You're building a SaaS product.

You need to decide: Do we let people try the product first? Or do we make them talk to sales?

Product-led growth (PLG) or sales-led?

This isn't just a go-to-market decision. It fundamentally changes how your website should work.

I've built websites for both motions. Companies that do PLG wrong look desperate. Companies that do sales-led wrong create unnecessary friction.

The strategies are different. The websites must be different.

Let me show you exactly what changes.

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The fundamental difference that cascades to everything

Product-led growth (PLG):Product is the primary vehicle for customer acquisition, activation, and expansion. Users try before they buy. Self-serve signup. Minimal sales involvement. Low friction to start.

Think: Slack, Zoom, Notion, Figma, Calendly.

Sales-led growth (SLG):Sales team is the primary vehicle for customer acquisition. Demos before trials. Human interaction required. Higher friction, but qualified buyers. Custom solutions.

Think: Salesforce, Workday, SAP, ServiceNow.

This choice affects every single website element:

Your homepage messaging. Call-to-action strategy. Pricing transparency. Form fields. Navigation structure. Content strategy. Conversion metrics.

Everything.

Most companies try to do both halfway. Result: Neither works well.

Let me show you what each motion requires.

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Homepage hero section: Self-serve vs sales conversation

PLG homepage hero:

Goal: Get user into product immediately.

Headline: Clear value prop focused on user benefit. "Video meetings that actually work. No downloads, no hassles."

Subheadline: Immediate value and ease. "Create your first meeting in 30 seconds. Free for unlimited 1-on-1 calls."

Primary CTA: Direct product action. "Start Meeting Now" or "Sign Up Free"

Secondary CTA: Optional education. "See How It Works" (2-min video)

Social proof: User count or everyday company logos. "Trusted by 2M+ professionals at companies like [mid-market logos]"

Visual: Product in use, showing simplicity.

No form: Just click to start.

Example: Loom. "Record quick videos to replace meetings." CTA: "Get Loom for Free". Instant signup. No demo request. No sales call.

Sales-led homepage hero:

Goal: Qualify prospect and get them on sales call.

Headline: Clear value prop focused on business outcome. "Enterprise resource planning that scales with your business. From $10M to $10B."

Subheadline: Enterprise credibility and complexity. "Unified platform for finance, supply chain, HR, and operations. Built for complex organizations."

Primary CTA: Human interaction. "Request Demo" or "Talk to Sales"

Secondary CTA: Qualification path. "See Customer Stories" or "Download Buyer's Guide"

Social proof: Enterprise logos and scale indicators. "Trusted by 50 of the Fortune 100"

Visual: Dashboard showing scale and complexity.

Form required: Contact info to proceed.

Example: NetSuite. "The leading cloud business management suite." CTA: "Request a Demo". Form with company size and industry. Sales team follows up.

Same product category (business software). Completely different approach based on GTM motion.

CTA strategy and placement

PLG CTAs:

Primary: "Start Free Trial" / "Sign Up Free" / "Try It Now"

• No commitment language
• Emphasize instant access
• Remove friction

Placement:

• Hero section (1st screen)
• After each benefit section (every 1-1.5 screens)
• Sticky header (follows as you scroll)
• Bottom of page

Frequency: 5-7 CTAs on homepage. Multiple opportunities to self-serve.

No phone number in header. You're optimizing for self-service, not calls.

PLG CTA copy examples:

• "Start Free Trial - No Credit Card Required"
• "Create Your First Project"
• "Get Started in 30 Seconds"
• "Try Workspace Free"

Remove all friction. Make starting trivial.

Sales-led CTAs:

Primary: "Request Demo" / "Talk to Sales" / "Contact Us"

• Implies human interaction
• Signals custom solution
• Sets qualification expectation

Placement:

• Hero section
• After social proof
• After feature explanation
• Bottom of page

Frequency: 2-3 CTAs on homepage. Too many feels desperate. You want qualified conversations, not volume.

