Website Product Tours

There’s a new offer on SaaS websites – the website product tour. Here’s the inside scoop on how it works.

I’m a lead on your website. I want to see what you do. I want to know if it’s what I need.

Let me check the call to action.

Get demo… sounds fishy. I bet it’s a call with sales. And then, on that call – the rep will likely want discovery. They’ll punt the demo to the second call, a week or longer from today. Pass.

Get trial… I bet they make me give my info and it’s not even a real trial – still just a call with sales. Or worse, it’ll be two hours of set up time and then I’ll have this sweet (empty!) instance of your product but it doesn’t do anything and it’ll be weeks of work before I see real returns.

Ok, let me check around for some screenshots or videos. These are all either gated or hidden behind long-form offers like ebooks and videos. These assets are not designed to educate me. They’re designed to trap me on your website because “engagement leads to the MQL, right?” Trash logic.

Ten minutes later, I’m annoyed and forced to MQL. You’ve trapped me.

Is that the experience you want? You want your buyers to feel forced into your CTA?

Try the other end of the extreme: product-led growth. Give the trial up right off the website. A real trial, full features included.

Most products require a configuration call. And some training. And some time to develop too. It’s an empty box on day one. And nobody knows where to go.

So your prospect is also (still) annoyed. I just wanted to window shop for a minute… now I’m stuck in this 23-step onboarding experience.

I’m uploading sensitive data.

I’m adding integrations to my tech stack… is that going to cost me time or money later to undo?

Did I give my info or my info and my payment details?

Sheesh, when is this trial going to end so I can just see the thing?

Ok, so those are some extreme scenes I’m setting. but it’s to prove a point. What does a lead really want when they’re on your site?

For me, I want to click it and jump around on the UX for three minutes, see the inventory or magic button, or whatever the key aha! moment is. And then either buy it or talk to a human.

Boom. Simple.

And you know you’re the same way.

So try this out.