Can SaaS Boost User Activation by Removing the Homepage?

Imagine visiting a website and being able to use the product right away, without any sign-ups or sales pitches. That's exactly what Rows, a spreadsheet software company, decided to do. They made a bold choice to remove their homepage completely. We had an interview with them recently on this topic.

Most companies have a homepage that explains what they do. But Rows thought, "Why not let people try our product immediately?" So when you go to their website, you see the actual spreadsheet, ready to use.

This unusual idea worked amazingly well for Rows:

1. 75% more people started using their product

2. They grew from 50,000 users to 1,000,000 in just one year

By letting people jump right in and try their spreadsheet, Rows grew much faster than before. They showed that sometimes, the best way to get new users is to let them experience the product firsthand.

Rows' success makes us wonder: Could other companies grow faster by letting people try their products right away too?

Company Background

Rows is a spreadsheet software company competing in a market dominated by industry giants like Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Founded with the mission to update and improve the traditional spreadsheet, Rows focuses on three main value propositions:

1. Advanced data integration capabilities: Allowing users to connect their spreadsheets directly to various tools and live data sources.
   
   

2. AI-powered features: Leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance data analysis and interpretation.
   
   

3. A modern, document-like user interface: Offering a more intuitive and visually appealing design compared to traditional spreadsheets.

As Alberto Manassero, a key player at Rows, explains, "The first spreadsheet actually was born 40 years ago. I don't think there's any other software that managed to last so long before being disrupted, before getting a new, big update."

The Challenge

Like many SaaS companies, Rows faced the critical challenge of user activation - converting visitors into active users of their product. This challenge was particularly acute given their position as a newcomer in a market with deeply entrenched incumbents. Users were accustomed to their existing spreadsheet solutions, making it difficult for Rows to convince them to try, let alone switch to, a new platform.

Traditional methods of optimizing homepage content and design weren't yielding the desired results. The company needed a breakthrough to compete effectively and demonstrate their unique value proposition quickly and convincingly. They realized that no matter how well-crafted their homepage was, it was still a barrier between potential users and the actual product experience.

The Solution: The Loginless Revolution

Approximately one year ago, Rows made a decision that many would consider digital sacrilege: they completely removed their product homepage. Instead of being greeted by carefully crafted marketing messages and strategically placed call-to-action buttons, visitors to rows.com found themselves immediately immersed in a fully functional spreadsheet environment.

Key aspects of this strategy included:

• Immediate product access without sign-up barriers: Users could start using the product instantly, with only minor features requiring sign-up.
  
  

• In-product showcasing of key features: Upon landing, users see five panels that highlight Rows' main value propositions.
  
  

• Shift from marketing-led to product-led user acquisition: Instead of telling users about the product's benefits, Rows let users discover these benefits through hands-on experience.

As Alberto describes, "Once you type rows.com on your browser address bar, you will land immediately on the spreadsheet, a full working spreadsheet."

This approach embodied the "show, don't tell" principle in its purest form. Rather than explaining how Rows is different from traditional spreadsheets, they allowed users to discover these differences through immediate, hands-on experience.

Results and Impact

The impact of this strategy was nothing short of revolutionary:

1. Conversion Rate Increase: Rows saw their conversion rates skyrocket, jumping from 20% to an impressive 35% - a 75% improvement.
   
   

2. Explosive User Growth: In Alberto's words, "It took us more than four years to get 50K users and then one year to get 1,000,000." This hockey stick growth is the kind that startups dream of.
   
   

3. Reduced Time-to-Value: By removing the barriers between the user and the actual product experience, Rows dramatically shortened the time it took for users to experience the product's unique benefits.
   
   

4. Increased User Engagement: Although not quantified in the case study, Rows reported higher levels of user engagement, with users spending more time exploring the product's features.

Challenges and Adaptations

While highly successful, this approach also presented new challenges that Rows had to address:

1. Broader but potentially lower-intent traffic: By removing the homepage and allowing immediate access to the product, Rows lost the opportunity to qualify users and collect valuable information upfront.
   
   

2. Loss of upfront user qualification data: Without a traditional sign-up process, Rows had less information about their users at the outset.
   
   

3. Need to rethink the entire user onboarding journey: With the homepage gone, the product itself became the primary onboarding tool.

   To address these challenges, Rows implemented several adaptations:

   1. Focused on attracting high-intent traffic: As Alberto explains, "We need to bring high intent traffic to visit Rows for the first time. Not just leave everyone try, but obviously leave everyone try, but try to attract those niches and those targeted groups of users that are more likely to like Rows."
      
      

   2. Refined their target audience: Rows doubled down on attracting marketers, who are more likely to appreciate and utilize Rows' unique data integration capabilities.
      
      

   3. Implemented in-product onboarding: Through strategically placed tooltips, guided tours, and contextual help within the product itself, Rows guided users to experience their unique features.
      
      

   4. Delayed user outreach: Instead of immediate post-signup contact, Rows shifted to reaching out after 7 days or 4 sessions, when users were more likely to have experienced the product's value

Key Learnings

1. Challenging conventions can lead to breakthrough results: Rows' willingness to rethink a fundamental aspect of their user acquisition strategy led to exponential growth.
   
   

2. Minimizing friction in the user journey can dramatically impact activation rates: By removing barriers between the user and the product, Rows significantly increased their conversion rates.
   
   

3. A strong product can often speak for itself more effectively than marketing copy: Rows' success demonstrates the power of letting users experience a product's value firsthand.
   
   

4. Radical strategies may require rethinking multiple aspects of the user acquisition funnel: Rows had to adapt their entire approach to user onboarding and qualification.
   
   

5. Understanding and focusing on the ideal customer profile is crucial for success: By targeting marketers specifically, Rows was able to attract users who were most likely to benefit from their unique features.
   
   

6. Timing matters in user engagement: Rows found that delaying outreach until users had more time with the product led to better engagement and conversion rates.

The Bigger Picture: Rethinking SaaS Onboarding

Rows' loginless revolution is part of a broader trend in SaaS towards more frictionless user experiences. As users become more sophisticated and less patient with traditional sales and marketing approaches, there's a growing emphasis on letting products demonstrate their own value.

This shift challenges SaaS companies to rethink not just their homepages, but their entire approach to user acquisition and activation. It raises important questions about the balance between ease of access and user intent, and the role of traditional marketing in a product-led growth world.

Conclusion

Rows' bold strategy of killing their homepage in favor of immediate product access is a testament to the power of innovative thinking in SaaS. By trusting in their product and removing barriers to entry, they achieved explosive growth and challenged conventional wisdom about user activation.

While completely eliminating the homepage may not be the right move for every SaaS company, the underlying principles of reducing friction and letting the product shine are widely applicable. Companies across the SaaS landscape would do well to consider how they can apply these lessons to their own user acquisition and activation strategies.

As the SaaS industry continues to evolve, we may see more companies adopting similar approaches, ushering in a new era of product-led growth and user-centric design. Rows' loginless revolution isn't just about removing a homepage—it's about reimagining the entire user journey and putting unwavering faith in the product's ability to demonstrate its own value.