Phone number in header. Shows you value human interaction.

Sales-led CTA copy examples:

• "Request Custom Demo"
• "Talk to Sales Team"
• "Schedule Consultation"
• "Get Pricing Quote"

Set expectation: This requires conversation.

The hybrid trap:

Don't put both "Start Free Trial" AND "Request Demo" as equal-weight CTAs on same page.

Confusing. Which should I do?

If you offer both, make one primary:

• PLG primary: "Start Free" with small "or talk to sales" link
• Sales primary: "Request Demo" with small "or start trial" link

Pick your motion. Design for it.

Pricing page philosophy and transparency

PLG pricing page:

Fully transparent pricing.

Show all tiers with exact prices. Monthly and annual costs. Feature comparison. No "contact us" for any tier.

Why? Self-serve requires self-service. Can't decide without knowing cost.

Structure:

• 3-4 tiers clearly labeled
• Free tier (if you offer it)
• Growth tier (core offering)
• Business tier (advanced features)
• Enterprise tier (optional, with "Contact Sales")

Each tier shows:

• Exact price per user/month
• What's included
• Clear feature differences
• CTA to start that tier

Bottom of page:

• FAQ about billing, cancellation, upgrades
• Calculator for team size
• Comparison chart

Example: Notion pricing. Free, Plus ($10/user), Business ($18/user), Enterprise (Contact Sales).

All prices visible. Start any tier immediately.

Sales-led pricing page:

Limited or no price transparency.

Options:

1. "Contact Sales" for all pricing
2. Starting price or range
3. Request quote form

Why? Complex pricing based on: Company size, modules needed, implementation scope, support level, contract length.

You can't show accurate pricing without qualification.

Structure:

• Explanation of pricing factors
• "Typical customers pay $X-Y per user/year"
• Or package tiers without exact prices
• ROI calculator or TCO comparison
• "Request Quote" CTA

What to include:

• Pricing factors (seats, usage, support)
• What influences cost
• Implementation costs (if applicable)
• Typical contract terms

Example: Workday pricing. No prices shown. "Contact us to discuss your needs."

Form asks: company size, industry, which modules.

Sales team provides custom quote.

The middle ground:

Some companies show starting prices to set expectations:

"Plans starting at $99/user/month for teams of 10+"

Then: "Final pricing based on: [factors]"

This works for: Mid-market SaaS with simple-to-complex options.

Gives ballpark without misleading.

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Form fields and friction points

PLG forms:

Minimize fields ruthlessly.

Signup form:

• Email
• Password
• (Maybe first name)

That's it. 2-3 fields.

Everything else collected later:

• In-product onboarding
• Email follow-up
• Progressive profiling

Why? Every field drops conversion 10-20%.

Going from 2 fields to 5 fields = 50%+ drop in signups.

You want volume. Qualify later in-product or via usage data.

Example: Canva signup. Email or Google/Facebook login. Done.

You're in the product in 10 seconds.

Sales-led forms:

More fields to qualify.

Demo request form:

• First name
• Last name
• Work email
• Company name
• Job title
• Company size
• Industry
• Phone (optional)
• "Tell us about your needs" (optional)

That's 7-9 fields.

Why? You need to qualify before dedicating sales time.

High-value enterprise deals justify higher friction.

And serious buyers will fill it out. Tire-kickers bounce.

That's fine. You want quality over quantity.

Example: Salesforce demo request.8 fields including company size, industry, role.

Routes to appropriate sales rep based on info.

The data:

PLG: 2-field forms convert at 15-25%Sales-led: 8-field forms convert at 3-8%

Different goals. Different metrics.

PLG: Optimize for signups → activation → conversion

Sales-led: Optimize for qualified leads → demos → pipeline

Navigation structure and information architecture

PLG navigation:

Product-centric. Easy access to trial.

Typical structure:[Product] [Use Cases] [Pricing] [Resources] [Login] [Sign Up Free]

"Sign Up" is visually prominent. Often a button, not text link.

