Interactive product demos help companies showcase their SaaS products to potential customers. In simple terms, they provide a simulation of your platform that allows the viewer to interact with it as if they were using it in real life. These demos can be accessed online, and users can be immersed in your platform, in a safe, controlled and engaging environment. They have a very low barrier to entry and are particularly effective in buyer-led sales environments.

Think of an interactive product demo as a sandbox environment that guides the viewer through a specific journey, while giving them the ability to test drive and get a feel for your product.

Why are Interactive Product Demos Important?

Interactive product demos are more effective than screenshots and videos in a few ways:

1. Improved Understanding: They provide a hands-on experience that helps your prospect understand your platform's functionality better. This deep understanding can lead to higher adoption rates and increased customer satisfaction.
2. Increased Engagement: They are more engaging than traditional marketing materials like videos or screenshots. The viewer is able to get a feel for your product, and can take their time to understand what each view of the userflow is doing, unlike a video walkthrough. This engagement can lead to higher conversion rates and a more significant impact on potential customers.
3. Customizable: They can be customized after recording to showcase specific features or use cases, making them an excellent tool for targeted marketing campaigns.
4. Higher Retention Rates: They are more memorable than traditional marketing materials because the user is using your product, leading to higher retention rates and increased brand awareness.
5. Competitive Advantage: They provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace by showcasing a company's software in a unique and engaging way, which is becoming really important in for Product Led Growth strategies and buyer-led purchasing environments.

How Do Interactive Product Demos Work?

You start by capturing a flow inside your SaaS app using a browser extension. Some tools will have you capture individual screens and map them together, or in HowdyGo's case, you start recording and just click your way through a flow. The tool captures and saves your platform as it appears in your browser, and stores all the files required to replay your app. Effectively, this creates a time-capsule of your flow.

The viewer can then interact with your platform in real-time, making adjustments and seeing how different features work together. Interactive product demos can also include pop-up tips and information boxes to provide additional context and information.

Your demos is be shared through your company's website or marketing materials. They can be integrated into your existing marketing strategy, providing a seamless experience for potential customers.

What Do Interactive Product Demos Look and Feel Like?

Great interactive product demos look and feel just like the real thing. They are full clones of a website and not screenshots or videos, meaning that each button and element is fully interactive just like on the original website. The best way to show this is of course with an interactive product demo, so here is one showing you how to create a new issue on one of our favourite software tools, Linear.

Interactive product demos are an excellent tool for companies looking to showcase their software products to potential customers. They provide a hands-on experience that helps users understand the functionality of your SaaS platform better, leading to higher adoption rates and increased customer satisfaction. They are customizable, engaging, and provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

By incorporating demonstrations of your sales environment in your marketing strategy, you can improve your conversion rates and increase brand awareness.