When we asked consumers if they would pay $39.99 a year, which comes out to less than $4 a month, for an ad-free version of one of their favorite sites, only 2.4% said definitely yes, they would be likely to do so. And only 3.5% said they’d be very likely. In fact, 84% of the people said they’d be unlikely or not at all likely.
At the lower price of $29.99 a year, or less than $3 a month, only another 1.9% of consumers said they would be very likely to pay for an ad-free version.
What does this tell me? Consumers might “hate ads,” but not enough to pay even as little as a few cents a day to avoid them.
I think they just haven’t found the right model. My proposal?
When I was a child every mother collected S&H Greenstamps, and spent an inordinate amount of time sticking those stamps in books. Imagine a digital variation. The more ads we watch the more digital stamps we collect.
The kind and number of “stamps” offered could be targeted by age, geography, and a host of other demographic data. Instead of sticking them in books we could have an ad infested webquest game.
Ads as fun; targeted and relevant to us so ads we want. Winners all around.