If you run a SaaS company, you know the drill: everyone wants product-led growth (PLG), but most tools are either confusing, overhyped, or both. This guide is for folks who actually have to pick a PLG tool, not just talk about it in meetings. I’ll walk you through what features really count, what’s just noise, and where Navattic fits in. If you’re tired of vague promises and want to see what’s worth your time, read on.
Why Product-Led Growth Tools Matter (And Where They Fall Short)
PLG tools promise to turn your product into the main driver of growth—think self-serve demos, interactive onboarding, and letting users “try before they buy.” The idea is good. In practice, a lot of PLG tools are clunky, tough to integrate, or just feel like marketing gimmicks. The right tool should help real users get value fast, not just create flashy tours for your homepage.
But don’t get distracted by shiny dashboards or AI-powered buzzwords. What you need is a tool that makes your product easier to try, easier to understand, and easier to buy.
1. Self-Serve Product Demos: Show, Don’t Tell
What to look for: - No-code or low-code setup: Your marketing and product teams should be able to build demos without waiting on engineers. - Realistic product experience: If a demo looks nothing like your actual product, users will bounce. The best tools let prospects use something close to the real thing. - Easy embedding: You want to put demos anywhere—website, landing pages, emails—not just on a single “demo” page. - Mobile and cross-browser support: People will try your demo on all sorts of devices. It better work, or you’ll lose trust fast.
Navattic’s take:
Navattic is one of the few tools that nails this. Their demos are no-code, quick to build, and can be dropped onto most websites with a simple embed. The interface is straightforward, not stuck in 2015. You can create step-by-step guides, highlight features, and even collect leads—all without needing a developer.
What’s missing:
If your product is super complex or needs real user data to shine, even the best demo tools will feel a bit fake. Don’t expect miracles. No PLG tool can turn a confusing product into an easy sell.
2. Analytics That Actually Help (Not Just Numbers for Numbers’ Sake)
What to look for: - Step-by-step drop-off: You need to see where users get stuck or bored in your demo or onboarding flow. - User-level data: It’s not enough to know “50% complete the demo.” Who are the 50%? Can you follow up? - Integration with your CRM/marketing stack: Data should flow to where your sales and marketing teams actually work.
Navattic’s take:
Navattic gives you detailed analytics on how users interact with each step of the demo. You get both aggregate stats and user-level tracking (with lead capture). The platform also plays well with tools like HubSpot and Salesforce, so you’re not stuck in another data silo.
What’s missing:
Like most tools, Navattic’s analytics are only as good as what you do with them. Overanalyzing demo drop-off rates won’t help if your product is just hard to demo. Fix the product first, then sweat the metrics.
3. Easy Customization Without Developer Headaches
What to look for: - Branded experiences: Your demo should look like your product, not like a generic template. - Conditional logic: Can you personalize the flow for different segments—say, new users vs. power users? - Localization and accessibility: Global SaaS? Your demo has to be usable everywhere.
Navattic’s take:
Navattic lets you brand your demos to match your app. You can add custom steps, tooltips, and even branch the experience based on user choices—a nice touch for tailoring demos. Localization is possible, but not automatic—you’ll need to do some manual work if you want multiple languages.
What’s missing:
If you want deep, automated personalization (like pulling live user data into the demo), you’ll hit limits. Most PLG tools, including Navattic, aren’t built for highly complex, dynamic demos.
4. Lead Capture That Doesn’t Annoy People
What to look for: - Optional, not forced: You want to capture leads, but don’t gate everything behind a form. - Flexible triggers: Can you prompt for contact info after a certain step, or only for certain flows? - Integrates with your workflow: Captured leads should go straight into your CRM, not an Excel file you forget about.
Navattic’s take:
Navattic lets you add lead forms at any point in your demo—before, after, or mid-flow. You can make them skippable or required. Integration with major CRMs is solid, so leads don’t get lost.
What’s missing:
If your sales team expects detailed qualification questions, you’ll need to balance that against the user experience. Long forms kill conversions. Navattic keeps it simple, but that may mean you’re not getting every detail up front.
5. Collaboration and Team Management
What to look for: - Multiple editors: Can your team work together on demos, or is it a solo affair? - Version control: Mistakes happen. Can you roll back changes if someone messes up? - Role-based permissions: Not everyone should have access to publish or edit live demos.
Navattic’s take:
Navattic supports multiple team members and basic permission controls. You can see who edited what and revert changes if needed—nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.
What’s missing:
If you’re running a huge org with strict approval chains, you might outgrow Navattic’s team features. For most SaaS teams, though, it’s enough.
6. Integrations: No More Data Islands
What to look for: - Plug-and-play with your stack: If a tool can’t talk to your CRM, analytics, and automation tools, skip it. - API access: For custom workflows, you’ll want an API, not just standard integrations. - Webhooks and notifications: Real-time updates are handy if you’re routing leads or triggering automations.
Navattic’s take:
Navattic integrates with the usual suspects: HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo, Zapier, and more. There’s webhook support for more advanced setups. If you need a public API for deep customization, check their docs—some limits exist, but most use cases are covered.
What’s missing:
Integrations are only as reliable as your process. If your marketing ops is a mess, no amount of Zapier magic will save you.
What Features Aren’t Worth Obsessing Over?
- AI “assistants” that write demos for you: These rarely produce anything you’d actually use.
- Gamification widgets: Flashy, yes. Useful? Not often.
- Ultra-detailed heatmaps: Fun to look at, but actionable insights are rare.
- Popup chatbots inside demos: Usually just distract from the product.
Bottom line: Stick to tools that help users understand and try your product. Don’t get sidetracked by features that look good in a pitch deck but slow you down in real life.
Pro Tips for Picking (and Actually Using) a PLG Tool
- Start small. Don’t try to build a 50-step demo out of the gate. Make one good flow and see what happens.
- Test with real users. Internal feedback is helpful, but only customers will show you what’s confusing.
- Review analytics—but don’t get lost in them. If everyone drops off at step three, there’s your clue.
- Talk to sales and support. See what questions come up most often and address those in your demos.
- Iterate. The first version won’t be perfect. Improve over time based on real data.
Keep It Simple. Iterate Often.
Picking a product-led growth tool isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to get distracted by bells and whistles. Focus on tools that help real users try your product, get value, and (hopefully) buy. Navattic is one of the strongest options for SaaS companies who want easy, effective demos—without a lot of fuss.
Remember: The best PLG tool is the one your team will actually use and your prospects won’t hate. Start simple, get feedback, and keep tweaking. That’s how you win.