Resources include: Help center, templates, community, tutorials.

Self-service support is critical.

No "Solutions" dropdown. Too enterprise-y for PLG.

No "Request Demo" in nav. Not the primary path.

Keep it simple. Guide to product.

Sales-led navigation:

Solution-centric. Guide to conversation.

Typical structure:[Products ▼] [Solutions ▼] [Customers] [Resources] [Company] [Contact Sales]

Products dropdown: Different modules/products.

Solutions dropdown: By industry, role, company size.

More complex. Reflects complex sale.

Resources include: Case studies, whitepapers, webinars, ROI calculators.

Education-heavy. Long sales cycle.

No "Start Trial" in nav. If you offer trial, it comes after sales conversation.

Guide to qualification, not product.

The mobile difference:

PLG mobile nav: "Sign Up" is top item. Immediate action.

Sales-led mobile nav: "Request Demo" prominent but not overwhelming.

Mobile behavior differs by motion.

PLG users might sign up on mobile.

Sales-led buyers research on mobile, convert on desktop.

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Content strategy and resource types

PLG content:

Goal: Self-education. Remove barriers to adoption.

Content types:

Product tutorials: "How to create your first project", "5-minute getting started guide", Video walkthroughs of features.

Gets users to value fast.

Use case templates: Pre-built templates users can copy. "Social media calendar template", "Sprint planning template"

Reduces activation friction.

Best practices:"10 ways to use [product]" Tips from power users.

Shows depth without overwhelming new users.

Community content: User-generated templates. Forum discussions. User showcases.

Builds engagement and retention.

Integration guides: How to connect to other tools. API documentation. Automation recipes.

Expands value through ecosystem.

Example: Airtable content hub. Templates, guides, case studies, community showcase.

All designed to help users get value themselves.

Sales-led content:

Goal: Educate buyers. Support evaluation. Build credibility.

Content types:

Industry reports: "State of [Industry] 2024","Benchmark report: [Metric]"

Establishes thought leadership.

Buyer's guides: "How to evaluate [category]", "RFP template for [solution]"

Helps procurement process. Positions you as trusted advisor.

ROI calculators: Interactive tools showing potential value. TCO comparisons vs competitors.

Quantifies business case.

Enterprise case studies: Detailed implementation stories. Business outcomes with metrics. Executive testimonials.

Proves capability at scale.

Technical whitepapers: Architecture details. Security documentation. Integration capabilities.

For technical evaluation.

Example: Salesforce resource center. Research reports, implementation guides, customer success stories, admin certification.

Supports long complex sales cycle.

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Free tier vs free trial vs no free option

PLG: Usually free tier or generous free trial

Free tier option (freemium):

• Forever free with limitations
• Users can stay free indefinitely
• Upgrade when they hit limits or need features

Examples: Slack (10K messages), Notion (individual use), Figma (3 files).

Best for: Products with network effects. Value increases with users. Low marginal cost to serve free users.

Generous free trial:

• 14-30 days with full or near-full features
• Credit card optional or not required
• Self-serve upgrade path

Examples: Superhuman (30 days), Webflow (14 days), HubSpot (free tools + trial).

Best for: Products where value is obvious quickly. Lower network effects. Want paying customers fast.

The goal: Get users to experience value. Convert based on that experience.

Sales-led: No free tier, controlled trials

No self-serve trial option: Just "Request Demo."

Trial comes after sales conversation and qualification.

Best for: Complex products requiring setup. High-touch implementation. Enterprise buyers who expect sales process.

Controlled trial/pilot: Sales team sets up trial after qualification.30-60 day pilot with specific success criteria. Sales team involved throughout.

Best for: Products requiring configuration. Proving ROI before full rollout.

Why no free tier for sales-led:

Free users aren't qualified buyers. They waste resources without sales interaction. Enterprise buyers don't expect free tier. You're selling business value, not freemium product.

