“I can create anything but people don’t convert”

When demand exists but dollars don't

Let's play doctor for your SaaS. You've shipped. You've hustled up some traffic. Maybe you even have a nice pile of free signups. And yet… the paid user number isn't moving.

This is the moment where ambition meets reality. As one founder confessed on Reddit:

"I can create anything I can think of, that even people want, but I can't drive traffic or convert into paid users… Got 100+ free signups for a language learning website… people love the product but they don't convert. It's a hard niche + hard to convert. I want to start other projects but I know I'm not gonna be able to get users even if my product is great. I'm kinda lost. With all this experience and ambition I want to achieve something but I'm stuck."

Those 100+ signups tell us something important. People are feeling some pressure to learn German. But what's actually pushing them to learn right now? That's the key ingredient we're missing.

Supply vs demand: why features aren't enough

Let's get clear about what we're really dealing with:

• Demand isn't just "wanting to learn German." It's the specific situation forcing someone to learn right now. Maybe it's a B1 exam in 3 months. Or a dream job requiring German fluency. Or meeting the future in-laws. That situation is what creates real demand.
• Supply is what you put in front of these people. Right now, it's "1000+ German questions." But these questions only matter if they solve the specific situation driving someone to learn.

Someone cramming for a B1 exam needs very different things than someone learning for work. Their urgency levels, their focus areas, even their willingness to pay - it all stems from their situation.

Why "doing more" isn't the answer (unless you know why they came)

When folks aren't converting, we rush to add more features. More questions. More exercises. More content. We think we need to grind harder.

But adding features without understanding the situation they’re in is like throwing darts blindfolded. Worse, it can actively hurt your chances of conversion. When users see features that don't match their situation, they start to doubt if you really understand their needs.

For example, someone preparing for a B1 exam doesn't want "fun casual conversation practice." It signals you might not be the serious solution they need. This doubt creates resistance to switching from whatever they’re currently doing and paying for your hard work.

The mismatch becomes evident in your features and your messaging. You might have built the perfect B1 exam prep tool, but if you're marketing it as "general German learning," exam takers won't see themselves in the outcome you're promising. Both your product and your message need to speak directly to their situation.

Let’s look at these real situations:

• "I need to pass B1 in 3 months to keep my visa"
• "I'm interviewing at German tech companies next quarter"
• "I want to understand my German partner's family at Christmas"

Each situation needs different form of solution. Each has different levels of urgency. Each requires different messaging.

Is your offer irresistible to the right situation?

Let's run a quick diagnosis:

• What situations are your free users actually in? (Check their onboarding responses, forum posts, support tickets)
• Does your headline speak to a specific situation? ("1000+ German questions" vs "Pass your B1 exam in 30 days")
• Are you showing the right features to the right situations? (Exam takers need practice tests, job seekers need industry vocab)
• When do different types of users typically convert? (Exam deadline vs ongoing learning)

Picking your battles: Not all gaps are created equal

Before you rush to create landing pages for every situation, let's talk strategy. Different situations create different gaps between current state and desired outcome. These gaps often directly impact what users will pay to bridge them.

Let's break down our German learner situations:

B1 exam takers:

• Current state: Risk of visa rejection or missed career opportunity
• Desired outcome: Passing score within strict deadline
• Gap characteristics: High stakes, clear deadline, specific requirements
• Business potential: Higher price point, predictable buying window

Technical job seekers:

• Current state: Missing out on career opportunities
• Desired outcome: Confident German communication in professional context
• Gap characteristics: Career stakes, medium-term timeline, specific vocabulary needs
• Business potential: Premium pricing, steady demand

Casual learners / relationship builders:

• Current state: Basic communication barriers with friends/family
• Desired outcome: Better social connection and cultural understanding
• Gap characteristics: Lower immediate pressure, ongoing need
• Business potential: Lower price point but longer retention

Your choice depends on your goals:

• Want higher revenue per user? B1 exam prep might be your sweet spot
• Building for steady subscriptions? Professional learners could be your base
• Prefer larger market with lower acquisition costs? Casual learners might fit

The key is matching the gap's characteristics with your business model. A $200/month B1 prep program might work because the stakes justify the investment. But that same price for casual learning? Good luck.

Rescue steps: How to match situations to offers

1. Map your user situations. Look at your free users. What's actually pushing them to learn? Group similar situations together.
2. Create situation-specific promises:
   • B1 exam takers: "Complete B1 practice coverage with mock speaking tests"
   • Job seekers: "Technical German for your industry, focused on interview prep"
   • Relationship builders: "Daily conversation practice with native speakers"
3. Test targeted landing pages. Create pages that speak directly to each situation. Watch which converts better. If you have multiple, bet on the one that you’re most confident on delivering on right now. Don’t get bogged down.
4. Adjust your funnel. Different situations need different onboarding. Someone with a B1 deadline needs to see progress fast.

Your next 24-hour conversion diagnosis

If you have signups, you've caught people in certain situations. The key to conversion isn't just building more - it's understanding what situation brought them to you, then showing them exactly how you'll help them through it.

Here's your immediate action plan:

1. Open your user communication tool (Intercom, email, etc.)
2. Send this exact message to your last 20 free signups: "Quick question - what made you want to sign up today?"
3. Create a simple spreadsheet with three columns:
   • "Situation" (What they tell you)
   • "Urgency Signals" (Look for: deadlines, risks, costs of delay)
   • "Urgency Score" (High: must solve within 30 days, Medium: 1-3 months, Low: someday)
4. As responses come in, group similar situations together
5. Pick the situation that appears most often AND scores "High" on urgency (Examples: "visa expires soon", "job interviews next month", "losing customers daily")

Within 24 hours, you'll have real data to reposition your offer. No more guessing what might convert - you'll know exactly which situation to target first.