Can I offer a free trial for My Membership Site? | Member

Sep 17, 2022

Do I need to offer a trial for My Membership Site?

Trial for membership sites is an effective marketing strategy used by countless others before you. It is a good idea to definitely consider using free trials as a part of your marketing campaign. This could make money for you. As long as, of course you utilize the correct method.

Trial offer has proven to be a success for many subscription-based firms, both online and offline.

Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, YouTube Premium, Audible, PlayStation, and LinkedIn Premium, are just a few of the most well-known subscription-based companies that provide a no-cost trial for their service.

The catch is that trials for free deals aren't for everybody. Like every other marketing strategy It's not foolproof, and has its own pros and cons.

to help you determine whether or not providing trials is the best method for your website The following are the topics we'll discuss in this article:

Are Trials for Membership Websites a good idea?

trial for membership site

Yes. For many membership sites trial offers are an excellent method to try. This has been established before.

It's an effective and incredibly profitable way for your subscription-based product or website to create new revenue. In addition, it reduces customer cost of acquisition.

However, is it the best option for you?

The decision to make is completely on your personal preference, budget, and marketing strategies.

The trial period gives the prospective customers what you have to provide instead of telling them what you have to offer.

Instead of investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertisements, just give them a live preview or demonstration of your product.

Put yourself in your customers' shoes. Do you purchase something because the salesperson tells you it's great? Would you prefer to experience the product for yourself?

What would you do if you bought a car without having a trial drive? And what about clothes you don't fit?

The same is true for subscription-based businesses. Your customers will treat the product or service you offer like an investment.

That is why almost everyone is likely to want to experience this for themselves.

Most membership site owners will agree that offering an opportunity for trial periods can increase leads and convert more sales faster and at a higher rates. It also improves customer satisfaction.

Not every trial offer is the exact same. Take a look at the different types of trial offer , and see how they differ from one another.

The different types of Trials for membership sites

Here are a few examples of the free trials to test:

  • Limited time trial offer
  • Trial access limited to Offer
  • Trial-free Offer
  • Discounted-rate trial offer
  • A service-based trial offer.

It's the best thing about it is that you don't have choose just one of the options. It is possible to try a mix of two or several.

           Limited-Time Trial Offer          

In this kind of trial offer, you can give your potential customers free access to your site that is a member for a short period of time.

Offer a one-week time period, two weeks, or an opportunity to trial for 30 days for customers to try out your product or services for free.

In addition to that, you can also make an offer for a limited time trial at a discounted rate. You can also provide free services throughout their trial period when they agree to buying a membership.

           Access Trial Offer Limited Access Trial Offer          

As with the limited-time trial, you are able to make use of limited access with other promotions.

As an example, if you're offering an online course it is possible to allow users to try out some lessons.

If you're providing an opportunity for a test of your product or service or product, you may give them access to only some of the most fundamental features.

Pro suggestion: you can use CourseCure to easily create a fully-customizable online course.

           Free Trial Offer          

free trial for membership sites

This is one of the most common trials offers you will see in the present. They often use it along with restricted-access deals.

The name says, free trials are--well... cost-free.

           Reduced Rate Trial Discount Offer          

discounted rate trial for membership site

The trial offer you provide doesn't necessarily have to be completely free. You can also offer it for a discount.

           Service-Based Trial Deal          

free service trial for membership site

Finally, you can avail trials that are based on services where you offer your clients access to your product on a free basis or at a discounted rate for a short period of time.

Of course, you want them to sign up to join your website following your trial, therefore be sure the product you're offering is enticing enough to keep them hooked.

And make sure that you are able to overdeliver after they join.

Advantages as well as Cons Trials for Websites for Membership

Just like with any type of marketing, trials for membership websites have advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a look at some of them.

           Pros of Tests for Membership Sites          

           Save $$$ on the Customer Acquisition          

customer cost per acquisition

If someone decides to go for a trial period they are halfway through the door. It's the responsibility of you to make sure you can deliver what you said to you all the way through.

