Reading.com · B2C · learn-to-read app for kids
Build the reading app so a parent sits with the child every lesson
Smaller audience, but those parents pay more and stay longer; no numbers
Mixedpositioning-nichefeature-development
What they did
Based on reading research (children must be directly instructed), every lesson requires a parent next to the child giving feedback. Committed not to add AI pronunciation feedback even when it becomes good enough, keeping parent involvement as a core value.
What happened
More niche audience and cancellations from parents unwilling to take part, but engaged parents pay more and stick around longer.
In their words
Sub Club by RevenueCat · What Reading.com Learned Testing Prices and Funnels — Tim Dikun, Teaching.com“What we really need is somebody sitting next to the child, being able to give the child that feedback.”
“And so it is definitely a a more niche audience. When you do find someone who's willing to to do the work and really willing to engage, they're willing to pay more and they stick around longer.”
Related topics
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- Reading.com: Drop the free trial on the monthly plan to push people to annualMore annual picks, but realized LTV fell 17%; not rolled out
- Reading.com: On web funnels, charge upfront with a 30-day money-back guarantee instead of a trialLower conversion but better Meta signal and longer-staying users; few refunds; no numbers
- Reading.com: Point each ad set at one web funnel, and split campaigns by tracking method
- Reading.com: Copy the app's onboarding exactly onto a web page and send ad traffic thereTrial conversion up 50% and paid conversion up 30% vs the same flow in the app
- Teaching.com: Buy plain category domains like Reading.com to earn trust and search trafficPeople skip the ad and type the domain directly; credited for web funnel success
- Reading.com: Add onboarding slides and parent guides explaining why parents must join inStill many cancellations from parents who won't take part
- Reading.com: Right after purchase, offer all the printable worksheets at once for $9.99About 20% of web trial starters and buyers take it
- Reading.com: Sell printed sets of the app's storybooks on Amazon
- Reading.com: Extend lessons to third-grade level and plan more apps for later reading stages
- Reading.com: Find a way to give a book-like moment in the first lesson
- Reading.com: Build your own analytics, clean the data, then send it to AmplitudeGot needed insight while passing Apple's kids-app review; no numbers
- Teaching.com: Hire outside experts for each ad channel instead of in-house marketersFaster and cheaper than in-house hires; little management needed
- Teaching.com: Turn off Basecamp alerts and use Slack only for urgent blockersGuest says it improved the quality of work; no numbers
- Teaching.com: Drop Scrum and let developers change or kill features late in the buildScrum turned engineers into ticket-takers; dropped for late-change freedom