Free trials are dying in SaaS B2B businesses

Expectations are evolving for SaaS products and so should you

Dear, intrepid SaaS marketers, and growth hackers! Today, we're diving deep into the world of conversion optimization.

Forget everything you thought you knew about CTAs, because there's a new king in town: the "Try It <Yourself>" button.

If you have a B2B SaaS product that has at least 5 steps to get to the actual end value showcased to your prospect, this is something you might want to consider.

I surveyed customers and growth folks in the B2B space to come up with this post and therefore it has taken some time to put this together.

I ran a comprehensive study across 12 SaaS companies, analyzing their homepage CTAs and conversion rates over 6 months. Here's what we did:

1. Categorized CTAs into 8 types (from "Try it yourself" to "Start a free trial")

2. Tracked conversion rates for each CTA type

3. Surveyed 132 SaaS users about their preferences and behaviors

We'll look at real-world examples, break down the psychology behind its success, and provide actionable tips to implement this.

The Problem with Traditional CTAs:

For years, the SaaS industry has relied on a familiar set of calls to action:

- "Book a Demo"

- "Start Your Free Trial"

- "Sign Up Now"

But let's be honest – these CTAs are asking a lot from potential users. They're essentially saying, "Hey, stranger! Why don't you give us your contact info, block out time in your calendar, or start integrating our product into your workflow before you even know if it's worth your time?"

It's no wonder conversion rates for these traditional CTAs often leave marketers scratching their heads.

The CTA Hierarchy:

Based on their effectiveness in getting users to that crucial "Aha!" moment, here's how different CTAs stack up:

Enter the Hero: "Try It Yourself"

What if instead of asking users to jump through hoops, we simply invited them to experience the product immediately?

That's the magic of the "Try It Yourself" approach. You want to leave the prospect with the feeling that your B2B product is usable and not hard to use.

This CTA typically leads to a frictionless playground or sandbox environment where users can interact with a dummy product version without any barriers. No sign-ups, no credit cards, no commitments – just pure, hands-on experience.

Why It Works:

1. Immediate Value Delivery: Users get to experience your product's benefits firsthand, right away.

2. Zero Friction: By removing all barriers to entry, you're making it irresistibly easy for users to engage.

3. Ownership Bias: When users interact with your product, they begin to feel a sense of ownership, making them more likely to convert.

Real-World Examples:

Let's look at some companies that are nailing the "Try It Yourself" approach:

✅ Example 1: Check this product tour from Mixmax for a Sales team who cares about multichannel outreach - <outreach sequence product tour>

✅ Example 2. mmm.page: This website-building SaaS takes an incredibly bold approach. Their homepage features an "EDIT" button in the bottom right corner that allows visitors to instantly start editing the very page they're looking at. It's a brilliant way to showcase the product's capabilities while providing an immediate, frictionless experience.

✅ Example 3. SleepTales: This AI bedtime story for kids picked a humorous story to showcase their product. I know. I know. This is an easy product to try yourself.

The Value-Oriented Trap:

It's worth noting a common pitfall in CTA design. Many marketers try to improve conversions by using value-oriented language in their CTAs. For example:

- "Take a tour" becomes "Get a guided tour of our CRM"

- "Watch a demo" becomes "Watch a 2-minute video of CRM magic"

- "Book a demo" becomes "Talk with our growth experts"

While these might seem more compelling, they're still fundamentally asking users to commit before experiencing value. They're the same friction-heavy CTAs, just with fancier names.

The key is not just to change the button text, but to fundamentally alter what happens when a user clicks that button. The goal should be to provide an immediate, valuable experience.

Implementation Tips:

Ready to revolutionize your own CTAs? Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Build a Playground: Create a sandbox version of your product with dummy data that users can freely explore.

2. Remove All Friction: Ensure there are no sign-up forms, credit card requirements, or other barriers between the user and the experience.

3. Showcase Core Value: Design your playground to highlight your product's key features and unique value proposition.

4. Provide Subtle Guidance: Consider adding tooltips or a light onboarding flow to help users discover key features.

5. Complement, Don't Replace: Keep your revenue-oriented CTAs (like "Book a Demo"), but add "Try It Yourself" as an alternative option.

The Psychology Behind "Try It Yourself":

The effectiveness of this approach taps into several psychological principles:

Immediacy Effect: People value immediate rewards more highly than future ones.

Endowment Effect: Once people have something, they're reluctant to give it up.

Interactive Learning: Most people learn better by doing rather than by watching or reading.

Reduced Risk Perception: Trying something for free feels less risky than committing to a demo or trial.

Conclusion:

The "Try It Yourself" approach represents a tough paradigm shift in SaaS marketing. The old-school SaaS folks will have a hard time here and would argue that you don’t capture email addresses. I am not against that but just ensure there is appropriate value messaging at the right time before you employ a simple login/email capture tactic.

While it may require some upfront investment to create an effective product playground, the potential returns in terms of increased engagement and conversions make it a strategy worth considering for any SaaS company.

Remember, the goal is to get users to their "Aha!" moment as quickly and smoothly as possible.