SaaS Guide: How to Get Your First 100 Customers

TL;DR: Getting to 100 customers requires different tactics than getting to 1,000. Focus on manual outreach, communities, and niche positioning — then build the engine that scales.

We've all been there. You've built something you believe in — your SaaS is solving a real problem, and you're ready to share it with the world. But then comes the hard part: getting your first 100 customers.

Let me tell you, this milestone is about validation. It's proof that you're on the right track. Those first 100 customers will teach you more about your product, market, and yourself than anything else.

I want to share what I've learned from getting SEOJuice to its first 100 paying customers. This isn't a framework I read in a book — it's what actually happened, including the things that didn't work. For context: it took us about 5 months to reach 100 customers, which is neither fast nor slow for a B2B SaaS. Some of those customers came from channels I expected. Some came from places that surprised me. And a handful of tactics I was certain would work... didn't.

What follows is the honest version. The parts where I sound like I knew what I was doing? I mostly figured them out after making the opposite mistake first.

Start with Your Product

First things first: your product doesn't need to be perfect — it needs to solve a problem. Too many founders get stuck in the cycle of endless development, trying to launch with every feature under the sun. I know because I did this. SEOJuice's first "launch" was delayed by three months because I kept adding features nobody had asked for. When we finally shipped, the feature that got the most usage was one I'd built in two days.

Your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) should focus on one thing and do it well.

If you're building a project management tool, don't aim to be the next Asana overnight. Start with a niche, like tools for remote design teams. If you're creating a content calendar, focus on making it intuitive for small social media teams. The key is simplicity with value.

Take a hard look at your core features. Ask yourself, "What's the one problem this solves perfectly?" Build around that and nothing else. For SEOJuice, that one thing was automated internal linking. Everything else — the audits, the reports, the monitoring — came later, driven by what customers actually requested.

Define Your Ideal Customer Profile

One of the biggest mistakes I see (and have made myself) is trying to market to everyone. It's tempting to cast a wide net, thinking you'll catch more customers. But here's the reality: when you talk to everyone, you talk to no one.

Who is your product really for? This question isn't just philosophical — it's practical. Knowing your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) helps you clarify your messaging, prioritize features, and find the right channels.

I started with indie founders running small operations — because I was one. I understood their challenges: limited budgets, tight schedules, and the need for tools that save time. That clarity allowed me to craft features and messaging that spoke directly to them.

Here's the thing nobody tells you, though: your ICP will probably shift. Our first 30 customers were indie founders. Around customer 40, I noticed we were getting signups from small agencies. By customer 80, agencies made up nearly half our base. I hadn't targeted them — they found us because our automation features solved a specific agency pain point (managing internal links across multiple client sites). If I'd been rigidly married to my original ICP, I'd have missed that signal.

Steps to Define Your ICP

1. Think About Industries:
   What industry benefits the most from your SaaS? Narrow it down. Instead of "businesses," think "e-commerce businesses," or even more specifically, "Shopify sellers."

2. Identify Company Size:
   Are you targeting solo entrepreneurs, small teams of less than 10 employees, or mid-sized companies? The challenges differ drastically.

3. Consider Specific Roles:
   Who will actually use your product? Is it the founder, a marketing manager, or a customer support agent? Tailor your product and messaging to their daily pain points.

Examples of ICPs

• SaaS for Shopify Sellers:
  Target e-commerce store owners with less than 10 employees who want to automate inventory management and boost sales.

• SaaS for Content Creators:
  Focus on YouTubers or Instagram influencers managing teams of two or three, helping them schedule posts and analyze engagement.

• SaaS for Freelancers:
  Cater to solo freelancers in design, development, or writing who need tools for invoicing, client management, and project tracking.

Why It Matters

When you define your ICP, you're not excluding opportunities — you're maximizing relevance. You'll be able to:

• Speak directly to your audience's needs and challenges.
• Craft marketing campaigns that resonate and convert.
• Build features that solve specific problems.

For example, if you target Shopify sellers, you might prioritize integration with Shopify's API over building features for other platforms. If you focus on content creators, your tool might integrate with Instagram or YouTube analytics instead of general CRMs.

Build a Pre-Launch Audience

Building a pre-launch audience is about creating momentum before your product goes live. You want people to know who you are, what problem you're solving, and why they should care.

Social media is your greatest ally here. Platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, or Reddit are perfect for sharing your journey. Don't overthink it — just start posting. Share the problem you're solving, the challenges you're facing, and even the mistakes you're making. People love following authentic, behind-the-scenes stories. It makes them feel invested in your journey, and when you launch, they'll root for you.

I started posting about SEOJuice on Twitter about two months before launch. My early posts were terrible — overly promotional, too many feature screenshots, not enough "why." The post that actually got traction was one where I shared a screenshot of our first error log alongside the message "Day 47 of building SEOJuice. Today I learned that my crawler was accidentally DDOSing my own test sites." That vulnerability — the willingness to look foolish — is what made people follow along.

Tips for Engaging on Social Media

1. Be Consistent: Post updates regularly — whether it's a tweet about a challenge you overcame, a poll asking for feedback, or a quick progress update.
2. Engage Actively: If someone comments, reply. If someone gives feedback, listen. Build relationships by showing you value their input.
3. Use Hashtags Strategically: This makes it easier for others in your niche to discover your content. For example, use hashtags like #indieSaaS, #startups, or #buildinpublic.

