Trial Periods: Ideal Length Guide

Want to nail your SaaS trial period? Here's what you need to know:

• Most trials last 7-30 days
• Match trial length to your product's complexity and time-to-value
• Track user progress and engagement during trials
• Optimize onboarding to boost conversions

Quick comparison of trial lengths:

Key takeaways:

1. Shorter trials (7-14 days) can cut costs and motivate users
2. Longer trials give time to explore complex products
3. Track metrics like activation rate and "aha moments"
4. Personalize the trial experience
5. Use smart emails to guide users
6. Test different trial lengths to find what works best

Related video from YouTube

How to Pick the Right Trial Length

Picking the perfect trial length for your SaaS product isn't easy. It's all about balance: giving users enough time to see value, while keeping them motivated to act. Let's look at what matters most when deciding.

Time to See Results

The time it takes for users to get value from your product is key. This "time to value" can be very different depending on what you're offering.

Think about it:

• A simple mobile game? Users might "get it" in minutes.
• Complex B2B software? It could take weeks for the lightbulb to go off.

Wes Bush, a SaaS expert, puts it this way: "Your time-to-value should heavily influence your trial length." In other words, match your trial to how long it takes users to have their "Aha!" moment.

Product Learning Curve

How complex is your product? The answer affects your ideal trial length. Trickier products often need longer trials so users can figure things out and explore all the features.

Let's compare:

• Sleeknote (a pop-up builder) offers a 7-day trial. Why? Users can set up and see results fast.
• Dropbox gives 30 days. It takes time for users to really get how Dropbox fits into their work life.

Tim Koroteev from Inspire Planner shares: "We chose a 30-day free trial... The more time they spend using Inspire Planner, the more they stick to our product by seeing the tremendous value and efficiency gains."

Market and User Needs

What's normal in your industry? What do your users expect? These questions matter too. B2B SaaS often needs longer trials because whole teams need to test and approve the product.

Here's a quick look at common trial lengths:

Aazar Shad from Userpilot adds: "If a user gets the aha and value realization fast, then I wouldn't wait for more than 7 days." It's all about matching your trial to your specific product and users.

The goal? Give just enough time for users to see value, without dragging things out. As Anita Toth, a churn expert, says: "The biggest determining factor to the length of your 'perfect' trial should be answering the question, 'How long does it take for trial customers to find the value proposition of the product?'"

Trial Lengths: What Works Best

Picking the right trial length can make a huge difference for your SaaS product. Let's look at the most common options and see how they stack up.

7-Day Trials

7-day trials are short and snappy. They create a sense of urgency and work well for products that show value quickly.

Good stuff:

• Cheaper to get new customers
• Users jump in fast
• Great for simple products

Not-so-good stuff:

• Might be too short for complex products
• Can lead to fewer conversions for some products

Sleeknote, a pop-up builder, uses a 7-day trial. Why? Because users can set up and see results fast. They use smart messaging to get users hooked quickly.

"If a user gets the aha and value realization fast, then I wouldn't wait for more than 7 days." - Aazar Shad, Userpilot

14-Day Trials

Two-week trials hit a sweet spot for many B2B SaaS products. They give users enough time to explore without losing momentum.

Good stuff:

• Balances exploration and decision-making
• Works for moderately complex products
• Fits well with many B2B sales cycles

Not-so-good stuff:

• Might still be too short for some complex products
• Can feel rushed for busy professionals

Adam Harrison-Henshall from Process Street says: "We ended up settling on a two-week trial of access to premium features, followed by a downgrade into a limited freemium service."

30-Day Trials

For complex products or those that need more time to show their value, a 30-day trial can be the way to go.

Good stuff:

• Lets users really dig into the product
• Perfect for complex B2B solutions
• Gives time for whole teams to test and approve

Not-so-good stuff:

• More expensive to get new customers
• Users might forget about the product

Dropbox and Salesforce both offer 30-day trials. This gives users plenty of time to work the product into their daily routine.

Tim Koroteev from Inspire Planner explains: "With Inspire Planner, a Salesforce project management app, we chose a longer 30-day free trial. Even though our software is intuitive, our potential customers typically need more time."

How Trial Length Affects Results

The length of your trial can really impact how many users convert to paying customers. Check out these examples:

• KashFlow saw 25% more trial users become paying customers when they switched from a 60-day trial to just two weeks.
• Basecamp found that a 30-day trial led to 30% more conversions compared to a 60-day trial.
• Slack figured out that their 30-day trial resulted in more conversions than shorter trials, which meant a big boost in revenue.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer here. The key is to match your trial length with how complex your product is, how your users behave, and your business model. Try out different lengths and use data to figure out what works best for you.

"The biggest determining factor to the length of your 'perfect' trial should be answering the question, 'How long does it take for trial customers to find the value proposition of the product?'" - Anita Toth, Chief Churn Crusher, AnitaToth.ca

How to Run Effective Trials

Want to turn trial users into paying customers? Here's how to make your trials work harder for you.

Track User Progress

Keeping tabs on how people use your product during trials is a game-changer. Here's the lowdown:

Key metrics matter: Look at activation rates, engagement, and which features people actually use. Help Scout found that the number of customer conversations and adding an extra user were big hints that a trial user would convert.

Slice and dice your users: Group your trial users by team size or other factors that make sense for your product. This lets you tailor the experience and spot what drives different groups to convert. Help Scout did this and found that different things mattered for teams of different sizes.

Watch for "aha moments": That's when users really get why your product is awesome. But heads up - Mixpanel says only 17% of SaaS users hit this point in the first week. If you're offering a 7-day trial, most folks might not see your product's full potential.

