How many times should your users try the product for free?
I like trial-based software. Users start an X-day free trial and once the trial expires, they’ll have to pay to use the service. It’s simple and straightforward.
Most free trials are associated with an email address and/or a credit card. This way, developers keep at bay the window shoppers who try to game the system. Hence by design, almost all trial-based services let users try their product only once. But, this has a problem if your product is going through an active development cycle.
By design, almost all trial-based services let users try their product only once.
If a user stops using your product because of a missing feature you end up adding three months later, what are the chances that she will come back and pay? Let just say, as a result of your marketing campaign, this user got to know that you’ve added the missing feature.
As a developer, do you want her to come back and pay instantly for a product she used a couple of months ago? Or let her retake the trial and decide without any pressure?
So, here comes the important question -
How many times should you let your users try the product for free?Definitely more than once.
Here are a few options:
1. Reset the trial after every major update.
For example, at Newton we decided to reset the 14-day trial for all our users with the Windows app launch. Some users came back and tried the service again.
2. Reset the trial after every 6 months or one year.
It shows your product is constantly evolving and most importantly, you believe in it. No pressure tactics; just giving your users the platform and space they need to make a decision.
We at Newton decided to reset the trial for all the users every six months.
It’s always the small things that matter. Treat your customers well, and they’ll reward you.
Now, how many times will you let your users try the product for free?
