{"id":17434,"date":"2019-02-14T10:33:00","date_gmt":"2019-02-14T17:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/?p=17434"},"modified":"2022-02-11T13:49:31","modified_gmt":"2022-02-11T20:49:31","slug":"the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/","title":{"rendered":"Offering a Trial Membership (The Good and the Bad)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What else draws a crowd like free products and services? Not much! After all, the idea is a win-win for both businesses and consumers. <\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d01df5a40ca\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">WHAT'S INSIDE<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d01df5a40ca\"  \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/#Types_of_Trial_Periods\" >Types of Trial Periods<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/#What_Type_of_Trial_Membership_is_Best\" >What Type of Trial Membership is Best?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/#Offering_a_Trial_Membership_The_Good\" >Offering a Trial Membership (The Good)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/#Eases_fear_of_commitment\" >Eases fear of commitment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/#Builds_your_email_list\" >Builds your email list<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/#Built-in_product_testing\" >Built-in product testing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/#Captive_audience\" >Captive audience<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/#Offering_a_Trial_Membership_The_Bad\" >Offering a Trial Membership (The Bad)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/#Potential_loss_of_money\" >Potential loss of money<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/fr\/blog\/the-pros-and-cons-of-offering-trial-periods-on-your-membership-site\/#Potential_for_wasted_time\" >Potential for wasted time<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>As a business owner, you have a chance to pitch your products and services to a crowd, and as a consumer you get something free. <a href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MemberPress <\/a>allows you to set up all kinds of pricing structures, including trial periods. Of course, offering your product for free doesn\u2019t come without risks \u2013 but things worth doing often involve some risk, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Offering a trial membership on your website is no different. In this post, we'll go over the types of trial memberships and give you a rundown of the pros and cons of offering one. Let's get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"types-of-trial-periods\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Types_of_Trial_Periods\"><\/span><strong>Types of Trial Periods<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are different ways to offer a trial period. For example, you can give potential clients a free trial-membership period\u2014say, thirty days of free access to your membership site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or you can offer a limited-access trial where you allow potential clients to peruse your membership site but with a limited amount of features. Perhaps you restrict them to the entry-level tier, or maybe you let them into the mid-level tier but restrict access to certain features, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/introducing-memberpress-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" title=\"Introducing MemberPress Courses\">online courses<\/a> or discussion boards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also keep in mind that trial periods don't have to be free. You can offer trial periods at a discounted rate or offer an incentive, such as giving leads a month of free access if they commit to buying a membership. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-type-of-trial-membership-is-best\"><strong>What Type of Trial Membership is Best?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You'll want to take a three basic things into consideration depending on the type of product or service you're offering.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>First, consider whether the trial period is long enough. Consumers will need enough time to determine whether they'll benefit from your product or service. On the limited-access side, you'll want to determine if the restricted resources are enough for them to decide if your product or service is a good fit for them.\u00a0<\/li><li>Next, consider the financial aspect. Can you afford to give away products or services or allow free access? Similarly, is the discounted fee worth the time it'll take to take to get a non-client set up?<\/li><li>Finally, how long do you estimate you'll have to wait to see if trial customers buy and turn into clients? As you know, time is money when it comes to business.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>By carefully assessing the answers to these questions, you\u2019ll be better able to determine which kind of trial offer works best for your business model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"offering-a-trial-membership-the-good\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Offering_a_Trial_Membership_The_Good\"><\/span><strong>Offering a Trial Membership (The Good)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As we\u2019ve discussed, <a href=\"https:\/\/optinmonster.com\/free-to-paid-conversion-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">trial periods<\/a> get your product in front of an audience and give you a chance to prove how awesome your services (and you!) are. Following are a few of the benefits of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"eases-fear-of-commitment\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Eases_fear_of_commitment\"><\/span>Eases fear of commitment <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>By offering a free or nominal-fee trial, you allow your audience to see what they're missing (your service or product) and ease their fear of commitment by showing them what they can\u2019t live without.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"builds-your-email-list\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Builds_your_email_list\"><\/span>Builds your email list<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another pro is that a lead who participates in a free trial (as opposed to a lead from another source) has taken the time to login, set up a profile, and view the content available. That means they're more likely to stick around for the long haul. Not only that, but you've gained their email address for future communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"built-in-product-testing\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Built-in_product_testing\"><\/span>Built-in product testing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Trial periods are also a great opportunity to ask for feedback on your services and products. You\u2019ll most likely gain great insight\u2014it\u2019s marketing and product-testing all in one! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"captive-audience\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Captive_audience\"><\/span>Captive audience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The products and services offered during a trial practically sell themselves, so no additional marketing or persuading is necessary\u2014that is, of course, as long as you\u2019ve ensured that what you're providing is top-notch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, when leads are considering whether to fully opt in to your membership site during their trial period, you can take advantage of having their attention by offering additional incentives, such as discounts on a yearly membership, a referral discount or kickback, or maybe even early access to an upcoming course you\u2019re planning to launch.