Headway · B2C · book summary app
Lock every book except one free daily read
Host hears locking more content converts better; no numbers
Workedpaywall
What they did
Headway shows the paywall in onboarding; if closed, everything is locked except one free daily read so users get a taste. Picking any other book to read or listen triggers the paywall.
What happened
Host has heard from clients and friends that the more content you lock, the better
“this is the only thing they gave away, one free daily read, that's it.”
“the more content you can lock up, the better it is, all right?”
Related topics
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More from Headway
All 3 Headway tacticsMore from this episode
- Name the new app after two keywords with ~30 search score you know convert#1 at launch, $1,600 in 22 days; now $10K+/month
- Paraphrase AI: Find the keywords first, then build an app that only paraphrases textAbout $3K/month, almost all organic
- Paraphrase AI: Run Facebook ads to grow a $2-3K/month appDidn't work; spent a lot of money and wasted it
- Paraphrase AI: Localize the app for the Philippines and set local pricesPretty good numbers, host says; none shared
- Paraphrase AI: Translate the app for Germany and run Apple Ads there
- Swap the 7-day trial on yearly for a 3-day trial on weeklyBetter results than the yearly trial; no numbers
- Change when the app asks for a review, tied to a user actionAverage rating 4.5 to 4.7, and more ratings per month
- Start with Apple Ads on search results only, just keywordsHighest-ROI platform across App Masters' partners, host says
- Give the app away free for life briefly to get first usersSome apps got 100K downloads; 10K+ signals a winner
- Ask for ratings while giving the app away free for lifeWorked from 2023, now triggers removed ratings and account suspensions
- Run a free-for-life promo and ask users for ratings60K downloads, ~600 ratings; ~100 ratings later removed by Apple
- Translate the app into Arabic with Crowdin and GeminiHalf of 60K promo downloads came from Arabic-speaking countries
- Redesign the onboarding and paywall around a personal learning planRevenue doubled, $200 to $400/month, on the same downloads
- Replace paywall graphics with a real photo, then a videoPhoto lifted conversion 3.5 to 4.7; video did best
- Use a yellow crown, not a star, for the button that opens the paywallThe yellow crown performed better; no numbers
- Label the paywall button 'Continue' on iOS and 'Start Free Trial' on AndroidHost says each wins on its platform, across all paywall screens
- Drop the free trial on the monthly plan so people pick yearlyPretty good success across App Masters apps; watch annual trial-to-paid
- Headway: Offer a cheaper deal when someone taps a locked book or closes the paywallThe $29.99 triggered offer is the second-best-selling purchase
- Prequel: Offer a discount right after someone exports an edited photo
- Routinery: Let people watch an ad to unlock a premium feature for a day
- PhotoRevive: Sell an AI image generator as an app that restores old photosDoing very well in the stores, host says
- PhotoRevive: Skip the free trial and show credits as videos you can make, priced per dayDoing well, host says; no-trial also works for other devs
- Calm: After a meditation, let people share a quote card with your logoPeople do share them on Instagram, host saw
- Zero: Send a weekly recap of the longest fast with a button to tweet itPeople did tweet it; the feature was later dropped
- Life Reset: Put a 'please don't delete' message in the app icon's long-press menu
- Show the paywall right after the first screenApp makes an estimated $350-375K/month
- Build an app that does one thing and ranks for that exact searchEstimated $55K and $80K/month for two such apps
- Add animations to the onboarding screensOne founder told the host it lifted conversion 10%