Free Trial
Invoice SimpleA free trial enables small business owners to experience the full capabilities of Invoice Simple without the upfront pressure of committing to a subscription plan. Working closely with a product manager and five engineers, I drove the design of this new acquisition model from conception to validation, execution and launch.
- Role
- Sole product designer
- Platform
- Mobile
- Duration
- 6 months
Results
The free trial significantly strengthened Invoice Simple's acquisition funnel.
Engagement from trial-turned-subscriber users yielded several downstream results: 16% more paywall visits, 10% more invoices sent and 17% higher payment volume processed through Invoice Simple Payments.
Problem
Invoice Simple previously operated on a freemium model that limited how many documents could be created and which features could be used by unpaid users.
Freemium, Not Free
New users were given little beyond a test document to work with and were sent to the paywall upon reaching their usage limits.
Gated Features
An upfront subscription purchase was required to access essential functionality. This included photo attachments, signatures and reminders.
Approach
We aimed to provide new users unrestricted access to Invoice Simple's Premium package to better guide them towards their “aha!” moment.
- Less reading, more learning
Features can be better understood through usage rather than through the paywall.
- Superior observability
Opening our product to unpaid users provides additional insight into user experience.
- A SaaS standard
Secondary research identified free trials as the most common SaaS acquisition strategy, leveraged by an estimated 40-50% of platforms as of 2025.
Design Solution
Eliminating constraints imposed by the freemium model presented endless opportunities to educate new users about our product.
Trust through Transparency
A timeline of the free trial outlines what new users can expect before they begin using the app.
Generous Guidance
A new banner houses the trial countdown, active promotions and access to educational resources.
The invoice editor is where new users encounter their “aha!” moment and discover the value of Invoice Simple. An optional tour serves to get them started on the first document they create.
Inline visuals inform users at a glance which subscription tier a paid feature is packaged under.
Encouraging Exploration
A feature checklist highlights key elements of our product's core functionality and encourages users to explore as much as possible. A tracker is provided to instill a sense of progression.
Selecting a feature within the checklist takes the user through a tutorial-style demonstration of how to use it.
Validation
The new user experience fundamentally changed a growth lever vital to revenue and activations, meaning it needed to perform well in several key areas.
Are free trial users more likely to become paid subscribers?
Are free trial users creating more invoices?
Do free trial users tend to purchase higher-tier packages?
Next Steps
Usability testing of feature checklist
Only 30% of free trial users are exploring at least one feature via the checklist, implying poor discoverability or preference for self-paced exploration. Usability testing will be crucial to uncovering context around how the checklist contributes to the new experience.
Enhancement of post-trial journey
The success of the free trial brings opportunities to extend user delight beyond its final day. These include data continuity, customer outreach and win-back promotions. In short—how can we help users who don't convert?