Use smart tools: Analytics can give you the inside scoop. Kommunicate, a chatbot company, used Userpilot to revamp their onboarding. The result? 15% more new signups used their chatbot integration in just 7 months.

"Analytics pays back many times over by driving growth, retention, and efficiency." - Aaron Levie, Co-Founder of Box

Trial Extension Tips

Sometimes users need a bit more time to fall in love with your product. Here's how to handle that:

Be smart about extensions: Think about giving an extra 15 days to users who ask for more time. It can make them feel special and often leads to more conversions.

Make it personal: Use the extra time to show users stuff they haven't tried yet. Maybe offer a one-on-one demo of a cool feature.

Have a plan for cancellations: Set up a specific process for trial users who want to bail. It's your chance to address their concerns and maybe win them back.

Ask why: When users think about cancelling, find out why. Use that info to make your product and trial better.

Keep an eye on things: Watch how users behave during the extended trial. It helps you spot who's really interested versus who's just enjoying the free ride.

Don't go overboard: One extension? Sure. Multiple extensions? Not so much. Users should be able to decide after the initial trial plus one extension.

Check If Your Trials Work

Let's look at how to measure your trial periods' success. This will help you boost your SaaS product's growth and revenue.

Sales and Revenue Results

The simplest way to check trial success? Look at your conversion numbers and revenue data.

Calculate Your Trial Conversion Rate

Here's the formula:

Trial Conversion Rate = (Trial-to-paid users / Total trial users) x 100%

For example: 500 trial users, 90 become paying customers. (90 / 500) x 100% = 18%

How Do You Compare?

Here are some industry averages:

Falling short? Time to dig deeper and make changes.

Look at Revenue Impact

Don't just count conversions. Calculate average revenue per trial user and compare it to acquisition costs. This shows your trial's true ROI.

"Higher SaaS trial-to-paid conversion rate means faster growth and lower customer acquisition cost." - Jared DeLuca, Appcues

Boost Your Trials

If your trials aren't hitting the mark, try these:

1. Make Onboarding Smooth Show key features and benefits clearly. Kommunicate, a chatbot company, improved their onboarding and saw a 15% jump in new signups using their chatbot in just 7 months.
2. Watch the Right Numbers Don't fixate on revenue. Look at:
   • Activation Rate: Users completing key actions during the trial. Industry average 7-day rate: 6.8%.
   • Beginner Milestone Completion: How many finish first value-giving tasks?
   • First Month Churn: How many new customers leave after first payment?
3. Use Smart Emails Guide users through the trial. Show value. Remind them about trial status. Use countdown timers to create urgency.
4. Play with Trial Length The right length depends on your product. Some success stories:
   • KashFlow: 25% more conversions by switching from 60 to 14 days.
   • Basecamp: 30% more conversions with 30 days vs. 60 days.

Listen and Act Use surveys, chat, or in-app questions to learn why users leave.

"Capture why users exit. It's frustrating to lose a customer, but it helps you avoid mistakes with new ones." - Bharadwaj Giridhar, Inbox Pirates

Next Steps

You've learned about optimizing trial periods. Now it's time to act. Here's how to boost your SaaS product's trial effectiveness:

Calculate Your Current Metrics

First, know where you stand. Use this formula:

Trial Conversion Rate = (Trial-to-paid users / Total trial users) x 100%

Compare your rate to these industry averages:

Find Your "Aha!" Moment

When do users really get your product's value? Mixpanel found only 17% of SaaS users hit this point in week one. Got a 7-day trial? Maybe it's too short.

Make Onboarding Smooth

Streamline how users start. Kommunicate, a chatbot company, boosted new signups by 15% in 7 months just by improving their onboarding.

Play with Trial Length

Test different durations. KashFlow saw 25% more conversions by switching from 60 to 14 days. Basecamp got 30% more with 30 days instead of 60.

Personalize the Experience

Use a quick signup quiz to tailor onboarding and communication to each user's needs.

Talk to Your Users

Guide users through the trial with smart emails. Use countdown timers to create urgency and show off key features they might've missed.

Try a Reverse Trial

Let users experience everything before downgrading to free. Zoho's Bigin does this well with a 15-day trial of paid versions.

Listen and Improve

Ask why users leave. As Bharadwaj Giridhar from Inbox Pirates says:

"Capture why users exit. It's frustrating to lose a customer, but it helps you avoid mistakes with new ones."

Tweak Your Pricing Page

Highrise changed their CTA from "Sign up for free trial" to "See plans and pricing" and got 200% more signups. Be upfront about pricing to build trust.

Watch Your Numbers

Keep an eye on activation rate, beginner milestone completion, and first-month churn. These tell you more about your trial's success than just conversion rates.

FAQs

How long are free trials usually?

SaaS companies typically offer free trials between 7 and 30 days. This timeframe lets users test the product without dragging on too long.

Here's a quick breakdown:

• 7-14 days: For simple products that show value fast. Sleeknote uses a 7-day trial for their pop-up builder.
• 30 days: Common for complex tools, especially in B2B. Dropbox and Salesforce use 30-day trials.

Surprisingly, trial length doesn't always affect conversion rates much. A Redpoint Ventures report on 600 SaaS companies found similar conversion rates for both long and short trials.

"If it takes weeks for customers to find the value proposition of the product, then a 30-day trial makes the most sense." - Anita Toth, Chief Churn Crusher at AnitaToth.ca

Match your trial length to how quickly users see value in your product. KashFlow, for example, saw a 25% jump in conversions to paying customers when they switched from a 60-day to a 14-day trial.

So, what's the bottom line? Pick a trial length that gives users enough time to get hooked on your product, but not so long that they forget about it.

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