You're not alone if you’re struggling to convert traffic into users.  Many SaaS companies find it hard to make paid ad campaigns profitable.

When it comes to digital adverting for SaaS platforms, conversion rate optimization (CRO) is often overlooked.  But understanding CRO principles can quickly improve your return on ad spend.

Here's how you can use CRO effectively to power up your PPC performance, inspired by our real-life case study.

Does Google Ads Work for SaaS?

First things first - does Google Ads even work for SaaS companies? The short answer is yes, but only if you do it right. Google Ads can be a powerful tool to reach potential customers who are actively searching for solutions like yours. But without a solid CRO strategy, you might be wasting your ad spend.

Knowing what strategies work and don’t work for each platform will make a huge difference in your conversion rates.

Let's look at a real life example.

SaaS Landing Page Conversion Rates Case Study

One of our clients has a niche SaaS product. They were running Google Ads but struggling to convert clicks into new users.

So we stepped in to build them a conversion-focused landing page.  Here’s what happened after my client replaced their old landing page with the new one we built:

• This new page led to a 105.74% lift in conversions

• The page achieved a 26% click-through rate (CTR) on the call-to-action button

• Their Google PPC campaigns became profitable without increasing ad spend

Without A/B testing, the new page had performed significantly better than the old one, making their PPC efforts worth while.

This shows the power of CRO in making PPC work for SaaS. Now, let's break down some key strategies you can use.

Use DTR to Align PPC Keywords with Landing Page Headlines

Another strategy I thought was important to use for this client was setting up dynamic text replacement (DTR) for their new landing page.  

This means your landing page adapts to match what the user searched for. For example:

1. User searches for "CRO services"

2. Your default headline: "Top CRO Agency for SaaS Companies"

3. What they see: "Top CRO Services for SaaS Companies"

I’ve used DTR for many clients to get massive gains conversions, while also reducing cost-per-click.

Small strategies like this are important and have big effects, that’s why every package CompleteCRO offers gives you a full service CRO solution.

Best CRO SaaS Landing Page Enhancements

Try these strategies to boost your landing page performance:

1. Redirect new users/leads to a product walk-through video page

2. Add an FAQ section to answer additional questions and reduce uncertainty

3. Create custom graphic UI mock-ups that visually communicate your features (see example below)

CRO SaaS Landing Page Essentials

Every high-converting SaaS landing page should use these marketing principles:

1. A clear headline that sells the desired end-result

2. Positioning your SaaS as a painkiller to a problem

3. Social proof that proves results

4. Direct CTA text, ”try now” instead of “enhance your workflow” for example

5. A signup process that is as easy as possible for the user

CRO Best Practices for B2C SaaS Homepage

If you're in the B2C SaaS space and you have a solid amount of traffic coming to your homepage, try these homepage CRO strategies that I’ve used to convert more users from the homepage.

1. Use copywriting that is more clear than clever

2. Offer a free trial often

3. Use animations to increase content engagement

4. Briefly showcase your type products/features

5. Optimize for mobile users

Landing Page Waitlist for SaaS Crowdfunding

Creating a waitlist landing page for your SaaS crowdfunding campaign can be a powerful lead generation tool to find early adopters before your official launch.

I’ve done many SaaS waitlist pages, with a really high success rate.  So if your going to create a waitlist or run a crowdfunding start up, you’ll want to check out these tips.

The image below is from a campaign I ran for my own SaaS, which collected leads using a Klayvio form.

It was an extremely detailed detailed multi-step form, which allowed me to create multiple audience segments, and get deeper insights into the problems my audience was facing.  I recommend setting your waitlist form up to collect emails that:

• Are double opt-ins only

• Filled out all required fields, (in this case 10 form fields)

• Are valid emails.

• Have the exact problem that your software will solve.

It’s important to have a long, detailed form that collects as much data as possible.  Otherwise, you run the risk of collecting junk leads, which could damage your domain and email sending reputation.

Remember, your waitlist page is often the first impression potential backers will have of your SaaS product. Make it count by focusing on clear communication, building trust, and making sign-up as frictionless as possible.

A/B Testing SaaS PPC Landing Pages

Conducting A/B testing allows you to fine-tune your website, SaaS platform, and marketing efforts. It’s the fastest way to know what converts users into paid subscribers.

A/B testing is a powerful tool for optimizing your website, SaaS platform, and marketing efforts.

You'll want to check out Varify, which is an A/B testing tool that our agency uses to quickly launch tests for our clients.

When conducting A/B tests, remember to:

1. Test one thing at a time to isolate the impact of specific changes.

2. Run tests for a sufficient duration to gather statistically significant results.

3. Start with high-impact page elements that are likely to influence conversion rates.

4. Always have a clear hypothesis for each test.

When done correctly, A/B tests not only boost conversions but also give you insights into your customers.

Making ongoing adjustments based on comprehensive A/B tests isn’t just recommended; it’s essential for developing an understanding of your audience, refining your strategies, and ensuring that every dollar spent pushes you further towards your business goals.

Leveraging SaaS CRO experts at CompleteCRO can give your campaigns the best chance at high conversions, out of the gate.

B2B SaaS PPC Tracking Tips

Good data is the foundation of good CRO. SaaS companies should make sure they are tracking:

• User journeys through your site

• Where people drop off

• Which features new users engage with

• Time to first value

Setting up your analytic tracking correctly is crucial to helping you make sense of your data, so that you can discover more opportunities for enhancing performance.

KPIs and CRO Metrics That Matter Most for SaaS Companies

Each performance metric, from signup rate to purchase rate, impacts your customer acquisition cost (CAC) and revenue.

To improve conversions, you need to measure the right things.  Here are key metrics for your SaaS team to pay attention to:

Important self-serve SaaS conversion metrics:

• First visit engagement

• Free trial signups

• Time to value

• Product activation

• DAU/MAU

• Subscription checkout rate

• Plan upgrade rates

Important Enterprise SaaS conversion metrics:

• First visit date

• Demo request rates

• Sales call conversions

Remember, high signups don't always mean success, you have to look at the whole picture.  That’s why enriching your data with custom analytic tracking is crucial to your CRO efforts.

SaaS Analytics & Tracking Setup Tips

Tracking B2B SaaS PPC campaigns can be tricky. Here are some tips:

1. Use UTM parameters to track which campaigns and ads are driving conversions
2. Set up conversion tracking in Google Ads
3. Use tools like Mixpanel or Amplitude to track user behaviour post-signup

What's a Good Google Ads Click-Through Rate for SaaS?

A good CTR for SaaS Google Ads can vary, but generally:

• Search ads: 5-10% is good, 10%+ is excellent

• Display ads: 0.5-1.5% is good

Remember, CTR isn't everything. A high CTR with low conversions might mean your ad copy doesn't match your landing page.

Key Takeaways:

1. Conversion-focused landing pages can deliver significant lifts in conversions for SaaS businesses.

2. Aligning PPC ad keywords with landing page headlines using DTR is a powerful strategy.

3. Tracking and analysing your CRO efforts are crucial for unlocking valuable insights.

4. Identify and focus on the right metrics to improve your conversion rates.

5. A/B testing, when done correctly, can provide deep customer insights and boost conversions.

Remember, the efforts you put into CRO will yield long-term benefits for your SaaS business. With the right strategies, you can convert higher, drive business growth, and save ad-spend.

Get Help With SaaS PPC Optimization Today

We do full service landing page builds at CompleteCRO for dedicated Google Ads, Meta ads, and other paid advertising campaigns. If you're struggling with profitability for your PPC campaigns, we can help you.