smart Walk-Thrus.

Key Takeaways

Smart Walk-Thrus provide step-by-step on-screen guidance through a process using balloons to guide the user. As a Builder, we can add these balloons to our website to help our users complete various processes related to business objectives we may have as an organization.

Just like a GPS takes us from start to finish where we want to go, a Smart Walk-Thru in combination with Start Points and Goals will simplify the user journey and streamline workflows to be more efficient.

What are Smart Walk-Thrus?

Smart Walk-Thrus enable us to simplify processes and experiences for our end users by adding on-screen guidance at their moment of need.

Smart Walk-Thrus are composed of steps - these appear as customizable balloons linked to elements on screen. Each of these steps has a trigger - when the user interacts with the trigger, then the guidance will move to the next step.

Example of a Smart Walk-Thru. Balloons appear on the screen and direct users on how to interact with elements.

Watch the video to know more. Note that the video doesn't support audio.

When would I use Smart Walk-Thrus?

Here are a few use cases where Smart Walk-Thrus provide value:

  1. Feature Adoption: With Smart Walk-Thrus we can ensure that new features are adopted quickly and painlessly by having step-by-step guidance through those adoption processes.
  2. Onboarding and Training: With Smart Walk-Thrus we can guide employees through confusing processes with contextual guidance, reducing the time required to learn.
  3. Support: We can introduce a Smart Walk-Thru to guide users through these complex or repetitive issues, proactively reducing support tickets while improving the user experience.
  4. Change Management: Smart Walk-Thru steps can begin on the homepage of a platform and include clear communication about the changes, addressing employee concerns and aligning new processes with organizational goals.

Important Building Features

The Step Options Menu

The figure shows the step options menu.

The image shows the step options menu with fields to add a title and text, various formatting and navigation options.'

When selecting the element for a Smart Walk-Thru Balloon Step, the Step Options Menu will appear. Here, we can change the balloon's position, title, text, and Triggers.

Balloon Positioning

Choosing the right location for a balloon is important since balloons could possibly cover information on the platform from the user's view.

We can alter the position of a balloon to the left, right, top or bottom of the selected element.

Zoom in to see what position works best for our Add to Cart element.

Watch the video to know more. Note that the video doesn't support audio.

Step Triggers

Step Triggers determine what action will move the Smart Walk-Thru on to the next step. Triggers drive the guidance forward for the user. Without Triggers, Smart Walk-Thrus would not be able to move past the first step. Click the interactive points below, and let's look at our Step Triggers and the best way to use them in a Smart Walk-Thru.

Here is the table describing the step triggers:

Step TriggersDescription
Click Trigger

The next balloon step will play once the user clicks the selected element this balloon is attached to.

This trigger is generally used the most in builds as it's great for navigational guidance in a process.

Next Trigger

The next step will play once the user clicks the Next button that appears on this particular balloon.

This trigger is great for when users must complete multiple tasks in a process or simply choosing an option in a drop-down menu.

Text Trigger

The next step will play after the user types something into the selected text field.

This trigger is best used in moderation and on simple text fields such as a search bar.

It is recommended to use the Next Trigger for longer text fields, as the balloon can add much needed information to the user.

Hover Trigger

The next step plays after the user hovers over the selected element.

Generally not used often, but it does have its place in specific forms when a user needs to highlight an item for a menu to appear and such.

Delay Trigger

The next step will play after a predetermined amount of time set by the Builder.

Not used often but is impactful when combining it with automation steps. You can tell a user to relax and sit back as WalkMe completes the process for them.

Refresh Trigger

The next step will play after the current page refreshes.

Rarely used but is great for processes that have inconsistent loading speeds, as WalkMe will wait for the page to refresh or load before moving to the following guidance step.

Custom Trigger

The next step will play based on a unique trigger, set by you, within in the Condition Builder.

This is great for unique use cases where the end user must complete specific tasks within a process before moving forward or if there are multiple buttons the user could possibly click to move forward.

Now that you're familiar with the basics of Smart Walk-Thrus and their use cases, let's step it up a notch.

Exercise: Create a Smart Walk-Thru

Below is a software simulation that will guide you through how to create a Smart Walk-Thru skeleton for this scenario. The simulation will replicate what you will experience when you build in your own Editor.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Best Practices for Smart Walk-Thrus

Create a Skeleton First

The figures shows how to create a skeleton first for Smart Walk-Thrus.

The image shows a flowchart showing the recommendation to create Walk-Thrus that reflect optimal user actions, while advising against accounting for users who deviate, as it complicates user flow and adds no significant value.

When we start to build a Smart Walk-Thru, we recommend that we create a Smart Walk-Thru skeleton first. A skeleton is the most direct, straightforward path of the process.

A skeleton does not yet account for deviations or alternative scenarios just yet, as we can add these in later. Having a clear skeleton will help us visualize the end-to-end process, as well as set us up for success to add additional scenarios onto it.

Don't Reiterate Instructions

The figure shows that there is no need to reiterate instructions.

The image shows a graphic illustrating that if instructions already appear on-screen, there is no need to include them in a speech balloon.

Forms are often self-explanatory and don't require an individual balloon for each field. Instead, consider building with a single balloon on the Save or Submit button that says:

"Fill out required fields and click Submit."

Not enough? Provide additional information or validate field entries with SmartTips.

Great job! Now that we've successfully created our Smart Walk-Thru skeleton, let's enhance it using Start Points.

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