When You Should (And Shouldn’t) Paywall Your Online Content

A paywall is a barrier that restricts access to online content to paying subscribers. They’re most commonly used by online publishers as a way to monetize blogs and journals, but are also implemented on e-learning courses and entertainment sites.

There are multiple paywalls websites apply depending on the level of restriction they want to use:

• Hard paywall: Access to all of a site’s content is blocked and requires a paid subscription to unlock. This is the riskiest of all paywalls, although it’s the most secure.
• Metered paywall: Users get access to a certain number of pages for free before a paid subscription is required. A metered, or soft, paywall is a way to indulge both casual site visitors who don’t want to pay for your content as well as avid readers who, if they’re hitting the page limit, will be more willing to subscribe.
• Freemium paywall: Users have to pay to access certain website pages that are premium. If you like the idea of a freemium model but want more control over which pages your visitors see, this is the best option for you.
• Dynamic paywalls: These paywalls monitor user behavior and appear and request membership access to site viewers that seem most likely to convert to a paid subscription.

Hard paywalls are the most extreme and disruptive form of paywall, so have the highest chances of hindering your website traffic  – unless you have a reputation that matches Netflix or The Financial Times.

However, when it comes to metered, freemium, and dynamic paywalls, paywalls can be effective at boosting conversion rate. However, there are a number of prerequisites for a paywall to be worthwhile on your site:

• Your content is unique and offers value: Before you decide on a paywall, consider whether the user can find the same information for free elsewhere. If the answer is yes, it will be difficult to persuade them to choose you.
• You target a niche audience: If you produce quality content on a niche topic, there will be less competition, meaning its value will be much higher to your target audience.
• You add new content frequently and consistently: Your subscribers will want the most bang for their buck. If they can see you don’t post content frequently, they’ll be less willing to invest their money in a repeat subscription. Even when they do, you’ll struggle to retain long-term subscribers and can build a bad reputation.

If your content ticks the above boxes, there are two additional considerations which may impact your decision:

1. Pricing: If your content isn’t offered elsewhere, you’ll be able to charge higher subscription prices, but if competitors offer similar content, it’s a good idea to match or offer lower fees. Consider whether the income you’ll receive from paywalling your website is worth the output.
2. Security: Unfortunately, there are tools online which make it relatively easy to bypass soft paywalls, which could have a negative impact on your subscription revenue.

For websites that provide bespoke or unique online content, paywalling can be worthwhile. E-learning courses, online fitness and nutrition guides, and journals sharing datasets from unique studies are all examples of content that could benefit from a paid subscription model, because they can provide a lot of value for their customers.

Many website builders make setting up a paywall easy. This means you don’t have to learn code or pay out for a developer to implement your paywall – you can simply use your builder’s tools, such as Squarespace’s membership area feature. For the best chances at success, offer competitive pricing, and entice your site visitors by offering a free trial, limited access to a number of pages, or by providing a short excerpt of your content above the paywall.