[Videos] I roasted 8 apps in 1 day
Are you making these activation & monetization mistakes too?
If you’ve been following my journey on LinkedIn, you know I show up [a lot] on your feed with random posts and freebies.
I made a bold business decision last week.
I made my paid [$1K] app roast offer FREE FOREVER!
You might think, I might be shooting myself in the foot here.
But this simple change has become a great, value-packed conversation starter with mobile app founders who follow my content on LinkedIn.
My inbox low-key blew up with people showing up with their mobile app links.
[Strategically done to get more eyeballs on my core CRO & experimentation program. More about that later]
That said, if you have 30 minutes to spare, you’re gonna love what’s coming up next.
Quick app roast #1: Lifeing Pregnancy Tracker app
🎥 Tap here to watch →
Current challenges: Figuring out how users behave and navigate through the app, as they run ads to bring more traffic in
My recommendations:
Moving the login/signup screen at the end of onboarding and after the paywall.
Not reinventing the wheel with the paywall layout—use what most users are familiar with
Reduce cognitive load by removing distracting elements in the paywall.
Be specific about what ‘exclusive content’ users are gonna unlock with their money
Quick app roast #2: Gratitude self-care journal
🎥 Tap here to watch→
Current challenges: Most people continue using the app for free without needing to pay. And not enough trials converting to paid customers.
My recommendations:
Lock up more features & content behind the paywall
Ask users for their email and install a feedback loop to learn why people start a trial but don’t end up subscribing
Quick app roast #3: Fast Tracker Life
🎥 Tap here to watch →
Current challenges: Struggling to collect lower funnel data and tackling massive drop-offs at a hard paywall with no free trial
My recommendations:
Redo the onboarding sequence with multiple dopamine-triggering moments before leading up to the hard paywall.
Simple UI design tweaks can go a long way.
Quick app roast #4: Naze Screen time control app
🎥 Tap here to watch →
Current challenges: Low conversion of trial to paid user and only ~50% of people get to the activation point i.e opening a locked app
My recommendations:
Nudge users to set up locks in multiple social media apps instead of 1 during onboarding
Act on the feedback from users who cancelled their trial
Quick app roast #5: Headbands Group Charades Game
🎥 Tap here to watch →
Current challenges: Many downloads, but not many subscriptions. And only a few people leave an app review/ratings.
My recommendations:
Set a limit on the number of games free users can play
Ask for a rating/review at a more relevant & appropriate point of the user journey. Ideally, when one completes a game or experiences a high moment in the app.
Btw did you know?
You are sitting on 30 to 45% more in-app purchase revenue as you read this!
Want to unlock it?
Book a spot in my CRO & experimentation program to test 2 to 3 research-backed hypotheses per month. Early-stage apps get a $3,000 discount. Just ask.
Quick app roast #6: AI Meeting Notes
🎥 Tap here to watch →
Current challenges: Getting more downloads with ASO, and incorporating feature suggestions within the app
My recommendation:
Didn’t have much to say. The post-download funnel looks pretty good already.
Quick app roast #7: PostPocket
🎥 Tap here to watch →
Current challenges: Sudden drop in revenue & low paywall conversion
My recommendation:
Replace irrelevant creatives in the paywall and utilize top-of-the-screen real estate with clear messaging
Make the ‘save my 1st post’ flow more intuitive and frictionless
Quick app roast #8: Daily Expense Tracker Pro
🎥 Tap here to watch →
Current challenges: Low trial activation & trial-to-paid conversion for tier-1 market users [US, UK, Canada & Australia]. And figuring out how to increase retention.
My recommendation:
Redefine & get clarity on the app’s ‘CORE LOOP” using Nir Eyal’s Hook Model
Add relevant questions during onboarding to make users aware of their reckless spending habits. Present the 1st paywall as the solution and the means to better financial health.
TLDR: I gave out actionable feedback on how to improve activation, retention & monetization for mobile subscription apps, based on what I saw on the surface.
Take my suggestions with grains of salt since I’m not 100% aware of what’s going on under the hood of each of these apps.
If you’ve made it this far and like the new format, share it for others to see—and leave a comment.
I’ll try to do more of these.
When you want me to do a quick roast of your app, just say hello to me on LinkedIn.
//End of today’s rant//
Hi, I’m Muhammad Rahat.
I help mobile app founders increase in-app purchase revenue with A/B testing.
When you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you…
The In-app Funnel Fix OS: My CRO/experimentation program where I come in to fix your leaky, confusing, & mediocre onboarding & paywalls.
Wallet-opening Onboarding: Playbook: My swipe file of 30+ top-performing mobile subscription app’s onboarding & paywall examples [with a visual explanation of what’s working & what’s not]. I spent 300+ hours on this. But it’s yours. For FREE!
Tap the button below to visit my website.
Great job Muhammad!