Best Practices for Creating a Stellar Sign Up Process
Pay-TV and OTT operators spend a great deal of marketing dollars to promote their latest blockbuster piece of content with the aim of getting you and I to sign up to their service. According to our latest consumer focus group research, conducted by Decipher, this marketing machine is effective. We hear through the social grapevine, our friends tell us about the latest big hit and we see it being talked about everywhere.
So, we've made it successfully onto the website with every intention to find out what all the fuss is about. In reality, it shouldn't take much to tip us over the edge, to part with our money and subscribe. After all the effort to peak our interest and get us to their website, what should pay-TV and OTT operators do to make it as simple and easy as possible to sign-up? At Paywizard, we call this the JOIN Decision Moment - part of the 8 key Decision Moments across the pay-TV subscriber lifecycle
During this JOIN moment, customer conversion from prospect to subscriber acquisition is key. What is the conversion rate for visitors to new signed-up customers? What information should operators show? What about the pricing and different packages? What help can you provide to reduce cart abandonment?
Based upon our experience with over 100 pay-TV projects, there are a number of key things operators can do to turn interest into paying subscribers:
Free trial - It was pretty unanimous in all focus groups, a trial period was perceived as a vital component, as it allows the user to experience the content range first hand. It removes the barriers to entry and without it, many would not join.
Clear Pricing and package options - In our experience prospective subscribers are suspicious of pricing packages that are as from £6.99', and are more trusting of packaging options that contained clarity on pricing impact. People looking for a service expected simple pricing tiers, no lengthy contract lock ins, with a clear account of what each option gives you. Flat rate pricing, with no prospect of hidden charges, was mentioned often in our focus groups.
Simple sign-up - The sign-up process needs to be quick with many joiners expecting registration to take only a couple of minutes'. Sign up pages must be crystal clear with simple instructions. When it comes to the number of fields available and required to enter information into, less is definitely more. Lastly, the design elements shown on the sign up page should also appear minimal.
Marketing Prospects - Operators should aim to offer a 2-tier sign up process, collecting information in stages, creating the opportunity for consumers to at least become marketing prospects if they chose not to fully subscribe.
Payment - Similar to cart abandonment in a retail eCommerce environment, one of the key barriers for sign-up is parting with payment details. In our experience, clear payment options should be made available to consumers with the ability to pay via credit/debit card, bank, voucher, or third party providers like PayPal. One recent joiner commented: It should support PayPal then I don't need to enter my personal details. It's also more secure .
Reassure the subscriber - Like any other online purchase, consumers will do their research and will probably visit the operators website and sign-up pages several times during the initial stages of purchase. In our experience, using human intervention through webchat for example, makes a massive difference in reassuring the prospective customer to take the plunge and become a paying subscriber.
Ultimately, when a customer makes the decision to take action and sign up for your subscription offer, the process has to be:
EASY - Device agnostic process, minimal information collection
INSTANT - Access to the service and content
REASSURING - Human touch through web chat or voice
With attention spans decreasing and the number of options available increasing, more and more consumers are choosing not to sign up for services simply because the sign up process is too daunting and asks far too many questions. Operators who ignore this trend could be leaving quite a bit of money on the table.
It is through the Decision Moment Join' that Paywizard supports your sign-up process. Click here to learn more.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Best Practices for Creating a Stellar Sign Up Process
