Users who read our docs converted 5x better. We had hidden the docs.

We tracked whether trial users visited the documentation during their trial.

Visited docs: 12% of trial users, 34% conversion to paid

Did not visit docs: 88% of trial users, 6.8% conversion to paid

A 5x difference. We assumed docs were for people who were stuck, and stuck people were less likely to buy. The opposite was true: docs were being used by people who were investing in learning the product, and those people bought.

The problem: our docs link was in the footer, below the fold, on every page. We moved it to the top navigation and added a contextual "How do I…" link inside the product. Doc visits during trial rose from 12% to 29%. Conversion among doc visitors stayed high, and overall trial conversion rose 2.1 points.

What resource are you treating as a support cost that is actually a conversion asset?