Create a Landing Page

A simple landing page is your best tool to convert interest into leads. Don't overcomplicate it. Use tools like Carrd or Notion to set up a page in a day. Focus on a clear, concise value proposition and an email capture form.

Here's what your landing page should include:

• Headline: A short, compelling statement of your product's value.
  Example: "Automated SEO That Saves You 10 Hours a Week."
• Subheadline: A brief explanation of the problem you're solving and the audience you're targeting.
  Example: "For indie founders and small businesses who want better search rankings without the hassle."
• Call-to-Action: A reason for visitors to sign up. Offer exclusive perks like early access, lifetime deals, or discounts for early adopters.

Once your page is live, share it everywhere — on your social media, in Reddit communities, or with your existing network.

Table: Ways to Build a Pre-Launch Audience

By building your audience before launch, you're creating a base of people who already believe in your product. When you do launch, you'll have an engaged group ready to spread the word, use your SaaS, and give you valuable feedback.

Experiment with Paid Ads

Paid ads can feel risky, especially when your budget is tight. "What if I just end up throwing money into the void?" I asked myself that exact question. Then I spent $200 on Facebook ads that generated zero signups, which answered it pretty definitively.

But here's what I learned from that failure and subsequent experiments: paid ads work when they're targeted precisely and when you already have some organic traction to build on.

Start Small and Strategic

Don't dive into big-budget campaigns. Experiment with $50 to $100 on platforms like Facebook, Google Ads, or LinkedIn. This allows you to test the waters without overcommitting.

The key is to focus on retargeting. Retargeting means serving ads to people who've already shown interest — by visiting your landing page or engaging with your content. These users are "warmer" leads. Our retargeting campaigns converted at roughly 4x the rate of cold campaigns, at about half the cost per acquisition. That's the only reason paid ads made sense for us at the early stage.

Example Campaign Structure

1. Set Up Retargeting Pixels: Place Facebook Pixel or Google Tag Manager on your site to track visitors.
2. Create Specific Ads: Your ads should address their intent. For example:
   • "Did you forget to sign up? Get 20% off if you join today."
   • "Still looking for [solution your SaaS offers]? Here's how we can help."
3. Target the Right Audience: Narrow your audience to people who've visited specific pages, like your pricing or features pages.

What Works in Paid Ads

• Clear, Simple Messaging: Your ad should get straight to the point.
  Example: "Simplify SEO. Save Time. Start Free."
• Strong Visuals: Eye-catching images or short videos showing your SaaS in action work wonders.
• Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA): Use action-driven phrases like "Try It Free" or "Claim Your Discount Today."

Don't just let your ads run without supervision. Use A/B testing to compare different headlines, images, or CTAs. Track metrics like click-through rates (CTR), conversions, and cost per acquisition (CPA). If your CPA is higher than your first-month revenue per customer, the math doesn't work yet — either improve the ads or go back to organic channels until your conversion funnel is tighter.

Turn Early Users Into Your SaaS Allies

Your early customers aren't just buyers — they're your collaborators, your cheerleaders, and your most honest critics. These are the people taking a chance on your SaaS in its early stages, and their feedback is invaluable.

Here's something I didn't expect: the relationship with early customers is fundamentally different from later customers. Our first 20 customers knew my name, had my personal email, and would message me directly when something broke. That intimacy was uncomfortable at times (nobody likes getting a "this doesn't work" message at 11pm), but it produced insights I could never have gotten from a feedback form.

The Value of Feedback Loops

Listening to your customers isn't just nice — it's a strategic advantage. Your early users are on the front lines of your product, experiencing its benefits and pain points in real time. By creating a system for regular feedback, you can continuously iterate.

Three features in SEOJuice that are now core to the product — the content decay detector, the WordPress auto-publish, and the competitor keyword gap analysis — all came from early customer conversations. None of them were on my original roadmap.

Practical Steps for Gathering Feedback

1. Schedule Regular Check-Ins:
   Reach out to your early adopters via email, live chat, or short surveys. Tools like Typeform or Google Forms make it easy. Ask questions like:

   • What's working well for you?
   • What features do you wish we had?
   • What's frustrating about using our product?

   I'll be honest — I hate the word "check-in" and so do most customers. What worked better for me was sending a specific question about a specific feature: "You used the internal link suggestions this week — did any of them actually make sense for your site?" That gets real answers. Generic "How's everything going?" emails get ignored.

2. Create a Feedback Roadmap:
   Prioritize feature requests that align with your long-term vision. Not all feedback needs to lead to action, but identifying patterns guides your development.

3. Keep Your Users in the Loop:
   When you implement a feature based on user feedback, tell them. For example, send an email like: "Thanks to your input, we've added [Feature Name]! We're always listening."
   This builds trust. When customers see their feedback influencing your product, they become advocates. Two of our earliest customers have referred over 15 other customers combined — not because we asked them to, but because they felt ownership over the product.

Your SaaS will never be perfect, but that's the beauty of the model — constant iteration is part of the process. Treat your first 100 customers as partners. Their insights can guide you to build something that resonates with the broader market. And when you reach customer 101, you'll have a product that's been battle-tested by 100 real users, not just your assumptions.

Related reading:

• How to Increase Your Average Revenue — Make each of those 100 customers worth more
• SEOJuice Pricing — SEO on autopilot while you focus on sales