Example: Workday, SAP, Oracle. No free tier. No self-serve trial. 100% sales-led evaluation.

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Onboarding flow and first-run experience

PLG onboarding:

Goal: Get to "aha moment" fast. Without human help.

The flow:

1. Minimal signup: Email, password. In product in 10 seconds.
2. Welcome screen: "What do you want to do?" Choice-driven, not forced tutorial.
3. Progressive onboarding: Show features as needed, not all at once. Tooltips and guides in context.
4. Quick win: Help user accomplish something in first session. Create first document. Send first message. Build first board.
5. Invite team: Once user sees value, prompt to invite others. Network effects kick in.
6. Email nurture: Automated sequence with tips, templates, use cases. Drives continued engagement.
7. Usage-based upsells: When user hits free tier limit, offer upgrade. When team grows, show team plans.

All automated. No sales calls required.

Example: Loom onboarding. Install extension → Record first video → Send to someone → See how easy it was.

"Aha moment" in 2 minutes.

Sales-led onboarding:

Goal: Ensure successful implementation. Prove value. Expand usage.

The flow:

1. Kickoff call: Customer success team meets with buyer. Understand goals and success metrics.
2. Implementation planning: Timeline, resource requirements, integration scope.
3. Technical setup: CSM or professional services helps configure. Set up integrations. Migrate data if needed.
4. Admin training: Train internal admins on how to manage system.
5. User training: Workshops or webinars for end users.
6. Go-live support: Extra support during launch period.
7. Quarterly business reviews: Check in on goals. Identify expansion opportunities.
8. Account management: Dedicated rep for support and growth.

Highly manual. High-touch. Relationship-driven.

Example: Salesforce implementation.3-6 month project. Dedicated team. Training programs. Certification paths.

Success requires human involvement.

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Social proof and credibility signals

PLG social proof:

Focus on user volume and ease.

What works:

• User count: "Join 10M+ users"
• Review scores: "4.8/5 on G2 from 8,000+ reviews"
• Mid-market logos: Relatable companies, not just Fortune 500
• User testimonials: Real people with photos saying it's easy and valuable
• User-generated content: Showcasing what people built

Signals: Lots of people use this. It's easy. It works.

Example: Canva homepage."100M+ users. 170+ countries. 5+ billion designs created."

Volume is the proof.

Sales-led social proof:

Focus on enterprise scale and results.

What works:

• Fortune 500/1000 logos: "50 of Fortune 100"
• Industry-specific customers: Relevant to target accounts
• Enterprise case studies: Detailed with metrics
• Analyst recognition: Gartner Leader, Forrester Wave
• Executive testimonials: C-level with company name
• Scale metrics: "Processing $2T in transactions annually"

Signals: Serious companies trust us. We handle scale. We deliver results.

Example: SAP homepage."92% of Forbes Global 2000 companies."

Enterprise credibility.

What PLG should avoid:

"Enterprise-grade security" → Sounds heavy "Trusted by Fortune 500" → Not relatable

Complex implementation stories → Scary

What sales-led should avoid:

"10M users" → Volume doesn't signal quality for enterprise

Consumer review sites → Not enterprise buying criteria "So easy anyone can use it" → Sounds too simple

Match proof to motion.

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Pricing philosophy and conversion model

PLG conversion model:

Land with individuals/small teams. Expand within company.

Pricing strategy:

• Free or cheap entry point
• Usage-based or seat-based growth
• Automatic upgrades when hitting limits
• Self-serve plan changes

Goal: Make it easy to start. Grow revenue through expansion.

Metrics that matter:

• Signups per month
• Activation rate (users reaching value)
• Free-to-paid conversion rate
• Net dollar retention (expansion)
• PLG conversion rate by cohort

You win through volume, activation, and expansion.

Average deal size: $100-500/month starting. Grows to $1K-10K+ over time.

Sales efficiency: Very high. Minimal CAC. Strong payback.

