Knowledge center

Here is a TLDR; version of the article:

-  Credit cards for signup

o  To have a large top of the funnel do not ask for credit card during signup.

o  With credit card for signup your conversion ratio will be higher but funnel size much smaller.

-  Build engagement

o  Techniques

• Keep the sign-up process simple
• Do not ask for more information than needed.
• Getting them to actually use the product
• Follow-up, ask if they need help

o  Tools

• Measure – Kissmetrics, Mixpanel
• In-app tours / engagement – Tourmyapp.com
• Email engagement – intercom.io

 

 

Ever wondered which type of trial conversion has a better conversions rate?  

According to a study conducted in 2012; when they took a look at the trial conversions, they came across varying conversion rates between the ones that required credit card, the ones that did not require credit card during signup and the best in class SaaS leaders.  This led them to categorize them accordingly.

There are three aspects that best in class SaaS companies did differently.

• They have a large top of the funnel with awesome content, inbound marketing and do not ask for credit card
  
• They focus on the most active evaluators first – they are more inclined to buy and nurture other trial users to success
  
• They take a pro-active approach to customer retention – listen to the early warning signs and reach out to the at-risk customers to offer help.

Source:http://www.totango.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2012-SaaS-Conversions-Benchmark2.pdf

 

 

SaaS Customer Onboarding: 3 Steps to a Successful Welcome Email 

1. The email must be part of a well-defined process
   
2. There should be a single, clear Call To Action or CTA
   
3. Link Directly Into Your App
   

 

 

A Straight-Forward Guide to Optimizing Your Funnels for Maximum Conversions 

• Create Google analytics funnels - The data you will collect will reveal where your users are abandoning the conversion funnel
  
• Analyze your landing pages – cut out/limit distractions
  
• Analyze your sign-up forms – Keep it simple and easy, use the right words
  
• Trust your elements – build trust through your landing pages as well as throughout your online conversion funnel
  
• Test your email conversions
  
• Combine usability and A/B test results
  
• Run a mom test – it should be usable to a non tech savvy user
  
• Run an online 5 second test
  
• Take it to the next level by tracking individual users
  

 

 

Here is a fantastic list of things tried out by different startups that had maximum impact.

The question they were asked was -"What is the one thing that you did that had the strongest positive impact on conversions?" See what they had to say.

Identifying what works for you and what doesn’t with the help of the Google analytics funnel could be a great way to increase trial conversions. See where you are losing your customers analyze where you are going wrong and corrective measures become easy after that.

Here are top 5 ideas you should try implementing:

1. Simplify signup & make it transparent – if you signup just needs email id, make people enter email directly on website to signup than having to click on a link to another form & signup.
   
2. Have a landing page that is relevant to your ad, to increase CTR
   
3. Email signup to social signup – measure it.
   
4. Installing and manning Chat app.
   
5. Preview of product on different pages (if that is impressive, of course!).
   

 

 

The Ten Commandments of an Awesome Lead-Generating Website 

1. Include a contact number: Increases consumer trust and leads credibility to your offer, the presence of a phone number does bring them some comfort
   
2. Post forms on every page: Increase the number of viable leads through your website, it also helps when the customers don’t have to give out personal information in the first step
   
3. Add photos and testimonials for greater credibility
   
4. Make your videos speak to the user –
   
5. Use trust seals – ones backed up by guarantee to the customer
   
6. Use power words when describing your offer
   
7. Avoid “Cookie-Cutter” site templates
   
8. Consider the end-goal first
   
9. Make good use of whitespace
   
10. The bottom line for Best lead generation: Test, Test, Test

 

 

6 tips for effective on-line demos and videos 

• Get the home page basics right – here clarity become important a clear understanding of – “who we are”, “what is our core business?”, “what are our products or solutions?” Clearly visible in-your-face buttons
  
• Cater to all audiences – tech & non-tech in your demo.
  
• Have a business overview video / have a “how-it-works” Button
  
• Break your demo into 5-7 minutes stories by process or activity
  
• You just have to say enough, you don’t have to say everything in the video
• Don’t do anything you would not do face to face
  
• Speaking too fast
• Overloading screens 
• Excessive product name repetition
• The medium is not the message the content is.
  

 

 

3 tips to improve conversion rates in SAAS.  

1. Simplify your sign-up process:
   
2. Help your users visualize how to use your app with readily available sample data
   
3. Streamline your check out process