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you need one more reason to convince you to offer a trial period, it's this: customers who experience your service before they buy already know what they\u2019re getting when they actually make the purchase, so their expectations and satisfaction are already met. (Now just keep it up!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"offering-a-trial-membership-the-bad\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Offering_a_Trial_Membership_The_Bad\"><\/span><strong>Offering a Trial Membership (The Bad)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Though it seems like the pros are endless, there are definitely a couple of downsides when it comes to trial periods. Probably the most glaring is related to money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"potential-loss-of-money\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Potential_loss_of_money\"><\/span>Potential loss of money<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only should you consider whether you can you afford it, you should also be cautious about those who have every intention of taking you up on your offer but who have zero intention of ever signing up for your membership site. That\u2019s why it's important to consider the risks of allowing nonmembers access to your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One fail-safe you can implement is to go the discounted-fee route rather than the free route, especially if you're offering a trial on some of your most valuable content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because you'll need to collect payment and personal information when you invoice on the trial membership, many of those who are out for a freebie will back out knowing they need to provide such information and that they need to contact you to cancel their membership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"potential-for-wasted-time\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Potential_for_wasted_time\"><\/span>Potential for wasted time<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another con is related to time. If your <a href=\"https:\/\/customer.io\/blog\/free-trial-user-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">trial period is not long enough<\/a> for someone to truly form an opinion of your service, both your and their time is wasted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it can take some trial and error to perfect that sweet-spot on how long a trial period should go based on the product or service you're offering. Your best bet is to ask for feedback when you follow up with the lead. Simply ask them if they felt like they had enough time to formulate a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Now it's your turn:<\/em><\/strong> <em>Have you offered a trial period? What were the pros? The cons? What advice can you give readers who want to launch their first free trial? Or do you have more questions about offering a membership trial of your own? Let us know in the comments.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you liked this article, be sure to follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/memberpress\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/memberpress\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/memberpress\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/showcase\/memberpress\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn<\/a>! And don't forget to subscribe in the <a href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/go\/box\" title=\"Box affiliate link\" class=\"pretty-link-keyword\"rel=\"nofollow \" target=\"_blank\">box<\/a> below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What else draws a crowd like free products and services? Not much! After all, the idea is a win-win for both businesses and consumers. As a business owner, you have a chance to pitch your products and services to a crowd, and as a consumer you get something free. MemberPress allows you to set up [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3121,"featured_media":17530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_strive_editorial_status":"not-started","_strive_copy_of":0,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_strive_checklists":"\"\"","_strive_active_checklist":"62291e2bb2422","_strive_post_notes":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69,144,94],"tags":[823],"class_list":{"0":"post-17434","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-advice","8":"category-business","9":"category-marketing","10":"tag-trials","11":"entry"},"acf":{"plans":["scale"],"is_featured":false,"download_source":"none","mothership_slug":"","download_url":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.5.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Offering a trial membership is a common way to do business. 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Not much! After all, the idea is a win-win for both businesses and consumers. <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"What else draws a crowd like free products and services? Not much! After all, the idea is a win-win for both businesses and consumers. "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>As a business owner, you have a chance to pitch your products and services to a crowd, and as a consumer you get something free. <a href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MemberPress <\/a>allows you to set up all kinds of pricing structures, including trial periods. Of course, offering your product for free doesn\u2019t come without risks \u2013 but things worth doing often involve some risk, right?<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"As a business owner, you have a chance to pitch your products and services to a crowd, and as a consumer you get something free. <a href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MemberPress <\/a>allows you to set up all kinds of pricing structures, including trial periods. Of course, offering your product for free doesn\u2019t come without risks \u2013 but things worth doing often involve some risk, right?"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Offering a trial membership on your website is no different. In this post, we'll go over the types of trial memberships and give you a rundown of the pros and cons of offering one. Let's get started!<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Offering a trial membership on your website is no different. In this post, we'll go over the types of trial memberships and give you a rundown of the pros and cons of offering one. Let's get started!"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"types-of-trial-periods\"><strong>Types of Trial Periods<\/strong><\/h2>","content":"Types of Trial Periods","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h2","fontSize":"27px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>There are different ways to offer a trial period. For example, you can give potential clients a free trial-membership period\u2014say, thirty days of free access to your membership site. <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"There are different ways to offer a trial period. For example, you can give potential clients a free trial-membership period\u2014say, thirty days of free access to your membership site. "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Or you can offer a limited-access trial where you allow potential clients to peruse your membership site but with a limited amount of features. Perhaps you restrict them to the entry-level tier, or maybe you let them into the mid-level tier but restrict access to certain features, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/introducing-memberpress-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" title=\"Introducing MemberPress Courses\">online courses<\/a> or discussion boards.