Climbing the paywall – What makes consumers pay for content? And what puts them off?
A decline in advertising spending is spurring some websites to move their content behind paywalls. In this piece, with results from a recent YouGov Surveys poll, we explore what types of websites consumers are willing to pay for, and the key factors that motivate these consumers to part with their cash.
Polling data shows that a majority of Britons have never paid for a website subscription – nearly three-quarters (73%) have not done so. Americans are slightly less likely to say they have never paid but it’s still more than half the population (57%) who haven’t. While nearly a third of US consumers (29%) have active paid subscriptions, that share is almost halved in Britain (16%).
What types of content are consumers willing to pay for?
Entertainment websites about movies, TV shows, music and games are considered the most valuable to consumers in both markets – 41% in US and 34% in UK would consider paid subscriptions for these types of websites. Education and e-learning sites follow with 31% of Americans and 27% of Britons saying they are worth paying for. Third on the list of the types of websites consumers would consider paying for is news subscriptions (21% and 11% respectively). But while nearly two in ten Americans (17%) would consider paying for a lifestyle website, the figure in Britain is closer to one in nine consumers (11%).
Demographically, American men are more likely than women to consider subscribing to all types of websites except lifestyle – a fifth of American women (18%) believe it’s worth paying for these websites (which cover subjects like cooking, fitness, travel and fashion) as compared to 16% of men.
In Britain, men and women balance each other out. While men are more likely to find news (14%) and entertainment (39%) websites worth paying for, women are more likely to regard education/learning (28%) and lifestyle (12%) websites as being subscription worthy.
What puts consumers off from paying for content?
When it comes to reasons that would make consumers more or less likely to pay for a website subscription, cost registers the highest share. A lower subscription price will make 42% of Americans and 39% of Britons more likely to pay for a website subscription.
Consumers are not as concerned about exclusive content as they are about the possibility of having to view ads on websites they are subscribed to. A quarter of consumers in both markets would be more inclined to subscribe if a website has exclusive content (26% US; 25% UK). But 33% consumers in US and 28% in UK would pay for an ad-free browsing experience. Too many ads is a major deterrent with over half the population in both markets saying it’s what will make them less likely to pay for a website subscription (52% US; 54% UK).
We also asked consumers how much they are currently paying for website subscriptions each month. Data shows that among Britons who have active paid subscriptions, most consumers say they are paying less than £10 every month (13%). Americans are more likely to spend on paywalled websites with 15% of consumers saying they are currently paying between $10 to $25. While 14% of Americans say they spend less than $10 per month, 10% say they spend between $26 and $50.
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Methodology:
US:
YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on February 27-28, 2023, with a nationally representative sample of 1,232 adults in the United States (aged 18+ years), using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, region and race to be representative of all adults. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.
Great Britain:
YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on February 23-24, 2023, with a nationally representative sample of 2,100 adults in Great Britain (aged 18+ years), using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, region and race to be representative of all adults. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.
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