If you work for a software company that delivers product on a SaaS platform, it’s likely that free trials, and the rate at which those trials convert to customers, are one of the primary drivers for your company’s revenue stream. Finding ways to increase that conversion rate by even a percentage point or two is perhaps the simplest way to make a significant impact on new customer acquisition.
It’s been my observation that the tactics, messages, offers and overall strategies that most SaaS companies employ to convert free trial customers is haphazard at best, downright random at worst. The rapid adoption of marketing automation and lead management technologies has at least automated the follow-up process, but if the underlying strategy is suspect, all these tools do is automate failure.
Typically, the missing ingredient is the application of a few basic direct marketing principles. Find out more in our new white paper: “Closing the Deal: 7 Tips for Increasing More Free Trials to Paying Customers.” Inside you’ll read:
* the #1 mistake software companies make when setting up free trial programs …
* the single message that should be part of every follow-up e-mail …
* how to break down the barrier that prevents most trial users from buying your product …
To download your free copy, visit our Website. Comments welcome.
I can personally vouch for the effectiveness of continuing to ask for the sale even after a customer has opted out. I recently downloaded a trial of a CRM package, and was about to abandon it because it was to complex. The “opt-out” page included a list of video tutorials walking customers through common problems, which gave me enough help to try the software one more time — and keep it. Lesson: Offer answers to common problems or questions when a customer opts to end a trial.