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Or you can offer a limited-access trial where you allow potential clients to peruse your membership site but with a limited amount of features. Perhaps you restrict them to the entry-level tier, or maybe you let them into the mid-level tier but restrict access to certain features, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/introducing-memberpress-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" title=\"Introducing MemberPress Courses\">online courses<\/a> or discussion boards."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Also keep in mind that trial periods don't have to be free. You can offer trial periods at a discounted rate or offer an incentive, such as giving leads a month of free access if they commit to buying a membership. &nbsp;<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Also keep in mind that trial periods don't have to be free. You can offer trial periods at a discounted rate or offer an incentive, such as giving leads a month of free access if they commit to buying a membership. &nbsp;"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-type-of-trial-membership-is-best\"><strong>What Type of Trial Membership is Best?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>","content":"What Type of Trial Membership is Best?&nbsp;","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h2","fontSize":"27px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>You'll want to take a three basic things into consideration depending on the type of product or service you're offering.&nbsp;<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"You'll want to take a three basic things into consideration depending on the type of product or service you're offering.&nbsp;"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/list","render":"<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>First, consider whether the trial period is long enough. Consumers will need enough time to determine whether they'll benefit from your product or service. On the limited-access side, you'll want to determine if the restricted resources are enough for them to decide if your product or service is a good fit for them.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Next, consider the financial aspect. Can you afford to give away products or services or allow free access? Similarly, is the discounted fee worth the time it'll take to take to get a non-client set up?<\/li><li>Finally, how long do you estimate you'll have to wait to see if trial customers buy and turn into clients? As you know, time is money when it comes to business.<\/li><\/ol>","content":"<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>First, consider whether the trial period is long enough. Consumers will need enough time to determine whether they'll benefit from your product or service. On the limited-access side, you'll want to determine if the restricted resources are enough for them to decide if your product or service is a good fit for them.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Next, consider the financial aspect. Can you afford to give away products or services or allow free access? Similarly, is the discounted fee worth the time it'll take to take to get a non-client set up?<\/li><li>Finally, how long do you estimate you'll have to wait to see if trial customers buy and turn into clients? As you know, time is money when it comes to business.<\/li><\/ol>","data":{"listType":"ordered"},"style":{"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>By carefully assessing the answers to these questions, you\u2019ll be better able to determine which kind of trial offer works best for your business model.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"By carefully assessing the answers to these questions, you\u2019ll be better able to determine which kind of trial offer works best for your business model."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"offering-a-trial-membership-the-good\"><strong>Offering a Trial Membership (The Good)<\/strong><\/h2>","content":"Offering a Trial Membership (The Good)","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h2","fontSize":"27px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>As we\u2019ve discussed, <a href=\"https:\/\/optinmonster.com\/free-to-paid-conversion-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">trial periods<\/a> get your product in front of an audience and give you a chance to prove how awesome your services (and you!) are. Following are a few of the benefits of that.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"As we\u2019ve discussed, <a href=\"https:\/\/optinmonster.com\/free-to-paid-conversion-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">trial periods<\/a> get your product in front of an audience and give you a chance to prove how awesome your services (and you!) are. Following are a few of the benefits of that."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"eases-fear-of-commitment\">Eases fear of commitment <\/h3>","content":"Eases fear of commitment","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h3","fontSize":"21px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>By offering a free or nominal-fee trial, you allow your audience to see what they're missing (your service or product) and ease their fear of commitment by showing them what they can\u2019t live without.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"By offering a free or nominal-fee trial, you allow your audience to see what they're missing (your service or product) and ease their fear of commitment by showing them what they can\u2019t live without."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"builds-your-email-list\">Builds your email list<\/h3>","content":"Builds your email list","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h3","fontSize":"21px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Another pro is that a lead who participates in a free trial (as opposed to a lead from another source) has taken the time to login, set up a profile, and view the content available. That means they're more likely to stick around for the long haul. Not only that, but you've gained their email address for future communications.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Another pro is that a lead who participates in a free trial (as opposed to a lead from another source) has taken the time to login, set up a profile, and view the content available. That means they're more likely to stick around for the long haul. Not only that, but you've gained their email address for future communications."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"built-in-product-testing\">Built-in product testing<\/h3>","content":"Built-in product testing","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h3","fontSize":"21px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Trial periods are also a great opportunity to ask for feedback on your services and products. You\u2019ll most likely gain great insight\u2014it\u2019s marketing and product-testing all in one! <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Trial periods are also a great opportunity to ask for feedback on your services and products. You\u2019ll most likely gain great insight\u2014it\u2019s marketing and product-testing all in one! "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"captive-audience\">Captive audience<\/h3>","content":"Captive audience","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h3","fontSize":"21px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>The products and services offered during a trial practically sell themselves, so no additional marketing or persuading is necessary\u2014that is, of course, as long as you\u2019ve ensured that what you're providing is top-notch.