How did a free Trial affect your business?

[CyberAlchemist]

Hello everyone,

This is a question for you who offering a free-trial for your products. Did it affect your business or, if yes, how was the before and after conversions? Did it benefit you?

Please share your thoughts.

 

[Ron Killian]

I personally will probably never use free trials. I only use low cost trials, like $1. I want to know they can and are willing to spend money, even it's only a buck. Believe they tend to be a little more serious?

Guess the exception is pay pal free trials with recurring. Though still, does that person even have any money in their account.

Would be a good thing to test though.

Hopefully others will share some experience.

 

[Developer]

I have several products which were not doing so hot when I first launched them. I feel
I described them very well, even had videos put together to demonstrate the functions
and benefits, but, no one bought. On many of those, I in turn started offering free trials
and as soon as the user had the chance to actually use the app and see the benefits
first hand, my sales would skyrocket.

I guess the real answer to your question is that it all depends on the product, the product
type and the need and/or desire for the product in question.

I, as Ron pointed out, want to make sure I am not just attracting "FREEBIE SEEKERS",
so, whenever I create a product (and I create software, ebooks and video tutorials),
I always make sure to ONLY offer a free TRIAL when I KNOW that the user will HAVE
to pay to continue using the product.

For example, with a few of my software apps, free trials would not be effective because
the user will use the software today and may not need it again for a few more weeks. Of
course, not ALL my software is like that, but some are, so I would never offer a free trial
for those particular apps.

However, if the software is one that the user will definitely WANT or NEED to use everyday,
I have NO problem offering a 3, 5 or even 10 day trial because I know once they use it, they
will WANT to continue using it.

In MY opinion, free trials should ONLY ever be used when you are 100% certain that the
product is good enough, or needed/wanted enough, to ensure the customer will end up
buying it.

 

[vps9]

We do not provide Free-Trail Services, but clients may infect the server network and resources and may take misuse of them and affects the performance of other users' hosting present in same server. Which leads to loss in business.

 

[Nancy G]

Offering free product /service trial is not a new concept in marketing. This strategy is generally proven by companies as effective in creating awareness and/or expanding customer base during new product or feature introductions in the market.

The main advantage of free trial is the opportunity to allow your potential customers to actually test the product/service without any fear of being involved in any deal except possibility of making a feedback.

Sometimes even the best products/services may have lackluster performance inspite of all promotions made. Free trials act as the second push, bring the product to the customer and boost sales. Most of us are familiar with 7-day or 30day free trials provided by subscriptions to services involved with mobile device, internet, gaming, entertainment (movies, music, etc.), online business, etc. We often encounter promo girls offering free drink or food tasting or giving us product samplers.

These activities will only result in win/win situation. The company expands its market share and gets opportunity to collect feedback useful to assess product performance and market acceptance including any insights for improvement. The customer on the otherhand enjoys the benefit of experiencing a free product/service, chance to compare with competing products and consequently make better or wiser product choice.

The main disadvantage I can see here is costs and limited time involved in free trial. Also there is no guarantee of actual trial. Some customers also abuse the system just to get free product or service but not necessarily bringing sales conversions. Other companies use this free subscription as a indirect way to hook customer to the continued service even after expiration of the free trial.

Free trials can be reinforced with other incentives or rewards systems which can turn your potential market to actual buying customers, repeat users and source of new customers.

Although not all companies or products will use this technique, it pays also to consider what your competition is actively doing and see what you can better to be competitive.