Transcript
[ Applause and cheers ]
>> In this session we're going
to discuss the best practices of
subscriptions.
We'll focus on effectively
communicating the value of your
subscriptions, streamlining the
signup flow, and providing
positive and effortless
subscription experiences.
Lauren, back to you.
>> All right.
Thanks, Doug.
We're going to try this again.
[ Laugh ]
Subscriptions are the fastest
growing business model in the
App Store.
Why is it almost every time
you're ready to sign up for an
awesome new service or to
subscribe to some amazing new
content, this is the feeling
that you get?
That's because it's all too
common for subscriptions to feel
complicated, confusing, or just
take too long to sign up.
So, for a great user experience,
make your subscription
effortless, transparent, and
engaging.
Let's focus on each of these
principles to improve the user
experience and design for
subscription success.
The first step we'll talk about,
being effortless.
So what does it mean for your
subscription to be effortless?
It means that people should know
that you have a subscription.
That way they shouldn't have to
look for how to sign up.
So it's important to be visible.
Get out there and don't be shy.
Let people know that you have a
subscription offer, and ask them
to sign up.
One approach would be to persist
a Subscribe button in your app's
interface.
Here in "The New York Times"
they do a great job persisting a
Subscribe button.
And they do this tastefully
throughout the entire UI.
It's very visible.
And it's across each article.
This is done really well.
And it's not annoying or pushy,
because it families together
with their interface.
Don't present your subscription
like a popup add or a
notification.
Because popups and notifications
are intended to be dismissed.
And you don't want people to
dismiss your subscription offer.
Another way to present your
subscription would be to be
visible and present it when
someone has expressed interest
in a piece of content or in a
feature that you offer through a
subscription.
This is the dating app Her.
So let's just say you're swiping
through a few profiles and you
accidentally pass on somebody
who's cute.
So you attempt to rewind that
profile, and in that moment, the
app Her tastefully presents an
option for you to subscribe.
Because the rewind feature is
what they offer as a
subscription.
And this is great.
It's an appropriate time for Her
to present you with this offer
because you've shown interest.
Her does a wonderful job
presenting the values of your
subscription right here as well
with this beautiful, light
animation.
So whether you choose to make it
persistent in your user
interface, or present the option
to subscribe when someone has
expressed interest, make sure
that it is visible to people so
they know you have a
subscription.
And no matter what you choose,
all subscription apps should
include a place to sign up in
Settings or Accounts, because
it's a very intuitive place for
place for people to look to sign
up.
All right.
Also, to make your subscription
effortless, you need to remove
friction.
Friction is asking for too much
information, having too many
steps, and taking too much time
for somebody to sign up.
But how do you know when you've
asked for too much?
This data should help.
This graph represents a snapshot
of one month of data from the
three top video streaming apps
in the US.
Now, while their names have been
removed, all the important data
here is the clicks to conversion
ratio.
A subscription flow that has
three clicks led to a 61%
conversion rate.
And a subscription flow with
four clicks led to a 48%
conversion rate.
However, as soon as there was
nine clicks, it dropped
significantly down to 7%.
Now, while this is just a
sample, it's clear that you
should only ask for what is
absolutely necessary for someone
to sign up.
Because quite literally, less is
more.
Less clicks, less friction, will
lead to more conversion and more
subscribers.
So focus on people on just
signing up first.
Things like favoriting,
personalization, and asking for
additional personal details can
all wait until after someone has
signed up.
So, by being visible, and
removing friction, your app
subscription will be effortless
and easier for people to
subscribe.
Next, let's talk about being
transparent with your
subscription.
Because transparency is the best
policy.
And you need to provide clear
terms so people understand what
they're signing up for.
Strive to be glance-able.
All in one view and in just a
few seconds, people should be
able to clearly understand what
your subscription offer is and
how to sign up.
So when you're making your
subscription, always include: a
concise value proposition, a
strong call to action, a place
for people to log in if they are
existing subscribers.
Also the ability to restore if
someone has a new device.
And a place to sign up that
includes clear pricing and
terms.
And always offer multiple tiers.
Because you don't know if
somebody wants to sign up for a
day, a week, a month, or two
years.
So try offering three or four
different tiers to find out what
works best for your audience.
The MLB At Bat app does a great
job and offers all of this in
one easy-to-understand
glance-able view.
And this is important because
most of us are signing up on our
phones.
So please, keep it simple.
By providing clear terms, people
will be able to make an informed
decision on how to subscribe.
All right.
I saved the best for last.
Your app needs to be engaging
from the start, before people
subscribe.
And the best way to engage them
is through experience.
Let them experience your app and
your app's content before having
them subscribe.
Because being able to experience
and try before you buy is a part
of how we make purchase
decisions today.
From trying on clothes to
attending an open house, or even
test driving a car before you
buy or lease it.
All of these are experiences
that you can do that help you
make a decision before you
purchase.
And the same applies for your
app.
There are three ways to engage
people through experience.
And it'll make it much easier
for them to subscribe.
First, you can offer a free
trial.
That way, people can try out the
entire app for free for a
limited time.
This works well for established
brands and when people have an
idea of what's included with the
subscription.
So, if you have an established
brand, a free trial is a great
way to let people engage with
your app and its contents before
they subscribe.
You can also make the majority
of your app available for free
and offer a premium feature as a
subscription.
For example, in the app Sleep
Cycle, you can use the entire
app for free, except the trends
feature shown here is what is
available to people who have
subscribed.
And Sleep Cycle makes it really
easy for people to sign up right
from here.
It's a great technique to offer
a peek of content behind this
blur.
That way potential subscribers
can see what kind of content
they would have access to if
they did subscribe.
And finally, you can allow
people to sample content.
It's a great way to engage
through experience.
And it works great for the
majority of apps.
This is "The New York Times."
And you're able to read ten
articles for free per month.
And this is a wonderful sampling
experience because "The New York
Times" lets people have control
over what content they're able
to sample.
That allows people to find the
content that they're interested
in and helps them better
understand the value of the
subscription.
The objective is to let people
experience and become familiar
with your app and its content.
And that will make it easier for
them to subscribe.
And no matter which option you
choose, make sure that it works
for your audience.
And you know them best.
Think about their current user
experience, the type of content
they have currently available in
your app, and how adding
subscriptions could impact that
experience.
So design your subscription to
be effortless by being visible
and reducing friction.
By being transparent with your
terms and pricing, and engaging
people through experiencing your
app and its rich contents.
That way it'll be really easy
for people to sign up.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]