Have you ever thought, why do even the finest SaaS products struggle to hit their target signup rates? We spoke with the global UI/UX design expert team Wavespace to get to the root of the problem.
The problem? It isn't your product. It's the user experience (UX) between landing on your website and then signing up with.
You might have a great product, competitive pricing, and strong marketing campaigns. The real challenge is turning those visitors into conversions (sign up, explore your product, subscribe).
And, many of them lose visitors right at the finish line of the signup page.
A confusing signup form, unclear call-to-action (CTA), hidden pricing, or unexpected credit card request can make your potential customers leave before they experience your product's value.
Below are seven common SaaS UX mistakes with how exports deal with them to fix. We Listed them based on impact on signup conversion.
Asking for Personal Details Before Users Experience Your Product
Imagine, you're discovering a promising project management tool that offers a 14-day free trial.
You click "Start Free Trial," to explore its features firsthand before going to paid plans. But, the next screen asks for your credit card number, billing address, and payment information.
Would you continue?
Maximum will leave because they aren't ready to share financial information with a product they haven't even tested.
This is one of the most important SaaS onboarding mistakes, particularly for self-service products targeting individuals, freelancers, or small businesses.
Why it hurts your signup rate
- New visitors haven't developed trust in your product. Asking for payment details too early introduces financial commitment before users understand what they're getting.
- Even if the trial is free, users may worry about automatic renewals, unexpected charges, or forgetting to cancel.
According to the Baymard Institute study, 17% of surveyed online shoppers had abandoned a checkout because it was too long or complicated.
How to fix it
- Offer a free trial without requiring credit card details when your business model allows it. You can max require a simple 2-3 steps or using a direct google account.
- Ask for payment information only when users upgrade or select a paid subscription. And, offer all the possible and reliable payment methods.
- Clearly mention the free trial duration, limitations, and cancellation terms.
- If a card is required, explain exactly when charges begin and how cancellation works.
For example: Notion allows users to begin using its free workspace without providing credit card information. Users can experience the product before deciding whether they need paid features.
Asking for Too Many Fields During Signup
Your signup form is to collect user information that you actually need to further contact (email campaign) to the visitor.
Suppose, you’re signing up for an AI writing assistant. You’re asking for an email address, full name, job title, industry. For the writer tool, this 4 info is good enough from both ends.
But, if it requires you to fill your phone number, team size, and business website url, years of writing, then it definitely starts overwhelming.
Because, that's a lot of work just to try a writing tool. Every additional field makes someone abandon the signup process.
Why it hurts your signup rate
- Long forms increase the time and effort required to create an account.
- Sometimes, we use the tool for the first time in a hurry or want to use it for just a while.
According to Baymard Institute's 2024 research, the average ecommerce checkout contained 11.3 form fields, although most sites could complete checkout with around eight.
How to fix it
- Start with the most essential fields (email, name, industry).
- Offer Google, Microsoft, or another relevant single sign-on option.
- Replace extra fields where the user has to type with a checked or selection option.
- Add a “skip” button for optional fields that make users to think before signups
For example: Canva lets first-time users sign up quickly with “Continue with Google.” After signing in, it asks a few optional personalization questions like what they plan to use Canva for to recommend custom templates. Still, users can skip these questions and start designing immediately.
CTAs Feel Like Command; Don't Reflect Clear Value
Your CTAs are supposed to guide visitors toward the next action.
But many SaaS websites use CTA buttons like "Submit," "Get Started," or "Continue". These CTAs hit users as commands not offering values. Visitors also don’t get what will happen after they click.
For example, a visitor exploring an enterprise analytics platform. When he sees the "Get Started" button, he gets confused if it opens a free account, schedules a sales call, or requests payment.
Why it hurts your signup rate
- A first-time visitor researching a complex enterprise solution may prefer "Book a Demo." or "Start Free Trial." than "Subscription Plans”
- Using the same CTA for everyone can create a mismatch. A beginner wants a demo, an urgent user needs to free start first.
How to fix it
- Replace generic button labels with specific, valued language (free, demo)
- Use one clear primary CTA after each section that matches product's buying journey (start with demo, then free trails, then pro plans)
- Use long tail CTA (Start 14 days free trial with 3 clicks) to explain what users receive after clicking.
Product Price Hide Until Users Contact Sales
Pricing is one of the first things customers look for especially when it's a SaaS product.
Some SaaS websites hide the pricing on purpose. They think, if customers see the pricing at the front, they will leave even without checking its worth.
But, it’s not the case. When pricing is hidden, users automatically assume your product is either extremely expensive or it has high-pressure sales tactics. They will quickly bounce to a competitor who clearly displays their rates.
Why it hurts your signup rate
- Before creating an account, users want to understand what the product will cost if they go for paid plans.
- When visitors cannot find the cost information, they assume it is high and go to competitors with clearer pricing.
How to fix it
- Display pricing plans prominently in your website navigation with all tiers.
- Explain which features are included in each plan with a clear money back guarantee limit.
