If you have a SaaS business, then you know that signups are your bread and butter. This also explains why a lot of businesses like yours offer free trial or demo.
But more than signing up with a free trial, encouraging your users to pay for a regular subscription is crucial to keep your business afloat.
Hence, it is important that you have an idea of which elements you can leverage to can help you generate paid subscriptions. You can even work with a marketing agency for SaaS companies to help you turn your idea into reality.
That said, we have listed down five ways on how you can encourage subscription and increase your SaaS conversion rates.
1. Clear Value Proposition
Your SaaS company’s value proposition defines what your software is all about and what makes it stand out.
Thus, you would want your site visitors to understand your value proposition at a glance. This includes what you offer and how it can help improve their lives.
An example of a clear and memorable value proposition is Pipedrive’s headline.
Instead of saying that they are a “sales CRM and pipeline management software,” they used “The Simpler Way to Sell” as a hero tagline.
For one, it established who their target users are. People who want to sell and need something to help organize their process. In addition, their tagline says their competitive edge ‒ that they are more user-friendly than other sales CRM available in the market.
Takeaway
If you want to convince people to sign up and subscribe to your SaaS services, then present a clear and straight-forward value proposition. Just like what Pipedrive did, they did not use any unnecessary words.
You want something to help organize your sales process? No problem, Pipedrive can help you with that.
As simple as that.
2. Trial or Onboarding Process
Do you wonder why users who signed up to your SaaS product will not answer your sales representative’s call?
One reason is that they do not expect to receive an immediate call. Not to mention that receiving a call from an unregistered number can be anxiety-inducing.
To ease the friction when connecting with a potential user, what you can do is let them know what to expect. Explain your onboarding process to them, just like what POS.com does:
For one, they explain what they can do and how they can help your business. And then they followed it with a 3-step plan that includes you signing up a quote request, their experts analyzing the data and listing down solutions that could fit your business, and you picking out the solution that you deem suitable for you.
Takeaway
Setting your users’ expectations and detailing how your onboarding process works allow them to figure out whether your SaaS product can help their business or not.
In addition, this is can be a great way for you to showcase your knowledge and expertise. Thus, erasing their doubts and hesitation about your company
3. Use Case or Feature Preview
Other than pricing, demos of how your SaaS product is used is an important factor to drive conversions.
That’s because users deem some products and services are less intuitive, and that they do not want to waste their money. After all, they signed up to ease and automate their day-to-day operations.
Thus, it is important for users to know first whether a SaaS product is something that they can use that does not require a huge learning curve.
A great example of a SaaS business that leverages this element is Zoho CRM:
They used an explainer video to let users know the features and capabilities of their CRM, as well as how it can help businesses of different sizes.
Takeaway
You can opt to use a screenshot of your software platform’s page to show how a product is used. Think of the apps that you download from Apple Store or PlayStore.
But if you have the budget, you can opt to have an explainer video. And then test which drives in the most SaaS conversion rate.
4. User Testimonials
According to a survey done by Dimensional Research, 90% of users revealed that reading positive reviews influenced their buying decision. That said, you have to make sure that a good testimonial from a reputable client is displayed on your homepage or product landing page.
Doing so can help convince a potential user to give your SaaS product a go.
A great example of a SaaS company that leverages user testimonial is Shopify:
The testimonial section showcases e-commerce business owners who were able to build their online stores and gain success using the platform. It also quotes the biggest impact that Shopify made to them, as well as a link that leads to a video testimonial.
And this is not just any video of people saying how awesome Shopify is. It is a video of people in action, showing how they run their business and how they use the platform.
Takeaway
You do not have to produce a user testimonial content that is as grand as what Shopify does.
You can simply send a quick email asking your clients about the biggest impact that your SaaS product did with their day-to-day operations. However, consider asking for feedback after a month or two or when the trial period is over.
For the positive ones, ask for their permission if you can publish their feedback on your website. If it is negative, address it in a conciliatory manner and use it as a drive to improve your product.
5. Client Validation
Aside from user testimonial, you can also present the number of people or companies who validates your product. That’s because social proof is stronger in numbers.
Just like what Tagvenue does:
What makes this helpful for Tagvenue? For one, saying that global brands trust their business only shows that they offer world-class and top-quality service. Not to mention that they have many users and you should be one of them.
Takeaway
Social proof does not necessarily mean social media widgets that show very small numbers.
Instead, use brand logos and numbers that can have a positive impact on how your target users can perceive your SaaS business.
The marketing tips mentioned above are just scratching the surface of improving your SaaS conversion rates. Nonetheless, this should be enough to help you get started.
