Reduce churn by offering a discount to stay subscribed
Overview
Business Outcome
Churn Rate
Decrease the percentage of users who cancel their subscription by offering a compelling reason to stay.
Behavioral Outcome
Perceived Value
Increase the perceived value of the subscription by offering a discount, making users feel they are getting a good deal by staying.
The Behavioral Science
Loss Aversion
Loss aversion suggests that people are more motivated to avoid losses than to acquire equivalent gains. By offering a discount at the point of cancellation, Mobbin leverages the user's desire to avoid losing out on a good deal.
Hyperbolic Discounting
Hyperbolic discounting refers to the tendency for people to prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, future rewards. By offering an immediate 20% discount, Mobbin makes staying subscribed more appealing than the long-term benefits of cancelling.
How It Works
When a user attempts to cancel their Mobbin subscription, they are presented with a special offer: "Want a deal? 🤑 Stay to get 20% off your next billing cycle." This well-timed discount acts as a powerful incentive to reconsider cancellation.
The offer leverages loss aversion by framing the discount as a limited-time deal that the user will miss out on if they proceed with cancellation. This triggers a fear of missing out and makes staying subscribed feel like the better choice.
Additionally, by providing an immediate 20% discount, Mobbin taps into hyperbolic discounting. The instant gratification of a reduced price overshadows the long-term reasons the user may have had for wanting to cancel, encouraging them to stay in the moment.
How It Might Backfire
Devaluing the Service
If discounts are offered too frequently or easily, users may begin to devalue the service and feel that the regular subscription price is overinflated. This could lead to more users attempting to cancel in hopes of receiving a discount.
Temporary Fix
While a one-time discount may convince a user to stay for another billing cycle, it doesn't address the underlying reasons they wanted to cancel in the first place. If those issues persist, the user may still churn in the future.
How To Test
To test the effectiveness of this tactic, run an A/B test where a portion of users attempting to cancel are shown the discount offer, while a control group proceeds with the standard cancellation flow. Compare churn rates between the two groups to gauge the impact of the discount.
You can also experiment with different discount amounts or messaging to find the optimal offer. Consider conducting user interviews to understand why users are cancelling and gather feedback on the perceived value of the discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
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