Trial-to-paid conversion rate is a key metric for SaaS businesses, but traditional methods of calculation can sometimes obscure meaningful insights. By using cohorts, you can track conversions more effectively and understand how long it takes for users to upgrade to paid plans.
In this article, we’ll demonstrate how to use cohort analysis to compare short-term and long-term trial-to-paid conversion rates.
Before you begin
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Understand how ChartMogul calculates trial-to-paid conversion rates.
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Learn how to apply filters and segmentation in ChartMogul.
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Review the basics of cohort analysis.
Comparing short-term and long-term conversion rates
- Navigate to Trial-to-Paid Conversion Rate.
- Click the Apply a filter or saved segment button and select Trial-to-paid in days from the drop-down.
- Choose the is less than operator and define the number of days, e.g., 30.
- Click Add.
- Repeat steps 2–4 to create another segment with the filter is more than 90 days.
You can now compare your 30-day trial-to-paid conversion rate against your 90-day trial-to-paid conversion rate.
The result should look like this.
Analysis
In this example, we can observe:
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Variance in conversion speed: Some users convert quickly within the first 30 days, while others take longer to decide.
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Delayed conversion trends: A notable percentage of users upgrade to a paid plan after the typical trial period, indicating the importance of post-trial engagement.
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Impact of trial nurturing: Follow-up campaigns and extended trials may positively influence conversions beyond the initial 30-day window.
Next Steps
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Apply the same segments to the MRR Chart to analyze revenue growth from trial conversions.
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Compare conversion rates by customer segment (e.g., small businesses vs. enterprises).
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Experiment with different trial lengths and assess the impact on conversion.
Share Your Insights
Have you discovered an interesting trend using trial-to-paid cohorts? Share your findings with us!