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.