How LookLab AI doubled conversion with an optimized paywall strategy

Intro

LookLab AI is a photo app for generating AI headshots, from professional to fantasy. As a growing startup in the AI space, maximizing conversion from free users was critical to continue growing. Using Superwall's experimentation platform, LookLab was able to test core monetization hypotheses quickly and efficiently.

The challenge

The challenge for LookLab AI was determining the optimal mix of pricing and paywall type:

• Trial fatigue. Users often expect a free trial, but trials can attract low-intent users who cancel before the charge, lowering LTV.

• Pricing uncertainty. They needed to test their initial pricing against alternatives to find the most profitable rate for the weekly subscription.

• Experiment complexity. They needed to run A/B tests on two dimensions, which requires a heavy engineering lift without an experimentation platform.

The solution

LookLab AI compared the performance and long-term ROI of different pricing and paywall variants:

• Hard paywall control. A direct subscription signup screen, offering 20 weekly credits for a fixed price.

• Free trial variants. Two variations offering a three-day free trial followed by different weekly prices.

This setup allowed the LookLab team to observe ROI over time by cohort, helping them find the combination that brought in the most dedicated paying users.

The results

The rapid experimentation cycle led to an immediate improvement in performance:

• Conversion rate nearly doubled. The campaign conversion rate jumped from 8.3% in the initial launch to 15.0% in the third campaign, which featured the free trial and higher weekly price.

• Optimal combo identified. The team was able to determine that the risk of offering a free trial was justified by a huge jump in conversion, as well as validating a higher weekly price point.