Companies and businesses use free trials all the time to improve their sales and draw in new customers. They’re an amazing tool for a business, including your WaaS (website-as-a-service) business. They can create a lot of benefits, but at the same time, they can also be an epic failure. Make sure to avoid these 5 mistakes when it comes to launching a free trial for your WaaS.

1. Free Trials Are Not Fit For Everyone – First and foremost, you have to figure out whether a free trial is going to offer any benefits to you. What works great for one company or business, doesn’t mean it is going to work great for you. Take a survey of your current customers and target demographic to see if it is something that is even going to interest them. You may be surprised. 

2. Guide “Trialers” Through The Free Trial – If a prospective customer is left to their own devices to wander aimlessly through the trial, there is a good chance that they’re not going to realize the value in what it is that your company has to offer. You should take the time to guide them through the trial, so they’re able to see the worth in your company. This can be done in a number of ways including emails, phone calls, video tours, and sign-in posts.

3. Just Because They Signed Up For The Free Trial Doesn’t Mean They’re Going To Automatically Become A Customer – The free trial is just an introduction to what it is that you have to offer for prospective customers, it is not the end of the sales process. The free trial is just the beginning. You will still need to work towards gaining the customer’s trust, helping them to allocate their budget for your product, and sealing the deal and making the final sale.

4. Lost “Trialers” Are Not Lost Forever – Just because the person signed up for the free trials and did not continue to do business with you, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever. There are a lot of things that can go on in the lives of your prospective customers and then the free trial ends. Communication is key to bringing them back into the fold. The reason behind them signing up for the trial in the first place is going to resurface, and when it does you will be in a position to be there to help them deal with it. Communication is key to bring these lost “trialers” back.

5. Free Trials Are Not Actually Free – Both you and the “trialers” are paying something for the trial. In your case, you are paying to build, host, and launch that trial. When it comes to prospective customers, they’re spending their time to learn about your company and the products that you have to offer. There is always a cost involved with a trial, whether it is money or time.