Considering experimenting with a new funnel where users pay before downloading the app.
Curious if this approach might improve conversion rates or if it’s too much friction.
Has anyone tried this or seen data on its effectiveness?
Tried it once. Killed our downloads. Users want to try before paying. Focus on awesome onboarding instead.
I’ve seen this backfire for most apps. Users want to test drive before buying.
Instead, try optimizing your app store page and first-time user experience. Show value fast so people convert after install.
For high-end B2B stuff, a paid web demo could work. But tread carefully.
Tested this a while back. Results were mixed.
It worked well for high-value B2B apps where customers expect to pay upfront. Conversion rates improved slightly and we got more committed users.
For consumer apps, it tanked conversions hard. Most people want to try before they buy. The extra friction killed signups.
My advice: Only consider this for premium, business-focused apps where you’re selling real value. For anything else, let users install first and experience the product. Focus on nailing your onboarding and showing value fast instead.
Ran this test on a productivity app last quarter. Gotta say, it was rough.
Install rates dropped like a rock. We’re talking 60% fewer downloads. People just weren’t ready to commit without seeing the app first.
But here’s the weird part - the users who did convert were way more engaged. They stuck around longer and had higher lifetime values.
In the end, we scrapped it. The drop in new users was too steep to justify the quality boost.
If you really want to try it, maybe test a ‘lite’ web version first? Let people play with core features before asking for payment. Might give you the best of both worlds.
Probably not worth it. Most folks want to try the app first. Maybe focus on better onboarding instead? That usually helps conversions more.