You totally understand the importance of test driving a new vehicle just before signing on the dotted line, but what about things you buy on the web, like online services, software, subscriptions, site memberships or other digital goods?

Many online vendors offer private and business consumers the ability to take advantage of a free, time-limited trial.
The reason? It’s a great promotional method that increases exposure, user traffic, and sales.
A great product sells itself and can easily convert trial subscribers into paying customers.

As a consumer, you also have good reasons to try anything you can, before you buy.
Without further ado, here are five of them.

Get the First-Hand Experience

Signing up for a trial can help you evaluate the true value of a given product or service in terms of quality, usefulness, effectiveness, ease of use, feature richness, value for money and other important aspects that matter to you.

This opportunity can help you better understand what the service, product or tool can actually do for you, how it functions in real time, and how you can personally benefit from using it.
Discovering the true advantages and disadvantages of service can help you make a well-informed decision, based on your own experience and insights.

Avoid Risk

Did you ever regret buying something? Did you ever wish you could go back in time and ‘undo’ a certain unsuccessful purchase?
Using free trials can help you avoid buyer’s remorse due to a poor buying decision.

When you take a product for a spin, you don’t need to rely on false or misleading adverting, marketing hype, unfounded claims, empty promises or your gut feeling – which may all fail you.
A proper test drive is a great safety measure that enables you to reduce or remove the risk barrier and buy with a high level of confidence.

Test Not Only the Product But Also the Support

Some companies seem to have good products but offer terrible support.
During the evaluation period, free trailers can contact customer support with questions, problems, technical difficulties, and other issues and get a clear idea of how it performs.

Get Confidence

Many consumers are afraid to make buying decisions due to psychological reasons.
Issues like uncertainty, fear of the unknown and anxiety from the consequences of a bad transaction can prevent people from purchasing something they really need or want.
Signing up for a free trial can minimize ‘cold feet’ situations and reduce the fear of making a bad deal or a costly mistake.

You Have Nothing to Lose

A free trial costs nothing, so other than time – you have nothing to lose.
There is no obligation and no commitment of any kind – so why shouldn’t you try out what a company offers?

Just before You Sign Up – Here Are a Few Short Tips:

• Read the terms and conditions carefully before starting any free trial.
  Make sure there are no unpleasant surprises in the fine print.
• Check if the trial imposes any restrictions.
  Some offers provide full access to the product, service or content, while others impose certain limitations.
• Check if billing information is required.
  Some offers require credit card details, while others don’t.
• Check the trial’s length before signing up.
  Is it enough to properly test and evaluate all the features of the product?
• Can you trust the company?
  Avoid free trials from shady and untrustworthy sources.