Rescuing a High-Churn SaaS with Onboarding

Company: FitTrack (Fitness App SaaS)

TTM Metrics:

  • Revenue: $900k
  • Profit: $90k (10% Net Margin)
  • Churn Rate: 12% monthly
  • Activation Rate (Day 7): 40%
  • Ad Spend: $200k/year
  • Free Trial-to-Paid Conversion: 6%

Current Scenario

Pricing & Features:

Basic Plan ($19/month):

  • 50 workout videos
  • Generic meal plans
  • Progress tracking

Premium Plan ($29/month)

  • 200 workouts
  • Custom meal plans
  • Live chat support

Ad Strategy:

  • Ran Instagram/Facebook ads with influencers doing flashy workouts (e.g., “Get Shredded in 30 Days!”).
  • Landing page headline: *“Join 500k+ Users Transforming Their Lives!”

Customer Feedback:

  • “I did 3 workouts and got bored – no structure.”
  • “Meal plans didn’t account for my dietary restrictions.”

Diagnostic Process

1. Funnel Leakage:

  • Problem 1: Ads had 3% CTR (high) but 6% trial-to-paid (low) → Overpromised “transformation” but underdelivered quick results.
  • Problem 2: 60% of users never logged a meal → Generic plans felt irrelevant.
  • Problem 3: No post-trial nurturing → Users forgot to upgrade

2. User Journey Map:

  • Day 1: Signup → Overwhelmed by 50 workout choices.
  • Day 3: No progress → Churn risk spiked

Problems in Detail

1. Onboarding Overload

  • Dumped users into a library of 50 workouts with no guidance.
  • Meal plans ignored allergies/preferences (e.g., vegan, gluten-free)

2. Ad-to-Experience Mismatch

  • Ads showed dramatic transformations but offered no structured path to replicate them

3. Silent Post-Trial Funnel

  • No emails reminding users to upgrade after trial ended.

Command Growth Solutions

1. “7-Day Quick Start Challenge”:

  • Day 1: “20-Min Fat Burn” video (guaranteed 300+ calories).
  • Day 3: “Measure Progress” guide (photos, waistline tracking).
  • Day 7: “Upgrade to Save 50%” offer.

2. Personalized Meal Engine:

  • Added a 30-second quiz (dietary needs, goals) to generate custom plans.

3. Post-Trial “FOMO” Sequence:

  • Email 1 (Trial Ended): “Your 50% Discount Expires in 48 Hours!”
  • Email 2 (Day 3): “Last Chance: We’ll Add a FREE Recipe Book.”

Implementation Steps

1. Week 1-2:

  • Film 7-Day Challenge videos (hire fitness influencers: $1k).
  • Build meal quiz with Typeform ($50/month).

2. Week 3-4:

  • Update ads to “Follow Our 7-Day Challenge – Or Get 200% Refund.”
  • Retarget inactive trial users with “Day 3 Progress Check” emails

3. Week 5-6:

  • A/B test discount offers (40% vs. 50% vs. free recipe book