using trials to launch

[wintamu]

Hey guys I have developed a web application. I wanted know what is the best method to launch it. Can I use low prices at the start or offer trials for the first customers that come and buy the product. Which will be the most effective way of launching the application?

[0maha]

I think the answer to this will depend entirely on the nature of the application. You'll need to provide some more details.

[MKarp]

I would start off with a Minimum Viable Product and use it to get feedback from people.

Give away a free aspect of your app, but not so much that it's a free trial, and just see what people think of it. If they love that aspect, introduce another one, and so on an so forth. You'll slowly build up a following of people who love what you've come up with and are waiting for the next version.

Eventually, launch your paid application, ask people to share it with their friends and coworkers, and you're off to the races!

From what I read, this is how Buffer started out. In combination with tons of guest posts to drum up some buzz, they were wildly successful with it.

[HooktoWin]

Hey wintamu, congrats on your web app!

If I were in your position here's what I'd do.

Step #1: Build an audience via guest posting, writing, ads, etc.. I'd want my audience to be filled with my target audience and nothing else. This never stops.
Step #2: Create a freemium option that I can introduce users to and make that offer ridiculously easy to sign-up for.
Step #3: Integrate my app with as many relevant applications (via their API) as possible as long as they meet the following conditions. (a.) their target audience is the same (or very similar) to mine. (b.) their app complements mine.
Step #4: Create a free complementary tool that leads to my paid product (e.g. hubspot created marketing grader, which led to their paid product).
Step #5: Create an email offer or follow-up bait piece for the tool or resource in step #4. Create content that eventually leads to your main, freemium app in step #2.
Step #6: Use remnant/remainder ads + remarketing ads to drive a ton of cheap yet highly relevant traffic to the app in step 4.

Then I'd do my best to scale all of this as quickly as possible. This isn't everything I'd do but it's an aggressive start. This of course assumes that you have a viable product as MKarp mentioned.

All the best,

Andrew