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before I was averaging somewhere around 1 to 2% of new users converting into a paying user that turnaround time was also longer because the pay wall wasn't even in the onboarding but now the conversion rate being 10% into free trials is I think awesome

💨 tl;dr

Liz aims to boost her app, tooi, to $10K/month or return to a tech job. Key strategies: improved onboarding with founder story, tutorials, paywall, and free trials. Enhanced paywall design and local notifications increased conversions and retention.

💡 Key Ideas

• Liz aims to get her app's revenue to $10K/month; otherwise, she'll go back to a full-time tech job.
• tooi, Liz's app, is a social to-do list with free and paid tiers (prodo).
• Paying subscribers come from new users during onboarding and power users upgrading later.
• Onboarding improvements: branding/founder story, tutorials, and a paywall.
• Founder story in onboarding builds brand loyalty and user investment.
• Users start with at least one connection by following Liz on social media.
• Support offered through a community Discord and feedback board.
• Onboarding now includes a paywall and free trials to boost premium conversions.
• Enhanced paywall design shows savings on yearly subscriptions.
• Yearly subscriptions increased by pre-selecting the option.
• Conversion rate to free trials jumped from 1-2% to 10%.
• Revenue might dip short-term due to free trials but aims to increase retention.
• Added local notifications to improve user retention and task completion.
• Fixed a bug in notifications; solo work causes delays in implementing features.

🎓 Lessons Learnt

• Include a founder story in onboarding: Personal stories build brand loyalty and make users feel invested.
• Use how-to tutorials in onboarding: Guides help new users understand the app, enhancing their initial experience.
• Add a paywall at the end of onboarding: Capturing users at peak excitement increases conversion rates.
• Engage with users actively: Using platforms like Discord fosters community and brand loyalty.
• Offer free trials: Free trials of premium features can lead to higher conversion rates.
• Highlight savings clearly: Displaying discounts like 'Save 50%' helps users decide quickly, boosting subscriptions.
• Pre-select subscription options: Pre-selecting yearly subscriptions increases the likelihood of users opting for them.
• Use explicit call-to-action buttons: Clear CTAs like 'subscribe to pro' or 'try the free trial' drive immediate actions.
• Implement local notifications early: Notifications improve retention and should be added early in development.
• Fix bugs promptly: Addressing bugs quickly minimizes disruption and keeps development on track.
• Prioritize self-care: Balance work with activities like sports and proper meals to maintain productivity.

🌚 Conclusion

Personal stories and clear CTAs in onboarding boost user investment and conversions. Free trials and highlighting savings drive subscriptions. Active user engagement and prompt bug fixes are crucial. Balance work with self-care for sustained productivity.

In-Depth

All Key Ideas

Liz's App Strategy

• Liz is trying to increase the number of paying subscribers to her app, tooi.
• Liz will return to a full-time job in Tech if she doesn't reach $10K in revenue a month by the end of the year.
• Liz's app, tooi, is a social to-do list with a free tier and a paid subscription tier called prodo.
• There are two types of paying subscribers: excited new users captured during onboarding and power users who upgrade later.
• Liz made three main improvements to the onboarding process: branding and founder story, how-to tutorials, and adding a paywall at the end of onboarding.
• Adding the founder story to the onboarding sets the tone and builds brand loyalty.
• Users like supporting a story or journey they feel invested in.
• Liz included a page asking users to follow her to start the app with at least one connection for a better user experience.

App Improvement Suggestions

• Encouraging users to follow the app creator on social media for usage examples
• Providing support through a community Discord and a feedback board
• Improving onboarding to better explain app usage, especially the unique photo-based task completion
• Adding a paywall during onboarding to inform new users about the premium version
• Introducing free trials for the premium version to boost conversions
• Enhancing the paywall design to clearly show savings on yearly subscriptions

Key Insights and Actions

• Adding a pre-selected yearly subscription option increased yearly subscriptions
• Conversion rate to free trials increased from 1-2% to 10% after changes to onboarding
• Expectation that revenue will decrease in the short term due to the 1-month free trial
• Aim to improve app retention by adding new types of notifications
• Problem identified: new users often create to-do items but fail to mark them as complete
• Solution: reminder notifications for different user journeys to build new habits and improve retention

Development Updates

• Added local notifications to the app using Flutter, which was simple and crucial for retention
• Frustration over delayed implementation of notifications due to solo work demands
• Found and fixed a bug in the notifications setup caused by an incorrect dependency import
• Detailed description of a meal prepared after paddle tennis

All Lessons Learnt

Onboarding Strategies

• Include a founder story in onboarding: Adding a personal founder story during onboarding can build brand loyalty and make users feel more invested in the app.
• Use how-to tutorials in onboarding: Providing tutorials on how to use the app helps guide new users and improves their initial experience.
• Add a paywall at the end of onboarding: Including a paywall at the end of the onboarding process can significantly increase conversion rates for paid subscriptions.

User Engagement and Onboarding Strategies

• Engage with users actively: Actively engaging with users on platforms like Discord can help address issues quickly and foster a sense of community and brand loyalty.
• Improve onboarding instructions: Simplifying and improving onboarding instructions with clear, concise steps can help new users understand how to use your app effectively.
• Include a paywall in onboarding: Introducing the paywall during onboarding can capture users at their peak excitement, increasing the chances of conversion to paid subscriptions.
• Offer free trials: Providing a free trial period for premium features allows users to experience them without immediate commitment, potentially leading to higher conversion rates.
• Highlight savings clearly: Clearly displaying savings, such as 'Save 50%,' on subscription options can help users make quicker decisions and boost longer-term subscription purchases.

Subscription and Engagement Strategies

• Pre-select subscription options: Pre-selecting the yearly subscription increases the likelihood of users opting for it because they are more likely to go with the pre-selected option.
• Add explicit call-to-action buttons: Including clear call-to-action buttons like 'subscribe to pro' or 'try the free trial' encourages users to take immediate actions.
• Integrate paywall in onboarding: Adding the paywall during the onboarding process significantly increases conversion rates, as seen with a jump from 1-2% to 10%.
• Offer a free trial: Offering a 1-month free trial can boost initial sign-ups and potentially lead to higher conversions to paying users after the trial period.
• Expect short-term revenue dip with free trials: Understand that revenue might temporarily decrease when implementing a free trial, but it's a worthwhile investment for long-term gains.
• Use notifications to improve retention: Implement reminder notifications to help users remember to use the app and complete tasks, which can help in forming new habits and improving retention.
• Differentiate notification strategies: Tailor notifications based on user behavior, such as reminders to add or complete to-dos and notifications to maintain streaks, to effectively engage different user groups.
• Implement streaks to boost engagement: Use streaks as a motivational tool to keep users engaged by encouraging them to complete tasks consecutively, and send warning notifications if a streak is about to break.

Best Practices for Solo App Development

• Implement Local Notifications Early: Adding local notifications can be done easily and significantly boost user retention. It's a task that shouldn't be delayed.
• Don't Dwell on Delays: When working on apps solo, numerous tasks will always compete for attention. Focus on progress rather than getting frustrated over unfinished tasks.
• Test Thoroughly: After making changes, always test locally and in a test flight build to ensure everything works as expected before releasing to users.
• Fix Bugs Promptly: Address bugs as soon as they are discovered to minimize disruption and keep the development process on track.
• Prioritize Self-Care: Balancing work with activities like paddle tennis and proper meals is crucial for maintaining energy and productivity.