Hard Activation Rate = (Users Who Complete Hard Activation Action / Total New Users) x 100. For example: 3,200 users complete 3 sessions in 7 days / 10,000 new installs = 32% hard activation rate.
Run a correlation analysis between early user actions (within 3-7 days) and long-term outcomes (30-day retention, subscription conversion, LTV). The action with the strongest correlation is your hard activation event. It should be specific (not just 'opened app'), achievable (most users can do it), and meaningful (connected to your core value proposition).
Soft activations are lightweight engagement signals — opening the app, viewing content, browsing features. Hard activations are commitment-level actions that strongly predict long-term behavior — starting a trial, completing onboarding, creating content, or reaching a usage threshold. Soft activations show interest; hard activations show investment.
Design your entire first-user experience around driving the hard activation action. Use progressive onboarding that guides users step-by-step, send timely reminders if they stall, reduce friction in the activation path, celebrate completion with positive feedback, and A/B test different approaches to find what drives users to the activation milestone fastest.
A monetization model where core app features or content are fully locked behind a subscription and users must pay to proceed. Hard paywalls are effective for apps with clear, high-value offerings and are often paired with a free trial to mitigate upfront friction.
Users who demonstrate strong signals of purchase readiness, such as frequent sessions, return visits, or multiple paywall views. These users are prime targets for personalized offers, upsells, and onboarding nudges to drive subscription conversion.
A behavioral design framework that explains how products create habits by cycling users through four stages: Trigger, Action, Reward, Investment. In subscription apps, the hook model is often used to design daily engagement loops that drive retention and deepen value perception. This was popularized by Nir Eyal.
A strategy that combines multiple revenue streams such as subscriptions, in-app purchases (IAPs), and advertising. Hybrid monetization allows apps to capture value from both paying and non-paying users, optimizing ARPU across segments.
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