Paywall, Subscription & Micropayment Ecosystem in Premium Pratilipi (iOS) to increase Revenue
Context
Pratilipi is a user-generated content platform that hosts various long-form stories in Indian regional languages.
Each month, independent authors collectively publish around 300k stories on the platform.
However, only 5% of these are included in our premium program, where stories are locked. Users can access locked contents/Parts in three ways.
The first method is the "Wait and Unlock" approach. In this method, one part unlocks for free every day, 24 hours after reading the previous part.
The second method is through the use of Coins. Readers can purchase coins to unlock locked part and continue reading.
And the third method is the Premium Subscription program. We generate the majority of our revenue by offering users access to Premium Subscription, which provides unlocked access and to all stories for a fee (monthly, bi-yearly, yearly).
Users who subscribe to the premium are referred to as premium users.
Business Goals
Focus on converting existing users into premium users due to low new user acquisition through organic channels.
Increase the conversion rate of free users to premium subscribers.
Maximize revenue generation opportunities.
Users Goal
Identify effective motivators for conversion to premium.
Design for subscription and micropayments experiences.
Make the Pratilipi unlocking experience as smooth and transparent as possible.
Enhance discoverability of premium.
Ensure the right relationship and experience after purchasing premium.
Impact
33%
Daily Active Users (DAU) are Active Premium Users
Highest conversion ratio from free to premium users among all Pratilipi business units.
My Contribution
I worked as a Solo Designer with 4 Engineers & 1 PM from Sept-Oct 2022. I contributed in Product thinking, User research, Data Analysis & Design.
Few things to Consider
I have designed the entire ecosystem, which means not only the payment flows but also their relation with reading, discovery, and recommendation, which are not covered in the below prototypes.
During our timeline, we experimented extensively with premium discovery, positioning, pricing, and funnels. We finalized a few strategies that yielded the most impact and benefits while maintaining the best user experience.
We arrived at these conclusions through numerous A/B tests and iterations. The prototypes below include a mix of successful (mostly), failed, and unshipped designs, focusing solely on the happy flows.
Given the limitations within the Apple ecosystem, our payment module relies on Apple Pay for transactions.
Paywall & Subscription
Funnel 1 - Premium Subscription through Paywall
After analyzing user journeys and conducting user research, we discovered that the primary motivator for users is the desire to continue reading a compelling story.
When users are deeply engaged or hooked into a narrative, they are willing to pay to unlock further chapters to sustain their reading experience. This behavior closely resembles the functionality of paywall user experiences, where access to premium content is restricted until a payment is made.
Based on these insights, we implemented a locked/paywall module between two story parts, effectively creating our most successful conversion funnel for premium users.
Video
Funnel 2 - Premium Subscription through discovery
We experimented with an additional way to promote premium content. By this point, premium had become well-known to our users, and they were aware of its benefits.
We selected a few highly engaging locked contents and placed premium purchase options on the content summary screen, thereby enhancing the value proposition of the content and making it easier to subscribe.
This approach became our second most successful premium conversion funnel.
Video
Coupon based Subscription
We received feedback from users indicating that our prices were perceived as high.
Based on this feedback, we hypothesized that lowering the price of the subscription plan for the first month could reduce the barrier to explore premium content and incentivize users to convert to premium. To address this, we introduced coupons tailored for specific user cohorts.
Another successful experiment.
Video
Free Trial
We also launched a free trial for specific user cohorts in response to those feedback. The free trial enables users to experience premium content firsthand before committing to a subscription plan, fostering trust and confidence.
It attracted new users who may have been hesitant to pay upfront but were willing to try it out. Free trials showcased the quality of premium offerings and converted trial users into subscribers, driving subscription revenue.
Video
Creating a Composable Subscription Screen
A composable subscription plan screen in Pratilipi is crucial for adaptability to changing business needs and experimentation with various pricing models, incentives like coupons and free trials, and accommodating features like multilingual content.
Micropayments
Coins
Coins serve as an ideal micropayment solution for Pratilipi due to affordable, convenient transaction fees & seamless integration. It allows users to pay only for the content they want to consume, avoiding the commitment of a recurring subscription fee.
V1 of the launch.
v1 / Video
Iterated design where subscription payments prioritized over coins
v2/ Video
Content unlock payments are solely facilitated through coins, with no subscription plans
v3/ Video
Transacton History
Transaction history helps our users to manage subscriptions, track digital content purchases, monitor transactions.
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