What can you convert on-demand software users into total subscriptions?
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a software licensing model. It provides software as a subscription via a central host using external servers so that service users can use the facility with ease.
SaaS enables every user to access a company offered programs by using access through the internet instead of installing the actual software on a computer.
Klood reports that a good SaaS conversion rate would ordinarily be between 3-5% and states that an excellent conversion rate would be anywhere upwards of 8%.
Of course, SaaS conversions are variable across businesses. While conversion of a small subscription may have a successful high conversion rate related to multiple usabilities, another may have a satisfactory conversion rate if the product is more a niche.
So how can you ensure you get a better rate of conversion from SaaS into downloadable service users? Let’s have a look.
Post Value-Driven Content
When people use on-demand internet services, they are likely to see content from the source.
If this distributed content highlights the advantages and benefits of the downloadable service instead of the on-demand version.
Value-driven content is superb for adding useable value to the service you provide, so the people who use your service are likely to see that information which builds trust because you give valuable information away for free.
The conversion from on-demand service to full download is likely to increase when your free content is value-driven, it builds trust with a warm audience (people who already use a variation of your service), and in turn, there is a higher chance of an audience converting to the hard software.
Reduce The Free Trial Period
While an audience will usually start using the on-demand version of your service via a free trial, it is possible to convert to the full downloadable service by shortening the free trial period.
The SaaS industry-standard free trial period is 30 days, and by that time, a person will have decided whether they want to continue using the service via a download.
If the trial period is shortened, however, to maybe 14 or 21 days, the people who find the on-demand service helpful are likely to convert quicker if the trial period is shortened.
Shortening the trial period can also likely give people less time to search for competitor alternatives as they know there is only a limited time for potential decision making.
Use Existing User Testimonials
When you display existing user testimonials, it is a great way to strengthen your brand and display an element of trust.
Testimonials from users who have already converted from on-demand to a full download of software are particularly useful if the account shows why they converted.
You are also able to target your desired user group by showing the specific testimonials that match your targetted user groups, so that element can be incredibly beneficial to lead to more conversions.
Provide Top-Quality Customer Service
Regardless of the area of business, it’s always pertinent to make sure that the customer service that is provided is always of the highest quality.
A business can soar or fail on the basis of how the customer services are handled.
When customers have issues regarding a service they chose to use, it shows:
- They are using the service
- They have a problem they would like to be resolved, which shows that they are active users
- They are utilising the service you provide on-demand; therefore, they may be more open to converting their services.
Having really professional and accessible customer service provisions is especially important when it is directed to the on-demand service users. Suppose you demonstrate exceptional customer support to everyone. In that case, there is a higher chance of those people using the cloud services converting to the fully downloadable versions, just based on fantastic customer relations.
Use Targeted Emails
A free trial would have enabled you to receive a certain amount of data about your free-trial customer, and using a service such as Traffic Truffle will allow you to see if those customers have indeed viewed your website.
If the customers who use the free trial are contacted via email both within the free trial period and after the trial period has expired with relevant information, there is a higher probability of them converting.
Even more importantly, if those service users of the free trial have also viewed the website, it is incredibly important that these customers are also emailed to improve the chances of a potential conversion.
Conclusion
SaaS services are a fantastic way to produce warm leads for downloadable services.
Allowing people to sign up for a free trial to use is an excellent way of introducing the services to a broader audience and capturing service user information with a view to converting them into full users of the downloadable software.
When looking to try and convert SaaS users from on-demand variations to downloadable software, there are ways you can use the collected user data effectively to influence a conversion, such as:
- Giving great customer services
- Using targeted email to capture current and recent SaaS users for conversion
- Displaying existing full-user testimonials to show the actual experience of the downloadable version
- Providing value-driven content directed at the full software to influence conversion
- Reducing any trial periods offered to allow people to exchange the SaaS version for downloading the full software
SaaS customers are those people who will appreciate some extra information when they opt to use an internet-based service, as something has brought them to your service, and they will be the people that may convert to the full downloadable service.
Implementing a few simple elements to look after them creates a higher chance of increasing the conversion.
