Photo courtesy of intercom.io
“40-60% of users who sign up for a free trial of your software or SaaS application will use it once and never come back.”
So… You got another free trial sign up for your app?
Well done. But hold off on your celebration dance for now…
Because most likely, your newest user will log in, kick the tires and disappear for good.
Think about this for a moment…
1 out of 2 users who sign up for your free trial won’t even try it twice!
(Say goodbye to money you paid to acquire those leads.)
So before you can worry about converting your free-trial users to subscribers, you must focus on your activation rate.
So how can you boost your activation rates? With email. In fact, BugHerd increased their activation rates by 35% using email.
4 ways to boost your SaaS activation rate with email
-
Send a semi-personal welcome email.
Want an easy way to engage new sign ups? Add a text-only email that’s triggered 15 minutes after sign up. You want the email to look personal, so use text only and use the founder’s send email address.
This message should do 3 things: Welcome them to your app, give a few tips and ask if they have any questions. Not only will this give new users extra support (as long as you respond back of course) this email will give your team insight on ways to improve your software.
Bonus: Call every new user who signs up to welcome them and ask how you can help.
-
Use support emails to drive sales
Fact: Support is an extension of your sales process. You can improve activation rates by answering any and all of your customers questions quickly. If you’re support isn’t top-shelf, test what happens to your activation rates if you extend your support hours.
Your free-trial users aren’t sold yet. And a major selling point is knowing that you’re there to help. (This is why Close.io answers support requests at 4am.)
-
Send emails when people get stuck in your funnel
Map out your ideal customer flow. Then use your analytics to find exactly where people are dropping off. (Hint: Try cutting down the number of steps users have to take.)
When you see people getting stuck, send them emails to encourage them to take the next step. This is why you need a triggered email campaign. (Sorry autoresponder.) -
Send emails that help people see the value in your software
“Counterintuitively, a product-focused message was not the best performing post-signup email.” – Close.io
Don’t be annoying with your onboarding emails. No one wants 3 follow-up emails that asks them to “complete your profile” for some app they just signed up for. Instead, focus on highlighting how your app can improve your customers lives. Then show them how to do it.
In talking to our users: they simply don’t care about “getting more out of their Groove account.”They care about real things.
- Happier customers.
- More efficient workflows for their team.
- That’s what those emails had to deliver. And so that’s what we set out to do.
Takeaway: There could be a huge gap between what you’re telling your customers, and what they want — or need — to hear. The only way to find out the truth is surprisingly simple: ask. – GrooveHQ
Now use those 4 tips to improve your activation rate. And if you need more inspiration, check out these great posts:
How to use emails to improve activation
5 Conversion Optimization Experts Weigh In On An Email Remarketing Campaign
SaaS Customer Onboarding: 3 Steps to a Successful Welcome Email