Most of the time it is possible to allow your service or product to take off during the period of trial.

The good news is that, once they're inside the trial phase this will help you save hundreds of dollars because it's not necessary to do any additional marketing. But, this is only if what you're offering is enticing enough to make them become a full-fledged member.

           More Customer Satisfaction          

customer satisfaction

Many who make use of a trial offer are dissatisfied after making the switch since they are aware of the kind of experience they should expect based on the experience of their trial.

A level of honesty helps you give your customers more transparency and prevents them from having unrealistic expectations. It also results in fewer complaints and cancellations.

           Reducing Their Belief in commitment          

letting go of fear of commitment

The membership is a commitment. Most of the time, customers can feel the fear of committing themselves to a yearly or monthly installment.

With a no-cost or low-cost trial that allows your audience to see what they're missing and reduce their anxiety about committing by demonstrating what they're being left out of.

           Get Feedback          

gathering reviews

Tests of membership websites are great for collecting comments on your service as well as your products.

This is the ideal opportunity to gain the market's feedback and valuable insight so you are able to make smarter and more informed business decisions.

           Better Leads to Your Email List          

building email lists

Another advantage is the fact that you will generate more leads. People have taken the time to see your product , and try it out on their own.

This means that they have already met you and will likely be more likely to sign up as an active member following the trial, or at some point nearer the time.

           Cons of Trials for Membership Sites          

Even though the risk is minimal for offering trials however, there are ones you need to consider.

           The potential loss of time money, resources, and time          

If you are considering offering a trial on your site's membership, make certain to determine whether your budget will allow the cost.

You should also consider people who want to join the trial period for free however they are not planning on signing up to be a member.

It is possible to minimize these dangers by doing some or a combination of the following strategies:

  • Give a discount on the trial which means that you'll still earn some of the sales as a reward for access.
  • You can filter who is included during the trial time - you can have your customers take a survey or even a questionnaire so you can determine who is eligible the chance to take part in the trial.
  • Limit the trial duration - it will take a lot of trial and error, but if you can find the perfect duration to help your customers make an informed decision, that'll be extremely beneficial to you.

Do You Need To Run A Trial, Free or Paid?

free or paid trial for membership site

The majority of trial offers run for free. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try it.

There is always to pay the reduced rate or provide a trial with a minimal fee.

Instead of simply giving them a no-cost trial, consider charging a small charge to increase their psychological "buy-in" to your membership site.

A minimal cost is also an excellent option for filtering off those looking to receive something no cost and also those really interested in joining.

In the end, the decision will always be dependent on you.

When Should You Not offer a Free Trial of Your Membership Website?

It will all depend on what you're offering.

In the case of providing an online class A trial time may not be the most appropriate choice. That is because your audience might finish the whole course prior to the trial being completed.

But, there's always a way to get around the issue. You can protect, or drip-feed your courses, or choose a particular portion of your classes to exclude it from your trial.

Another example will be if you're offering a service. For instance, you're offering the repair of your garage for free for those who are currently within their trial.

You may want to consider a different strategy than an initial trial. You could also offer a small fee in order for the purpose of balancing the costs.

There is the possibility of offering an entry-level member site, where test members are able to access a scaled-back version of your whole offer.

In the simplest sense it draws people into your site's membership and communityto inspire them to buy an upgrade after the trial.

Questions to ask yourself prior to offering a Trial

questions to ask yourself

Before you jump the gun on that trial offer Here are some important questions you can consider. Answers to these questions will help you make an informed choice.

  • How long should your trial period be? Your target audience will need enough time to really dip their toes in to determine if the product you're offering them is something that they won't be able to survive without. At the same time, you want to be sure it's not "too long ."
  • Can you afford this? Definitely consider if giving people an opportunity to use your products or services is something you can manage as well as something that can benefit your business in the future.
  • What is the time frame for conversion when it comes to managing a business, time is money. Consider the length of time that it will take for your trial members to be converted into paid members.

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