How I Boosted Conversions: Designing Flows to Drive Freemium Users to Paid Subscriptions

Process

Discover

Initial research focused on analyzing industry competitors’ premium subscription sign-up flows and conducting secondary research to find solutions to compel Hip Hub’s target audience of tech-savvy, budget-conscious, 18–24 year old users to subscribe to a paid media product.

Competitive Analysis

First, I analyzed Medium, Soundcloud, and Spotify’s subscription sign-up flows and laid out what I liked and disliked about them which helped inform action items I would incorporate into Hip Hub’s flows. Here is the analysis:

Secondary Research

After performing a competitive analysis, I conducted secondary research to discover solutions to compel Hip Hub’s target audience of tech-savvy, budget conscious, 18–24 year olds (AKA Gen Z’s) to subscribe to a paid product. I discovered factors motivating Gen Z folks to subscribe to a paid product from most to least important are: price, trust in brand, ease of use, quality of sound, ease of discovering new music, personalization, availability of exclusive music, and flexible plans.

Design

User Flows

Then, using Miro, I outlined user flows for opportunities for users to upgrade their free plan to a paid subscription:

1. Upon signing up as a new user
2. Upon logging in as a returning user
3. From within the app as a new or returning user
   

Lofi Wireframes

After I established user flows, I used Figma to create low fidelity wireframes as a way to brainstorm the respective user flow steps.

Here they are:

Validate

Test

After creating the low fidelity wireframes, I turned them into a prototype in Figma. Then, I conducted usability tests to discover aspects of Hip Hub’s design that can be improved to better influence users to upgrade their subscription as well as further ease the upgrade process. Here are the main insights and proposed solutions from the first round of tests:

Based on insights from the first round of tests, I tweaked the design in response to issues users were experiencing that were critical to being able and compelled to subscribe to a paid subscription.

After these changes were made, I deployed a second round of usability tests to further solidify screen layouts before implementing visual aspects of the design. Here are the main issues and proposed solutions from this round:

Design

Implement

After refining the functionality of Hip Hub’s design, I createbetter establish branding that aligns with Hip Hub’s personality of being bold, hip, and smart as well as to promote user delight and a sense of cohesiveness throughout the app.

Solution

After implementing the design system, here is the final solution:

Users can upgrade to Hip Hub premium from within the app by going to ‘Upgrade.’ A table visually compares the benefits of the free vs paid plans. For the student plan, users need to verify their student status.

When freemium users try to skip ads, download media, shuffle pay, and/or skip media, they are prompted to upgrade their membership.

Reflection

Overall, my solution effectively address the challenge faced by Hip Hub in transitioning to a subscription-based model by optimizing the user experience, tailoring offerings to the target audience, and providing incentives for conversion while maintaining transparency and flexibility.

If and when time were to permit, here are some next steps I would take to improve my solution:

1. Microinteractions and Animations: Incorporate microinteractions and subtle animations to enhance the user experience and guide users through the subscription journey. Use animations to provide feedback, highlight key information, and create a seamless transition between different stages of the subscription process.
2. Usability Testing and Iterative Design: Continuously gather user feedback through usability testing and iterate on the design to improve clarity, ease of use, and overall user satisfaction.
3. Responsive Design Optimization: Ensure that the subscription flow is optimized for various devices and screen sizes by implementing responsive design principles, maintaining consistency, and usability across different platforms.