Example: Slack. Free tier → Team plan ($8/user) → Business+ ($15/user) → Enterprise Grid (custom).

Start free. Expand as team grows. Self-serve until enterprise scale.

Sales-led conversion model:

Land with enterprise deals. Expand through additional modules/seats.

Pricing strategy:

• High entry point ($50K-500K+ annually)
• Multi-year contracts
• Volume discounts
• Custom pricing based on scope

Goal: Close large deals. Expand through renewal and cross-sell.

Metrics that matter:

• Pipeline generated
• Demo-to-opportunity conversion
• Win rate
• Average contract value (ACV)
• Sales cycle length

You win through fewer, larger deals.

Average deal size: $50K-500K+ annually.

Sales efficiency: Lower. High CAC. Longer payback. But high LTV.

Example: Workday. Minimum contract $100K+. 12-month sales cycle. Custom pricing. Multi-year commitment.

No small deals. Only enterprise.

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When hybrid makes sense (and when it doesn't)

Hybrid can work if:

You have clear segmentation by deal size.

Small deals (<$10K/year): Self-serve PLG Large deals (>$50K/year): Sales-led

You route differently based on signals:

• Small company + low intent = PLG funnel
• Large company + high intent = Sales funnel

You have resources for both motions:

• Product team building self-serve experience
• Sales team handling enterprise

You keep the website paths separate:

• Default to one motion
• Clear path to the other

Hybrid fails when:

You try to make same funnel work for both:

• Free trial for all, but sales follows up (annoys PLG users)
• Demo for all, but some can self-serve (creates friction)

You don't have resources to do both well:

• PLG requires great product onboarding
• Sales requires good sales team and process

You confuse prospects with mixed messages:

• "Start free trial OR talk to sales" without clear guidance
• Pricing both transparent and "contact us"

Most companies should pick one primary motion.

If you're pre-$10M ARR: Pick PLG or sales-led. Go all-in.

If you're $50M+ ARR: You can afford both. But still need clear primary motion.

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The switching cost when changing motions

Some companies start PLG, move sales-led. Others start sales-led, add PLG.

Moving from PLG to sales-led:

Why: Average deal size too small. Churn too high. Need larger customers.

Website changes needed:

• Remove prominent "Start Free" CTAs
• Add "Request Demo" focus
• Show enterprise social proof
• Add security/compliance content
• Reduce self-serve emphasis
• More qualification in forms

Risk: Alienating existing users. Reducing top-of-funnel volume.

Timeline: 6-12 months to transition fully.

Moving from sales-led to PLG:

Why: Sales doesn't scale. Want faster growth. Product is mature enough for self-serve.

Website changes needed:

• Add self-serve trial
• Transparent pricing
• Reduce form friction
• Improve onboarding experience
• Build help center and resources
• Reduce sales-heavy messaging

Risk: Devaluing product. Creating support burden. Cannibalization of sales deals.

Timeline: 12-18 months to build true PLG capability.

Both transitions are hard. Neither is just a website change.

Requires: Product changes, pricing changes, team changes, process changes.

Website reflects the motion. Motion doesn't come from website.

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The brutal truth about PLG vs sales-led

Pick based on your product and market, not what's trendy.

PLG works when:

• Product is intuitive and shows value quickly
• Target users can evaluate without sales
• Deal sizes start small, expand over time
• High-volume market (many potential users)
• Low implementation complexity
• Users are decision-makers or influencers

Sales-led works when:

• Product requires customization or setup
• Multiple stakeholders in buying decision
• High initial deal size ($50K+)
• Lower-volume market (fewer buyers)
• Complex procurement or security requirements
• Product is mission-critical and expensive

Don't force PLG motion on sales-led product. Don't force sales process on PLG product.

Your website should amplify your natural motion, not fight it.

And remember: Great PLG companies still have sales teams (for expansion).Great sales-led companies still have great product (that's what you're selling).

The motion determines how you acquire customers. Website reflects that motion.

Design accordingly.