We debated whether the complexity of a web paywall was worth the benefit when ATT and other changes eroded our mobile analytics.
After moving the paywall we had clearer acquisition cohorts, opt‑in analytics, and the ability to run many more experiments. It added a bit of engineering overhead but gave us back signal for LTV and retention decisions. For us the tradeoff favored the web funnel because better data led to smarter ad spend.
Would you accept the engineering tradeoff to regain analytics clarity?
For us it was worth it. The engineering lift was a couple sprints and then we had repeatable experiments.
I used Web2Wave to scaffold the funnel which cut the build time. The clearer LTV numbers paid back the effort quickly.
Yes. The web funnel gave us control over the data and the ability to iterate fast. Better LTV signal meant smarter bidding and less waste.
Being able to change gating and offers on the fly without new app builds was the killer advantage.
We chose web because we wanted to see which channels really produced long term users. It paid off after we adjusted campaigns.
Worth it if you value clean LTV data
If privacy changes remove your ability to measure LTV then regaining that measurement should be a priority. The web funnel is a pragmatic way to collect consented signals and to run experiments. Expect some engineering but design the system for easy mapping of web ids to in app entitlements from the start.
We made the switch because our CPA rose and we had no idea why. With web data we quickly cut low quality channels and improved ROAS.
We accepted the extra work. The clearer retention cohorts made ad decisions easier.