• by Ray Schultz , March 19, 2023

U.S. website subscribers are attracted most by low prices, although many feel that no content is worth the cost, judging by  a new study from YouGov. 

According to a report by Press Gazette, American readers are mostly likely to pay for a subscription based on:

• Lower subscription price—42%
• Don’t believe any website content is worth paying for—29%
• Ad-free browsing—33%
• Exclusive content—26%
• Group subscription—23%
• Better user experience—22%
• Don’t know—7% 
• Other—1%
  

Asked what types of content are worth paying for, Americans  answered: 

• Don’t believe any website content is worth paying for—30% 
• Entertainment (movies, TV, music, etc.)—41% 
• Education/learning—31%
• News—21% 
• Lifestyle (food, fashion, cooking, etc.)—17% 
• Don’t know—7% 
• Other—2%

In contrast, 42% in the UK don’t believe any website content is worth paying for. 

Here are the factors that would make U.S. readers less likely to pay for a website subscription: 

• High subscription price—60&
• Too many ads—52% 
• Poor user experience—45% 
• Lack of exclusive content—29%
• Don’t believe any website content is worth paying for—21%
• Don’t know—5%
• Other—2% 

Of those polled, 29% of U.S. adults currently have a paid subscription, versus 16% in the UK. 

YouGov surveyed 1,232 U.S. consumers and 2,100 UK readers in February 2023. 

The Press Gazette article can be accessed here.