Storylane for Website demos

Why it matters

In a recent Gartner survey, respondents ranked interactive demos as the #1 most useful website resource when purchasing software. Website demos are a proven way to educate buyers, improve conversion rates, and shorten sales cycles.

Our message can be very hard to articulate verbally — but once our prospects see the demo in action, there’s this light bulb moment where they go: ‘now I get it!’

Stephanie Madsen

Director of Product Marketing, People.ai

Key takeaways

Position above the fold: Demos placed in the first screen get 3.5x more engagement than below-fold placement
Keep it focused: Limit demos to under 12 steps with clear value progression from problem to solution
Smart gating strategy: Avoid gating demos for PLG products, soft gate demos (at about 30%) for sales-led orgs ‍
Multiple CTAs: Include conversion opportunities at key "aha moments" throughout the demo experience

Implementation guide

Hook (Steps 1-2)

Start with a compelling headline addressing your audience's main pain point
Use text, images, or video guides to immediately establish relevance and pull visitors in

Value demonstration (Steps 3-10)

Focus on key features that solve the biggest problems for your target audience
Show differentiators that make your product stand out from competitors
Include "aha moments" using tooltips, hotspots, and zoom-ins to highlight value

Next steps (Steps 11-12)

Recap main benefits with clear calls-to-action
Offer multiple conversion paths: free trial, demo booking, or pricing information

Above the fold (Recommended)

Highest visibility and engagement rates
Immediate visitor attention upon landing
Works best on homepage and key product pages

Navigation bar

Constant accessibility from any page
Subtle but persistent demo availability
Good for longer browsing sessions

Contextual pages

Product pages: Feature/product-specific demos
Blog posts: Relevant use case demonstrations
Solution pages: Industry or role-specific demos

Inline embed

Demo starts immediately when visitors land on page
Creates immediate immersion and engagement
Best for high-intent traffic

Inline with overlay

Visitors control when to start the demo experience
Builds anticipation with clear call-to-action
Good balance of control and accessibility

Popup embed

Full-screen experience eliminates distractions
Visitor-initiated for maximum engagement
Works well for detailed product walkthroughs

Product-led companies

Keep demos ungated for maximum product accessibility
Use Storylane's Account Reveal to identify anonymous engagement
Focus demos on driving product signups, not lead capture

Sales-led companies

Implement soft gate after steps 5-6 (at a "cliffhanger")
Capture leads after showing enough value to drive interest
Use engagement data to gather intent and qualification data

1. Demo structure

We recommend limiting the number of steps on your website demo to less than 12. Remember, the intention is to give visitors a reason to take next steps (signup, free trial, demo call, etc). You don't need to cover EVERY feature and workflow here. Instead, highlight the biggest pain points and use cases your product addresses. Here's a sample structure to get you started:

Hook (Step 1-2): Start with a captivating headline or question that resonates with your buyers. Then, use text, images, video guides, or even memes to reel prospects into your demo.
Product demo (Steps 3-10): The body of your demo should be all about value for customers. Surface key features and differentiators that make your product the best solution out there.
Next steps (Steps 11-12): At this point, visitors should have a good understanding of how your product can help. This is an opportunity to place CTAs (free trial, talk to us, etc) to encourage next steps. You may also want to place CTAs at thoughtful moments across the demo.

Of course, it may not always be possible to fit your product demos in 12 steps, especially when you have multiple product lines and personas to cover. In such cases, break your demo into chapters with product tours or use Buyer Hub to help visitors find the right demos for their needs.

2. Storytelling techniques

The most engaging website demos tell a cohesive story that resonates with audiences

Problem-solution narrative: Begin by clearly articulating the pain point your product solves, then proceed to reveal how your solution addresses it. This structure helps visitors immediately identify if your product is relevant to their needs.
Videos and voiceovers: Record presenter videos and voiceovers or generate with Lily AI to give a face/voice to your demos. This helps improve accessibility, engagement, and conversion rates.
Patten interrupts Use "pattern interrupts" such as case studies, statistics, text-input triggers, etc. to keep viewers engaged through the length of the demo.
Value-driven copy: Keep guide copy concise and focused on what your audience cares about most: whether that’s product differentiators, user benefits, or business outcomes.

3. Strategic placement

Demo placement significantly impacts visibility and performance:

Above the fold: Place your demos or demo CTA buttons on the first fold, second fold, or navbar for maximum visibility. Check out our report to learn more about demo placement.
Multiple entry points: Share demos throughout your site, not just on the homepage. Product pages, solutions pages, and even blog posts can be effective locations for contextual demo offers.
Device agnostic demos: Ensure your demos work seamlessly across devices, as many first-time visitors will experience them on mobile or tablets. Test thoroughly on various screen sizes to maintain engagement.
A/B testing: Experiment with different CTA language, demo narratives, button colors, and placement to optimize click-through rates.

To gate or not to gate?

For product-led companies, we discourage gating demos. Since users can access the product without any sales intervention, qualification typically comes later in the process, often based on user behavior, feature utilization, or engagement metrics. Plus, Storylane’s Account Reveal helps identify anonymous companies engaging with your demos anyway.
For sales-led companies, consider placing your gate (lead gen form) strategically, around 5-6 steps into your demo (ideally on a cliffhanger). Giving a taste of your product helps prospects qualify themselves and keeps them curious to learn more.

4. Performance and optimization

Storylane’s integration with Google Analytics helps monitor demo performance and combine engagement data with website event data.
Storylane's in-app analytics shares insights into how users interact with the demos, identifying the most engaging sections and elements.
With Account Reveal, enrich viewers' data with company info from Clearbit, automatically (no account required)
Set up Slack Alert and receive an instant Slack notification when a lead is engaged and identified.
Leverage other integrations and send demo events to CRM, Marketing Automation, or your data warehouse.

Examples and inspiration

Advanced strategies

For websites, use screenshot demos for faster creation and better mobile performance - only use HTML capture when heavy customization is needed
Add AI avatars and voiceovers starting from step 2 to improve engagement and accessibility
Adopt pattern interrupts like customer testimonials, statistics, or interactive elements to maintain engagement throughout longer demos
A/B test CTA language: "Take a tour" and "See it in action" often outperform generic "Learn more" buttons ‍
Implement a soft gate at about 30% of the demo for qualified lead generation without sacrificing top-of-funnel engagement

Storylane forWebsite demos