📖 How to write CTA copy (for paywalls)

A deep dive into the CTA copy for the top 100+ apps on the App Store

Hello Friends 👋,

At Duolingo, we spend a lot of time and energy optimizing every single part of the user experience by running and learning from hundreds of A/B tests.

I wanted to gut check the CTA copy for our purchase flow that we experimented our way into against what I would cringely call “industry standard.”

The process was simple:

1. Download the top 10 apps in every category on the App Store

2. Write down the CTA copy in an Excel

3. Look for trends and trend breakers.

Here is what I learned:

• The most common CTA for a free trial-eligible app:
  It uses Start as a verb and mentions Free. Only 20% use first or second-person pronouns (my, your).
  Start free trial, Start free 7 days.

• The most common CTA for apps with no free trial:
  It is 1-2 words short and action-oriented. 45% of CTA are only one word, 85% are three or less.
  Subscribe, Continue, Subscribe Now.

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👀 Deep Dive

Free Trial Offers:

• Common Verb Usage: "Start" dominates, present in 40% of CTAs, signifying the beginning of a journey. The next most common verb is “Try.”

• Word Count: 90% are at 5 words or fewer. A detailed breakdown shows 40% use exactly 4 words, with 3 words or fewer being less common, suggesting brevity with sufficient detail strikes a balance.

• Mentioning "Free": Saying Free in the CTA is virtually obligatory; 80%+ of apps mention “Free” or “for $0” in their CTA

• Additional Words: Adding time specifics appears in 25% of CTAs, underscoring the limited availability and prompting quick action.
  

No Free Trial:

• Common Verb Usage: "Continue" leads at 30%, and "Subscribe" follows at 25%, pointing to progression or a commitment, respectively.

• Word Count: A tendency towards fewer words, with 85% at or under 3 words. Specifically, 26% use 3 words, 14% opt for 2 words, while 1-word CTAs appear 45% of the time

• Pricing Information: Explicit pricing is less common but still significant at 20%, indicating transparency is valued.

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General Observations:

• Personalization: "My" is employed in only 10% of free trial CTAs, implying that creating a sense of ownership and personal benefit is not the biggest needle mover.

• Action-Oriented Language: Imperative verbs are a constant across all CTAs, used to drive immediate user action.

• Clear Value Proposition: 100% of CTAs maintain clarity in their value proposition, be it a trial, subscription, or pricing clarity.

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Best Practices for CTA Copy:

• For Free Trials: A 4-word structure like "Start 7 day free trial" is the most common pattern, used by 30% of the top 100 apps.

• For No Free Trials: An action oriented and short 1 -2 word CTA like “Continue” or “Subscribe now” is the most common pattern.

• Pricing Transparency: Display pricing in the CTA where advantageous and when the price point is a strong part of the value proposition (e.g. limited time offer), as seen in 20% of non-free trial apps.

• Urgency and Exclusivity: Include time constraints or exclusivity for 25% of free trial CTAs to boost conversion rates through a sense of urgency.

This was fun ✌️.

See you soon,
Ali Abouelatta