In a sea of SaaS products, how do you make yours stand out? It's not enough to list your features and benefits and hope potential customers will take the bait. You need to show them what your product can do.
That's where demos come in. A demo is a chance to give your potential customers a taste of your product. It's an experience that words can't fully convey. And it can be the difference between someone signing up or clicking away.
In this blog post, we'll explore the power of SaaS demos and how they can help you convert visitors into customers. We'll look at real-world examples of successful demos, and we'll provide tips on how to create your own. So, whether you're a startup trying to get off the ground or an established company looking to boost your conversions, read on to learn how demos can take your SaaS product to the next level.
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Real-world testing | Users can see exactly how your product will function on their own website, providing a more realistic testing experience. |
| Personalization | By allowing users to test your product on their own website, you can provide a more personalized and relevant experience. |
| Increased conversion rates | Users who can see your product in action on their own website are more likely to see the value in your product and convert to paying customers. |
| Enhanced user experience | By providing a more hands-on testing experience, users can get a better feel for how your product works and how it can benefit them. |
The Power of SaaS Demos
Let's look at the example of UserLike, a live chat software company. They wanted to offer their customers a variety of features and benefits, but they were concerned that too much information would overwhelm potential customers. Instead of inundating them with words, UserLike decided to show visitors everything their product offered by building a Try It Yourself widget and inserting it at the bottom of their homepage.
Using this feature, visitors can paste any URL into the bar, and UserLike will simulate how its software will function on that website. The result? Visitors who used the Try It Yourself bar stayed 40 percent longer on the website and were 24 percent more likely to sign up.
| Practice | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Make it easy to install | Your demo should be easy to install and integrate with users' websites, even for non-technical users. |
| Provide clear instructions | Provide clear instructions on how to install and use your demo, including any limitations or special considerations. |
| Offer a realistic experience | Your demo should provide a realistic experience that accurately reflects how your product will function on users' websites. |
| Highlight key features | Make sure users can easily see and understand your product's key features and benefits. |
How to Create a SaaS Demo
If you're convinced of the power of SaaS demos, you might wonder how to create one for your product. Here are some tips:
- Keep it simple: Don't overwhelm your potential customers with too many features. Focus on the ones that are most important to your target audience.
- Make it interactive: Your demo should be interactive and engaging. Allow users to try different features and see the results in real time.
- Provide guidance: While you want your demo to be interactive, you also want to provide guidance along the way. Ensure users understand what they're doing and how to use your product effectively.
- Collect feedback: Once users have tried out your demo, ask for their feedback. What did they like? What didn't they like? Use this feedback to improve your product and your demo.
Examples of Successful SaaS Demos
There's no one-size-fits-all approach in SaaS demos. However, one feature that has proven to be effective is the "Try It Yourself" functionality. This feature allows potential customers to try out your product on their own website, giving them a taste of what it would be like to use your product in the real world. Here are some examples of successful SaaS demos with "Try It Yourself" functionality:
1. Crazy Egg
Crazy Egg is a heat mapping and user behavior tracking tool. Their demo allows potential customers to see exactly how their product would work on their own website. By entering their website URL, users can see a live heat map of their site, showing where visitors click, how far they're scrolling, and more. This interactive demo clearly shows how Crazy Egg can help optimize a website for better conversions.
2. SEMrush
SEMrush is a popular SEO tool that offers a variety of features, including keyword research, site auditing, and backlink analysis. Their demo allows users to enter their website URL and get a comprehensive SEO audit, showing issues that need fixing and improvement opportunities. By allowing users to try out their product on their own website, SEMrush shows the value of their product in a real-world setting.
3. Wistia
Wistia is a video hosting and analytics platform. Their demo allows potential customers to embed a Wistia video on their own website and see the analytics in real-time. By seeing how their videos perform on their own site, users can get a sense of how Wistia can help them track and optimize their video content.
4. Freshworks
Freshworks offers a variety of customer engagement tools, including live chat, helpdesk software, and CRM. Their demo allows potential customers to try out their products on their website. By entering their website URL, users can see how Freshworks' products would integrate with their existing website and how they could improve customer engagement.
In the crowded world of SaaS products, a demo can be the difference between someone signing up or clicking away. By giving your potential customers a chance to try out your product, you're offering them an experience that words can't fully convey. Keep it simple, make it interactive, provide guidance, and collect feedback.