Advice for a small SaaS that gets 1-3 new paying customers each month

[hedidit]

Hello all! I built and maintain SliderUI - a SaaS that allows users to build and embed image sliders onto their own websites. It has been live since 2017 but I have recently rebuilt it and started advertising it on my open-source jQuery slider plugin bxSlider. I was hoping that I could describe the stats and traffic of the app and ask for help regarding next steps.

Here is a breakdown of the app:

• On signup users get a 7-day free trial that includes all features
• To continue using the app, the cost is a one-time payment of $1.99 USD
• Unique visitors per month: ~1,100 (mostly referrals from bxSlider)
• Free trial user signups per month: 90-120
• New paid users per month: 1-3

My questions:

• How do I start talking with users about what problems they have? Is it off-putting to email users whose trials have expired? Should I email paid users about their pain points?
• Should I re-evaluate the pricing model to be higher or possibly a monthly subscription?
• How can I think about generating more traffic to the app? I am hesitant about posting to communities with the fear of being perceived as spammy or sales-y.

Thank you in advance for any and all help.

 

[julianwithjesus]

@hedidit

• I would setup a clear follow up process to get the reason why they didn’t convert to paying customers. If you need high engagement, you could extend the trial in exchange for a completed survey where you ask for “pain points” or improvements
• what value can you provide, so a low monthly fee is a no brainer?
• in my opinion, the visits and signups are not bad but the conversion rate to paying customers seems too low. I would definitely think about the value you provide for free / paid users. The upgrade should be the logical consequence. I think there is much more potential in your project.

 

[magnet21]

@julianwithjesus

free / paid users. The

FTFY.

Although payed exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:

• Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. The deck is yet to be payed.
• Payed out when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. The rope is payed out! You can pull now.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.

Beep, boop, I'm a bot

 

[hedidit]

@julianwithjesus

I would setup a clear follow up process to get the reason why they didn’t convert to paying customers. If you need high engagement, you could extend the trial in exchange for a completed survey where you ask for “pain points” or improvements

Would you suggest cold emailing users that did not convert? I like the idea of offering a free product in exchange for a chat or a completed survey.

in my opinion, the visits and signups are not bad but the conversion rate to paying customers seems too low. I would definitely think about the value you provide for free / paid users. The upgrade should be the logical consequence. I think there is much more potential in your project.

Are you suggesting that I simply reframe my messaging around features (create more compelling copy)? Or are you suggesting to add more features until I feel as though paying a monthly fee for said features is a no-brainer? I don't feel that the current feature set dictates a "no-brainer" monthly fee, hence why I went with the one-time pricing model.

 

[whydidigetmarried26]

@hedidit

How do I start talking with users about what problems they have?

You start by asking yourself what questions you want answered. Or maybe you're interested in just having spontaneous conversations to get an idea of who your users are. Either way, cold email them and tell them you're interested in speaking to them. You'd be surprised how willing people are to speak to you. I'd advise speaking to trialers, active users and churned users if possible so that you get a good balance of feedback.

Should I re-evaluate the pricing model to be higher or possibly a monthly subscription

This isn't the kind of thing people are paying monthly for, I wouldn't think. But your price should likely be higher. Think about other apps that charge lifetime subscriptions. You could do the Sketch model of paying today gets you the application and a year of updates. If you want more updates after that you subscribe again. Cancel any time and you'll retain your most recent updates. Probbaly a nightmare to implement. Failing that, bump the price. Likely has zero impact on conversion. Someone willing to spend $1.99 is willign to spend $4.99.

 

[hedidit]

@whydidigetmarried26

You start by asking yourself what questions you want answered. Or maybe you're interested in just having spontaneous conversations to get an idea of who your users are. Either way, cold email them and tell them you're interested in speaking to them. You'd be surprised how willing people are to speak to you. I'd advise speaking to trialers, active users and churned users if possible so that you get a good balance of feedback.

Exactly what I was looking for. Cold emailing users will be easy. I was considering sending automated messages to users of interest but I feel as though users are less likely to respond to an automated message as opposed to an authentic personal email (I could certainly be wrong though).

This isn't the kind of thing people are paying monthly for, I wouldn't think. But your price should likely be higher.

I agree. $1.99 seems way too low for a life-time subscription. I will start considering a new higher price.

 

[wannabehomemaker]

@hedidit I would up the price for the life time membership to $4.97 and remove the free trial. Maybe add a 30 day trail for $1.97.

The third option could be $1.07 a month or $4.97 life time to force more people to anchor to the lifetime price.

 

[txlove]

@hedidit Encouraging feedback from your users could really help pinpoint areas of improvement. Reaching out to those whose trials expired isn't off-putting as long as you're genuine. Maybe ask them why they didn't convert to paying users. For paid users, learning about their pain points can help refine your offering. Keeping the tone casual and genuinely interested in their experience should keep it from feeling intrusive.

Considering a monthly subscription could be a good move, but you might want to run A/B tests or surveys to gauge user interest first. To generate more traffic without spamming, focus on adding value in communities by sharing tips and resources related to your product. This way, you’re contributing rather than just promoting.

I'm Ben from BuzzGeniusAI, where we help find the right people who need your product on social media. If you're looking to expand your reach in an authentic way, it could be a useful tool. Good luck