Despite the potential risks, the freemium model can be a great way to grow your business. But you should know upfront that the conversion rate typically falls somewhere between 2-5% on average. Not every business can be Trello or Fortnite, so keep those numbers in mind. Not every writer will release a best seller, but if the framework is there, there’s a potential for greater successes with the freemium model. If you’re considering this model for your company, it’s a great way to earn customer acquisition. Here are a few strategies to increase your chances of converting free users to paid subscribers.

If you’re considering this model for your company, here are a few strategies to increase your chances of converting free users to paid subscribers. 

Ensure your paid version is worth paying for.
The following strategies are worth exploring if you have covered this first. Does your product or service solve a real problem in the market? Does your messaging communicate how your business solves that problem? If your answers to these questions are not a resounding “Yes!”, spend more time working on those things before offering a freemium plan.

Make sure the free version is valuable, but not too valuable.
You want people to benefit from using the free version of your service, but you also want them to see the value in upgrading to the paid version. Your freemium should be functional and practical but have limited features. Make sure you’re also regularly communicating to free users how their experience with your service would be better by upgrading.

Let users experience one or more premium features. 
Your free users may only really understand what they’re missing out on once they can try some of your premium features. Consider offering them the option to use one or more of your most valuable premium features for a limited time. There needs to be a clear line where customers can see what they’re missing out on against the basic version.

Provide excellent customer support.
Free users are like paid customers. And every interaction with your customer support team will influence how likely they are to continue using your product and whether they decide to upgrade to a paid version. Every customer touch point counts. Remember that.

Use data to strategically nurture your free users.
Which features do your free users value the most? Is their way of using your service different from your paid subscribers? Collect data to find out. Then, use that data to create a relevant lead nurturing campaign highlighting how your paid version increases the value of those features. There’s a lot to learn from the data, especially where people are converting or if there’s churn. Pay attention to what’s working, but more importantly, if something isn’t.

Make it easy to upgrade to a paid version.
Your freemium users shouldn’t have to start at square one when upgrading. No one likes jumping through hoops. For one, ensure their information gets pre-filled into their sign-up form when upgrading. It would be best if you also offered attractive pricing plans to users who may need more time to fully commit to the most premium version of your service. Everything should be handled with a click. The Software as a Service (Saas) model works for many companies, which is why their adoption is so high.