- Make monthly and annual billing differences clear and annual purchase discount.
- For enterprise plans, provide starting prices. Also, explain the custom quote when possible.
For example: Software like Mailchimp and Zoom prominently list clear, multi-tiered pricing plans (including Free, Pro, and Business options). So, the visitors can immediately identify which bucket fits their usage level without waiting for an email response from an account representative.
Poor User Experience Throughout the Signup Journey
A SaaS website can look visually impressive and still deliver a frustrating signup experience.
Imagine you click on "Create Account" on a marketing automation platform. The signup page loads slowly, the password requirements aren't explained, and an error message appears after you submit the form.
Worse, the error clears everything you've already entered. Even motivated visitors may abandon the process.
Why it hurts your signup rate
- Poor signup UX increases frustration and makes simple tasks unnecessarily difficult.
- Slow loading, confusing navigation, unclear instructions, and broken form interactions can interrupt the conversion journey.
How to fix it
- Display validation errors right beside the relevant fields to fix instantly.
- Store previously entered information when errors occur.
- Optimize loading speed and responsiveness.
Mobile Signup CTAs Are Hidden or Difficult to Tap
Your SaaS website might look perfect on desktop, but what happens when someone visits it from a smartphone?
The headline fits. The product screenshots look good. But the signup button is hidden inside the navigation menu or pushed far below the visible screen.
Some websites also use small buttons that are difficult to tap accurately. These problems make mobile visitors work harder to create an account.
Why it hurts your signup rate
- Mobile users interact with websites differently from desktop visitors. They navigate smaller screens, use touch controls, and may be browsing while distracted.
- When the primary CTA is difficult to find or interact with, users can lose interest to reach the signup page.
How to fix it
- Make the primary signup CTA visible near the top of the mobile page.
- Consider a sticky CTA on long landing pages when it doesn't block content.
- Avoid popups or banners that cover important conversion elements.
For example: Todoist uses a sticky header button on mobile browsers so the "Start for Free" CTA stays pinned at the top as visitors scroll. This gives mobile users an easy, 48px thumb-friendly target anywhere on the page without forcing them to scroll back up.
Missing Trust Signals (Social Proof) at Conversion Points
Visitors may understand your SaaS product, like its features, and find its pricing reasonable. But one question remains: Can they trust it?
This matters especially for new SaaS startups without established brand recognition.
Let’s compare 2 scenario. One has an attractive website but provides no customer reviews, recognizable clients, security information, or real product examples.
The other includes customer testimonials, relevant case studies, and clear information about data protection.
The second platform gives visitors more evidence to evaluate before signing up.
Why it hurts your signup rate
- SaaS accounts often involve sharing personal information, company data, or access to business workflows.
- Visitors need confidence that the product is legitimate and capable of delivering its promises.
How to fix it
- Place relevant customer testimonials near signup CTAs.
- Show real customers (reviews, rating) on trusted social platforms with images, videos.
- Highlight verified ratings or review-platform profiles.
- Link to case studies demonstrating real customer outcomes.
For example: Basecamp puts real customer reviews, star ratings, and total signup numbers right next to its registration form. This quickly proves to new visitors that thousands of other teams already use and trust their product.
How to Identify Which UX Mistakes Are Hurting Your SaaS Signup Rate
There’re hundreds of UX mistakes designers do in SaaS signup pages along with this mentioned 7. But, it’s not like you have all of them or it’s not even a practical solution to fix every UX issue at once.
We talked with global design experts from Wavespace UX agency. They did it in the best way. They don’t guess, they simply measure the clients’ conversion funnel data and track exactly where they leave the signup page.
So, the experts track the complete journey from landing page visits to successful account creation with these common matrics:
Funnel stage | What to measure | Potential UX problem |
Landing page | Primary CTA click rate | Unclear value or CTA |
Pricing page | Exit and plan-selection rates | Pricing confusion |
Signup form | Form start and completion rates | Excessive fields |
Account creation | Error and abandonment rates | Validation or technical friction |
Mobile signup | Mobile vs. desktop completion | Hidden or difficult CTAs |
Free trial | Trial activation rate | Premature billing or poor onboarding |
Your primary metric should be the SaaS signup conversion rate:
SaaS Signup Rate = ( Completed Signups / Eligible Visitors ) × 100
For example, if 5,000 visitors reach your signup landing page and 200 successfully create accounts, your signup conversion rate is 4%.
You can then compare conversion rates across devices, acquisition channels, and different signup experiences. You can use session recordings, funnel analytics, usability testing, and A/B experiments to understand why users leave.
Final Thoughts
Your SaaS signup rate doesn't depend on one button, form, or landing page.
Asking for payment details too early, using unnecessarily long forms, hiding pricing, and making mobile CTAs difficult to find can all end up with returning back from your page.
The goal of SaaS UX optimization isn't simply to make your website look better. It's to help users understand your product, trust your business, and complete signup without unnecessary effort.
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