The Times & The Sunday Times | IAP Registration Optimisation
Led UX design and A/B testing strategy to double post-purchase registration rates, enabling cross-device access and first-party data capture.
Project Overview
An A/B testing initiative to improve post-purchase registration rates for in-app subscribers, enabling cross-device access and first-party data capture.
Role
UX Designer
Timeline
June 2019
Focus
Conversion Optimisation, Mobile UX, Experimentation Strategy
Tools
A/B Testing, Analytics, User Research
Challenge
In-app subscribers were completing purchases but failing to register accounts, meaning:
- Users couldn't access subscriptions across devices
- The business couldn't capture first-party user data
- Missed opportunities for upselling and engagement
Conversion Goal: Increase registration rate post-IAP.
Existing Experience
The post-IAP flow asked users to register, with optional opt-ins for marketing. Despite this:
- Registration completion rates were low
- Users often dropped off before submitting details
The original registration flow showing the banner prompt variant.
UX Hypothesis
We hypothesised that layout and interrupt level, not content, were affecting completion. So we ran an A/B test comparing two design patterns:
- Banner Prompt (Variant 1)
- Full-Screen Takeover (Variant 2)
Both variants used identical messaging:
"Get access on your other devices."
Test Design
✅ Variant 1: Banner Prompt
- Subtle call-to-action shown after IAP completion
- Shown again on 5th and 10th app open if no registration completed
- Led to the same registration flow
The banner prompt variant showing the subtle call-to-action after IAP completion.
🔒 Variant 2: Full-Screen Takeover
- Immediate, immersive prompt after IAP
- Applied the same re-engagement logic as the banner
- Led to identical form and permission flow
The full-screen takeover variant showing the immediate, immersive prompt after IAP completion.
Results
| Metric | Banner Variant | Full-Screen Takeover |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Start Rate | 18.4% | 27.9% |
| Registration Completion Rate | 11.1% | 19.6% |
Winner: Full-screen takeover (76% higher completion rate)
Impact
- Doubled user registration rate post-IAP
- Enabled richer CRM and device sync for users
- Supported first-party data growth for marketing and product
Next Steps
- Proceed with full-screen takeover as default experience
- Explore copy and CTA variations in future tests
- Build internal A/B testing infrastructure for native experimentation
- Test multivariate flows with incentives and social logins