A niche subscription app · B2C · guest's 2022 acquisition
Remove the X from the paywall so users must start a trial
Trial starts doubled from 6% to 13%; trial-to-paid unchanged; some one-star reviews
Workedpaywall
What they did
Same app, same downloads: compared the paywall with a close (X) button against a hard paywall with no X. Watch trial-to-paid: if it holds while trial starts double, the hard paywall wins. Recommended at launch to force a product-market-fit test; exit-intent offers can mimic a soft paywall.
What happened
Trial start rate went from 6% to 13%; trial-to-paid did not change, so the version with the X had half the revenue. Downside: one-star reviews.
- Stage
- Exit (post-acquisition)
“The start trial rate went from 6% to 13% with the hard paywall. This was 6%. Trial-to-paid did not change, and that's the number you got to look at.”
“So we lost half our revenues just because of that tiny X.”
“But, you know, I do say that you do get one-star reviews when you have a hard paywall, though.”
Related topics
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