Why Your SaaS Isn’t Getting Sign-Ups (And How to Fix It)

Have you ever cooked a great bowl of noodles, placed it on the table, and then watched nobody touch it?

That’s what a lot of new SaaS founders feel when the “Sign Up” counter stays stuck at zero.

The product is live. The website loads. The “Register” button works. But strangers still pass by.

Below is a plain-talk road map—no fancy buzzwords—that explains why sign-ups stall and what to do next. It’s written so even a high-school freshman with broken Wi-Fi can keep up, but it also has enough meat for grown-up founders to take action.

1. People Don’t Know You Exist

What’s happening?

You quietly shipped your app, shared it on a single Discord server, sent two tweets, and hoped magic would happen. That’s like opening a lemonade stand in a back alley and then asking why no one buys lemonade.

Quick fixes

Show up where users hang out. If your tool helps day traders, be active in r/WallStreetBets, StockTwits, and X (Twitter) threads about charts. Comment with real help, not ads.

Give value before the ask. Write short tips, record 30-second screenshares, answer mini problems. People notice helpers faster than sellers.

Borrow other people’s stages. Join podcasts, guest-write on small newsletters, or partner with micro-influencers who have real engagement (even 2 k followers can be gold).

2. Your Promise Is Fuzzy

What’s happening?

Visitors can’t tell in five seconds who the tool helps, what it does, and why it matters. Teen brains and busy adults both scroll fast. If the headline feels like a riddle, they bail.

Quick fixes

Fill in this blank: “My tool helps [who] do [task] in [time] with less [pain].”

Example: “Helps Shopify sellers write product descriptions in 60 seconds without blank-page stress.”

Show, don’t tell. Replace stock photos with a GIF or 10-second video of the app solving one real problem.

Cut adjectives. Words like “innovative,” “future-ready,” or “game-changing” feel empty. Stick to facts.

3. The Wrong People Are Visiting

What’s happening?

Your ads, SEO posts, or social content pull the curious crowd, not the buyer crowd. So you get page views, just not registrations.

Quick fixes

Check traffic sources. If 70 % of visitors come from TikTok videos titled “Tech memes,” odds are they’re lurking for laughs, not SaaS trials.

Use intent keywords. Write blog posts around searches like “alternatives to [big tool]” or “best free [task] software”—these folks are closer to buying.

Add filters to your ad targeting. Location, job title, and even device (desktop vs. mobile) help you narrow reach to real prospects.

4. Sign-Up Flow Feels Like Homework

What’s happening?

Visitors click “Start Free Trial,” then meet a 12-field form, e-mail confirmation, forced credit card, and three dreaded words: “Verify your account.” Attention spans die.

Quick fixes

Trim the form. For most trials, you only need name, e-mail, and password. Ask for company size later.

Skip the card. If you can, let users try without payment details. Stripe metrics show free-to-paid upgrades jump when friction drops.

Progress bar. When you can’t shorten steps, at least show clear progress (Step 1 of 3). People hate endless tunnels.

5. Onboarding Leaves Users Lost

What’s happening?

Users land in a blank dashboard. No guide. No sample data. It feels like opening Minecraft with zero blocks or tools. They close the tab, never to return.

Quick fixes

First-use checklist. A tiny pop-up that says “1. Add your first project → 2. Invite a teammate → 3. Generate report.”

Seed accounts with fake data. Let them see a finished report so they grasp the finish line.

Short emails (not essays). Day 1: a friendly “Need hand?” note. Day 3: one tip. Day 7: success story. Keep each under 60 words and one link.

6. Pricing Feels Scary or Confusing

What’s happening?

Plans named “Starter,” “Pro,” and “Enterprise” tell nothing about limits. Or the cheapest tier jumps from $0 to $99, which feels like a cliff.

Quick fixes

Anchor with a middle plan. Three tiers work because brains like “not cheap, not pricey.” Label the middle one “Most Popular” if it truly is.

Use clear limits. “Up to 5 projects” > “Starter usage.” Transparency builds trust.

Public roadmap + money-back promise. If you’re new, offering refunds within 14 days lowers fear.

7. Trust Signals Are Missing

What’s happening?

Would you enter a dark shop in a strange city? Online trust works the same. If your footer and “About” page feel empty, visitors worry you’ll vanish next month.

Quick fixes

Real faces, real names. Even a tiny team page with selfies and one-line bios helps.

Third-party reviews. Embed actual tweets, Capterra badges, or Reddit shout-outs.

Security badges. “SOC 2 in progress” or “Data encrypted at rest” shows you respect their info.

8. Product-Market Fit Isn’t There Yet

What’s happening?

Sometimes the harsh truth is the market doesn’t hurt enough to pay, or someone else already eases that pain in a sharper way.

Quick fixes

Talk to unhappy folks. Book 15-minute calls with people who signed up then ghosted. Ask, “What job were you hoping my app would do?”

Study paid competitors. If they charge, they solved a pain worth money. Compare their main use case with yours; adjust if you’re off-target.

Niche down. Being “the Canva for everyone” rarely works at first. Being “the Canva for Twitch stream overlays” might.

9. Metrics Hide the Story

What’s happening?

You stare at total sign-ups but ignore smaller steps: visit → click → form → confirm → active. A leak at any stage can flatten the final number.

Quick fixes

Set up funnel events. Use a free tool like PostHog or Plausible. Measure each hop.

Run one test at a time. Change headline only, wait a week, then judge. Mixing changes muddies the result.

Celebrate small wins. If you raise click-to-form from 12 % to 18 %, that’s progress, even if overall sign-ups need more time.

10. Mindset: Expect a Long Game

Sports fans know rookies rarely score in their first season. SaaS is no different. Sign-ups often look like a flat line, then—after many tweaks—curve upward. Sticky growth beats quick bursts.

Habits to keep

Weekly review. Pick one metric, one hypothesis, one change.

Talk to real users every Friday. Ten minutes of blunt feedback often saves weeks of guessing.

Ship tiny improvements. A color change on the “Start Trial” button may sound small, but 20 small shifts pile up.

Final Checklist

Before stressing about fancy marketing stunts, walk through this list:

✅ Clear, fast promise?
✅ Right people landing?
✅ Registration painless?
✅ Onboarding guided?
✅ Pricing fair and simple?
✅ Proof you’ll be around
✅ Actual need in the market?

If you can’t answer “yes” to each, start there. Fixes may feel boring, but boring tasks pay rent. Keep showing up, keep talking to users, and keep trimming friction. Sign-ups come when value meets clarity and ease.

Want more tips? Follow our journey on Instagram and LinkedIn—short clips, real numbers, and zero fluff because growth feels better when everybody can see the playbook.