11 Ways to Convince a Prospective Customer to Try out Your Service
The amount of freebies on the Internet got quite overwhelming.
Before a purchase is made, and a customer entrusts our service with their hard-earned money, they have the option to try out the product. It has become a standard nowadays.
But the product itself is not the only important element here. The way you offer something to people is also a valued part of a business strategy. In this post you’ll read about 11 means that can help you encourage prospective clients to take your service for a spin.
One of Many Businesses
Remember: even if you are giving your service away for free, you can’t expect a crowd of clients at your payment gateway straight away. Things are not that rosy.
Practically every online entrepreneur has something to give. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. It’s convenient. We have come a long way to achieve the state where everything is right at your fingertips. Yet, all this opulence makes it, paradoxically, hard for a client to find your company – a business service match they are looking for. There are just too many special offers, trials, giveaways, promo codes…
The client’s entire lifespan wouldn’t be enough to check all those options out!
Be Transparent Equals Be Visible
As we have already determined: a big crowd of entrepreneurs surrounds you. They announce numerous specials night and day. This density, among other reasons, makes the online world tough to navigate. Your potential clients take as many shortcuts as possible, simply to stay sane.
How to stir their interest to the point where they will want to try out your SaaS service or any other product you have prepared?
The shortest answer would be: help them avoid the sensory overload of the jungle.
Rather take them on a well-guided tour.
- Present what your service can do. Showcase both visual and functional features. You can use text, graphics, video form. It’s fully up to your choice, though you need to make sure the form of presentation allows every site visitor to quickly figure out how things work.
- Give answers to all whys. In other words: speak the language of benefits. What is the need that your service fulfills? What are the short and long term profits? How much of a value this particular offer can bring into your clients’ lives?
- Tell exactly how much it is. Present in a transparent form what the payment options are. How much money does it take to use your service in total? Make sure there are no possible misunderstandings, hidden costs, or any gimmicks.
- Inform: what others say about your offer? Show testimonials from your clients and opinions from around the web. (Many companies display Twitter replies and tagged discussions on their homepages, to convey to the visitors the real-time perception of the service. This method is especially useful if you launch a campaign.)
- Use a case study. What are people doing with your service? Use a particular case or a way of using your product as an example. Again, you can get creative, and besides the plain text use also graphic, video, or add some interactive features.
- Simplify the registration process. Nobody wants to go through 20 fields of form to get to the part where you explain what is included in your offer. Make things plain and simple, allow logging in via Facebook and Twitter etc.
- Display your terms of use and privacy policy. In fact – show them off! Don’t be afraid to present them, make them easy to find from wherever on your website your prospect customer might be. It really pays off to put your cards on the table from the very beginning.
- Notify about your return policy and account deactivation options. Do you offer refunds? Is there an agreement to sign? What is the amount of time the client has to agree to use the service and to pay for it? Is there any way to resign at a moment preferred by the customer, even if they signed a contract? These are important matters your customer takes into consideration before signing up.
- Share knowledge. Educate your audience. Show your competence. (here’s how we do it) The clients flock to entrepreneurs with authority in their field. Write informational texts on your blog, articles for your support site, create FAQ pages and interactive lessons, record video tutorials, have a go at podcasting. The possibilities are almost limitless. Choose those, which will work for you.
- Organize webinars. (Again: educate.) Make it possible for anyone to learn about what you have in your store. During these events always engage with your webinar audience. Offer your trial options to them. Encourage them to provide you with their emails. Search for their opinions in an active way. Stay in contact. Summing up, in one sentence: build your community.
- Explain your characteristics and strong points. Do not try 1 on 1 comparison approach when it comes to your competitors. Instead, find those functionalities and capabilities, that make you stand out from the background. Point out exactly why your offer is more beneficial than the alternatives available on the market.
Make It Convenient for Everybody
The tips I shared with you today will help you simplify your offer and make it more appealing to all your first-time visitors. Mind you, among your potential clients there are various personalities. I have taken this into account while preparing the list.
There are those who research a lot and compare services to find out what’s best for them. A brief, straight to the point introduction will help you earn their trust, as they will want to fact-check you before they sign up. The easier you make it for them, the better.
The second type are clients who want to avoid the unnecessary load of data. They will be delighted if you save them from the information overdose, quickly show them around and convince to use your product. You’ll have their trust for starters, and your duty will be to maintain it.
Both of the opposites are in visible need of clarity, so keep it as transparent as possible.
That will grab you some attention.
You should also read: 6 Things You Won’t Hear from an Online Entrepreneur