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"The products and services offered during a trial practically sell themselves, so no additional marketing or persuading is necessary\u2014that is, of course, as long as you\u2019ve ensured that what you're providing is top-notch."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>However, when leads are considering whether to fully opt in to your membership site during their trial period, you can take advantage of having their attention by offering additional incentives, such as discounts on a yearly membership, a referral discount or kickback, or maybe even early access to an upcoming course you\u2019re planning to launch.&nbsp;<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"However, when leads are considering whether to fully opt in to your membership site during their trial period, you can take advantage of having their attention by offering additional incentives, such as discounts on a yearly membership, a referral discount or kickback, or maybe even early access to an upcoming course you\u2019re planning to launch.&nbsp;"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>And if you need one more reason to convince you to offer a trial period, it's this: customers who experience your service before they buy already know what they\u2019re getting when they actually make the purchase, so their expectations and satisfaction are already met. (Now just keep it up!)<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"And if you need one more reason to convince you to offer a trial period, it's this: customers who experience your service before they buy already know what they\u2019re getting when they actually make the purchase, so their expectations and satisfaction are already met. (Now just keep it up!)"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"offering-a-trial-membership-the-bad\"><strong>Offering a Trial Membership (The Bad)<\/strong><\/h2>","content":"Offering a Trial Membership (The Bad)","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h2","fontSize":"27px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Though it seems like the pros are endless, there are definitely a couple of downsides when it comes to trial periods. Probably the most glaring is related to money. <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Though it seems like the pros are endless, there are definitely a couple of downsides when it comes to trial periods. Probably the most glaring is related to money. "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"potential-loss-of-money\">Potential loss of money<\/h3>","content":"Potential loss of money","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h3","fontSize":"21px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Not only should you consider whether you can you afford it, you should also be cautious about those who have every intention of taking you up on your offer but who have zero intention of ever signing up for your membership site. That\u2019s why it's important to consider the risks of allowing nonmembers access to your content.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Not only should you consider whether you can you afford it, you should also be cautious about those who have every intention of taking you up on your offer but who have zero intention of ever signing up for your membership site. That\u2019s why it's important to consider the risks of allowing nonmembers access to your content."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>One fail-safe you can implement is to go the discounted-fee route rather than the free route, especially if you're offering a trial on some of your most valuable content. <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"One fail-safe you can implement is to go the discounted-fee route rather than the free route, especially if you're offering a trial on some of your most valuable content. "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Because you'll need to collect payment and personal information when you invoice on the trial membership, many of those who are out for a freebie will back out knowing they need to provide such information and that they need to contact you to cancel their membership.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Because you'll need to collect payment and personal information when you invoice on the trial membership, many of those who are out for a freebie will back out knowing they need to provide such information and that they need to contact you to cancel their membership."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"potential-for-wasted-time\">Potential for wasted time<\/h3>","content":"Potential for wasted time","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"header":"h3","fontSize":"21px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Another con is related to time. If your <a href=\"https:\/\/customer.io\/blog\/free-trial-user-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">trial period is not long enough<\/a> for someone to truly form an opinion of your service, both your and their time is wasted. <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Another con is related to time. If your <a href=\"https:\/\/customer.io\/blog\/free-trial-user-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">trial period is not long enough<\/a> for someone to truly form an opinion of your service, both your and their time is wasted. "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>But it can take some trial and error to perfect that sweet-spot on how long a trial period should go based on the product or service you're offering. Your best bet is to ask for feedback when you follow up with the lead. Simply ask them if they felt like they had enough time to formulate a decision.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"But it can take some trial and error to perfect that sweet-spot on how long a trial period should go based on the product or service you're offering. Your best bet is to ask for feedback when you follow up with the lead. Simply ask them if they felt like they had enough time to formulate a decision."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p><strong><em>Now it's your turn:<\/em><\/strong> <em>Have you offered a trial period? What were the pros? The cons? What advice can you give readers who want to launch their first free trial? Or do you have more questions about offering a membership trial of your own? Let us know in the comments.<\/em><\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"<strong><em>Now it's your turn:<\/em><\/strong> <em>Have you offered a trial period? What were the pros? The cons? What advice can you give readers who want to launch their first free trial? Or do you have more questions about offering a membership trial of your own? Let us know in the comments.<\/em>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p><strong>If you liked this article, be sure to follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/memberpress\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/memberpress\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/memberpress\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/showcase\/memberpress\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn<\/a>! 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