As part of the daily advertising of a product or service, we usually encounter an offer often called "Free Trial", which is a specific free trial period that allows you to use all the benefits of the service for a limited period before buying the service or upgrading your subscription. What is the philosophy of this type of offer? How does it impact on the customer decision?

This type of offer adopts the idea of Changing the Customer's Awareness of the Product. Once the customer understands the benefit of this product and how it can facilitate his life, he will realize his need to own it. The free trial period allows the customer to realize this. This is the most important period for the service provider to serve this potential customer as much as possible. The service provides the full benefits of the product to highlight its strength and accompanied by a superior service and care no less than those provided to the actual customer. The free trial will be the experience of having the service or product in real terms. Providing an excellent user experience inevitably affects the decisive decision about whether to purchase or not, as it shows the potential customer the problems that this product will solve for him.

For example, we look at an experiment conducted by Seth Godin when he founded Warby Parker, which facilitated the purchase of high-quality glasses at affordable prices. However, selling glasses or tangible products in general on the internet was a major challenge at the time, as customers did not have the opportunity to try and choose glasses, which made many people reluctant at first, in addition to the presence of other companies that are more famous in the market.

So what did Warby Parker do to overcome this problem?

The company launched a free shipping service, so that five different glasses are shipped to try at home, choose between them and return the rest. The idea was as follows: Have you tried the product and realized your need for it? Now you have to choose between continuing to own this product or returning it. If the customer senses this need and has the purchasing power, he will most likely not miss this opportunity.

The philosophy of free trial is based on the idea that potential customers need to try the product or service before they can make the final decision about buying the product. This philosophy aims to facilitate the purchase process and reduce the level of risk associated with purchasing. A potential customer can use the product for a few days or weeks before paying any money. This approach allows potential customers to evaluate the product and its satisfaction of their needs and expectations, and determine whether it is worth buying or not.

It helps attract more potential customers, motivates them to experience the product, and helps build trust between the company and customers who can assess their quality, effectiveness, and suitability for their needs.

To conclude, one of the major rules of marketing is changing the customer's perception of the product. There is a direct relationship here: the more the consumer realizes the positive impact of the product on their life, the more they realize how much they need it. Now you know why you have a free pre-payment trial in most digital services, and the question remains…

Did this service really help you develop your awareness and decision making about the services or products offered?