We rebuilt the paywall on a fitness app four times over two quarters. Trial-to-paid conversion went from 6% to 14%. Here is what actually moved it, roughly in order of impact.
Timing beat everything
Moving the paywall from first launch to after the user completed their first workout was worth more than every copy and layout change combined. People pay for something they have felt, not something they have been promised.
One plan, then two
Three tiers created hesitation. Two — monthly and annual, with the annual saving stated as a plain number rather than a percentage — converted better and generated fewer support questions.
Concrete benefits, not feature names
- 'Unlimited programmes' beat 'Premium content library'
- 'Your coach replies within a day' beat 'Coach access'
- 'Cancel any time in two taps' near the button reduced drop-off measurably
What did not matter
Button colour. Testimonial carousels on the paywall itself. Countdown timers, which converted marginally better in week one and were followed by a visible bump in refund requests.
Want this applied to your product?
We do this work for clients every week. Bring us the specifics and we will tell you what we would change first.
Book a Call