Zumba · dance fitness brand and app
Ask each user's goal, then put them in a matching workout program
Program users watched 2x as many videos; month-2 retention about doubled
What they did
What happened
- Stage
- first year after launch
- Effort
- Built and tested last year; expanded with more programs
In their words
Optimizing Funnels, Pricing, and Retention at Zumba — Nicole Page & Lucy Levy, Zumba
Nicole Paigefeatures was people were looking for and were willing to pay for a guided experience, not just a content repository. So one thing that we built and and tested last year was
Nicole Paigeprogram. So instead of just dropping them into the app and giving them a bunch of content to choose from, we started developing goal-based programs. So as they came in through onboarding, we asked them about their goal, whether it was weight loss, getting started,
Nicole Paigejust having fun, or reducing stress. And then we would build them a content packages or programs based on their goal, and it gave people a lot less decision paralysis. They were able to come in, get to a program right away, get guided through the classes that were the perfect fit for them, rather than having to sort through content, which is what they have to do on YouTube.
Nicole PaigeSo once we built programs, we saw a huge improvement in our numbers. People that joined programs were watching two times as many videos as people that weren't enrolled in the programs. Our month-two retention went up, it about doubled after for people that joined programs. So
Nicole Paigewe saw that this was really a differentiator for us, and we continue to build from there, releasing more programs and building more features that reduced this choice that users had to make when they got into the app.
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More from this episode
- Let people pick a plan in the app, then pay on a bare web pageSign-ups fell 25% (35% at first) but lifetime value rose 17%
- On the web checkout, show Apple Pay or Google Pay first when availableHelped conversion a little; no numbers given
- Make onboarding longer: ask about goals and level, show value, recommend a programMuch higher paywall conversion than the short flow; no numbers given
- Show the paywall right after onboarding, before people see the appHelped overall conversion; no numbers given
- Give non-payers one free beginner class, then show the paywall when they stopHundreds of thousands of views; that paywall converts well, but no numbers
- Push new users to finish 3 classes: default weekly goal of 3 and a counterUsers who reach 3 classes are much more likely to stay
- After each class, celebrate, ask how hard it was, and suggest the next classMore people come back for their next class; no numbers given
- Send workout reminders at the day and hour each user usually works out
- Add chat threads where users talk about classes and their health journeyUsers didn't engage; feature turned off
- Drop the free trial on the monthly plan and cut it from $19.99 to $14.99Great results per the guest; annual mix rose from ~30% to ~60% (other changes too)
- Give only a 7-day free trial on the annual plan, priced at $99Trial-to-paid rose from the 30s to ~56%; no drop in trial starts
- Interview people who quit after one class, not just your biggest fansFound many churners leave for live classes; shaped the beginner focus
- Build the app for shy beginners with easy, high-quality classes70-75% of new users say they're beginners; credited as a big retention shift
- Treat every launch as a test and check the numbers every morningGuests credit it for fast iteration; no numbers
- Run one instructor training and continue only if 60+ people show upAbout 120 came, double the bar; became the core instructor business
- Label the paywall button "Start Today"Won an A/B test of several button labels; no numbers
- Test sending paywall taps to a web checkout pageRealized LTV down 6% at first; fewer web subscribers turned off auto-renew
Tags: ios, android, personalization, programs, decision-paralysis, content-curation