What if I told you that one simple button change could bring in an extra $250K in revenue? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, for Boomerang, the company behind the email productivity tool you probably already know and love, this wasn’t just wishful thinking—it was the result of their “Year of Experiments.”

In 2024, Boomerang embarked on an ambitious journey of testing, tweaking, and learning. They ran 44 experiments, from marketing hacks to product improvements, and the results were staggering.

These small, often low-effort changes generated a whopping $500K in annual recurring revenue (ARR), proving that big wins don’t always come from massive overhauls.

As shared by Boomerang’s CEO Aye Moah in her interview with Nathan Latka, some of these experiments were surprisingly simple yet highly impactful. You can watch the full interview here.

Boomerang Domain Overview

In this article, we’ll explore some of Boomerang’s most impactful experiments, including a freemium conversion tweak that started with nothing more than changing a blue link to a red button.

These stories aren’t just about Boomerang’s success—they offer actionable insights for any business looking to grow smarter, not harder.

Experiment 1: The Big Red Button and Freemium Conversions

Boomerang is a freemium SaaS product. Many users start on a free plan, and converting them to paying customers is always a priority. But like many freemium companies, Boomerang had been neglecting this part of the funnel. After all, their conversion rate was already above the industry average.

Then, they decided to run a low-effort experiment: change a blue link that prompted users to upgrade to a big red button. That’s it. Just a color change.

Credit: Aye Moah’s Presentation

And the result? An additional 250K in ARR.

It was a simple fix that brought huge returns. So simple that the team even joked about renaming 2024 “The Year of the Big Red Button.” It turns out, people really do love pressing red buttons.

Takeaway: Sometimes the smallest changes—like adjusting the color of a button—can have the biggest impact. If you haven’t tested something as simple as a button change on your site, it’s worth trying.

Experiment 2: Dunning Emails and Retention

Next, Boomerang tackled a different challenge: involuntary churn. Customers loved the product but sometimes forgot to update their payment information when their credit card expired. This led to lost revenue from customers who didn’t mean to leave.

To fix this, Boomerang focused on their Dunning emails—the emails that remind users to update their payment details. The team ran another simple experiment: they added three extra emails and changed the timing of when the emails were sent.

Credit: Aye Moah’s Presentation

Instead of sending reminders every seven days, they varied the cadence—sending them at 3, 5, and 7-day intervals. They also made sure to include clear calls to action with—you guessed it—red buttons.

The result? A 12% increase in retention. That’s a significant number when you’re talking about thousands of paying customers.

Takeaway: Dunning emails are an easy win for SaaS businesses. Don’t let customers churn because of something as simple as an expired credit card. Test different email sequences and cadences to see what works best.

Experiment 3: The Virality of Meeting Scheduling

Boomerang also made headway with their integrated meeting scheduling feature. This feature allows users to schedule meetings directly within their email client, displaying a live, real-time image of their availability.

But here’s where it gets viral. Every time a Boomerang user sends a meeting invite, the recipient interacts with the Boomerang scheduling system. If they like what they see, they can sign up for Boomerang themselves. This created a viral loop.

So, Boomerang tested ways to improve this loop. Initially, they tried adding more value propositions and marketing messages to the scheduling page. The hypothesis? More information would convert better.

Credit: Aye Moah’s Presentation

But the result was surprising: the more they added, the worse the conversions. In fact, a minimalist design with a single line—”Schedule your meetings with Boomerang”—worked best. This simple approach boosted conversion rates from 1% to 14%.

Takeaway: Sometimes less is more. Don’t overload your users with information. Keep things simple and focus on the core value proposition.

When Experiments Fail: Lessons from a Failed Hypothesis

Not every experiment was a success. Boomerang learned this the hard way. In one experiment, they added a “Download” button to a popular help page. The goal was to convert traffic from this high-traffic page into product installs. And at first, it worked. The conversion rate spiked.

But then, disaster struck.

Google penalized the page for having a download button, killing all the organic traffic. What started as a conversion win turned into an SEO nightmare.

Takeaway: Always consider second-order effects. A successful experiment in one area can have unintended consequences in another. Set guardrails to avoid major setbacks.

The Culture of Experimentation: Why Boomerang Thrives

What made Boomerang’s “Year of Experiments” so successful wasn’t just the individual wins. It was the culture of experimentation. The team embraced failure, iterated quickly, and didn’t cling to their initial hypotheses.

As their founder Mo put it: “The point of experimentation is not to prove you’re right. It’s to find the truth.”

This mindset allowed them to run 44 experiments in 8 months, with 19 successes that are now part of their product. They made an additional 500K in ARR, but more importantly, they built a culture of continuous improvement.

Takeaway: If you’re not experimenting, you’re missing out on growth opportunities. The key isn’t to be right every time. It’s to learn quickly and adjust.

What Can You Learn from Boomerang?

Boomerang’s success comes from small, iterative experiments. You don’t need a massive overhaul to see results. Start with small changes, test them, and let the data guide your next move.

So, what’s the big red button in your business? What small tweaks could lead to big gains? At Concurate, we specialize in crafting data-driven content strategies for businesses like yours to not only drive website traffic but also to fuel sustainable business growth. Let’s talk about how we can help you boost your ARR—without the guesswork.