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there are applications nowadays that give options to perform certain in-app functionalities/services, but then link to an explanation of the functionality/service, followed by a statement saying "pay X dollars to access!"

in my own use, this never seems to engage me in actually wanting to use the functionality/service after clicking it because I felt deceived as a user. I thought it was something i could use within my current profile, but it wasn't (ergh!).

I'm wondering if there is a better alternative to getting users to buy-in to the premium functionalities/services of a free application. I'm trying to think of something that's not deceptive and carries some sense of gratification for buying in.

My first assumption would be to provide a "free trial" for the functionality/service, but is there any other alternatives you all have seen or used?

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    I think you've flagged the most important aspects already: don't deceive and gratify. I believe the word "pro" is often used for a premium version because if you're using it, you're being a pro! Who doesn't want to be more than a mere amateur? :) You could also explain the interest of the premium features. Highlight why it's better/faster/nicer to use than the free counterpart, maybe with user stories/scenarios that explain how it makes your life wonderful to use them! But this is more advertising than UX...
    – Steve Dodier-Lazaro
    Jun 26, 2014 at 14:41

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When I was a consultant, I liked to use obnoxious phrases like "value signification".

A user's choice to interact with a system is economic: what do I (the user) get in value for using this, and what value must I put in? For a free feature, the transaction is straightforward: I get value at no cost. For a premium feature, the user needs a clear understanding of the value that they will receive (a "value signification") in exchange for the added monetary cost.

This suggests a few design priorities:

  1. Make it clear that premium features are premium. Not hiding the freemium nature of your product is often a good decision; it suggests a professionalism that can engender confidence in your users. This also avoids the scenario of a user assuming a feature is free, then being disappointed to discover otherwise.
  2. Show the user the value they'll see. Generic explanatory copy isn't compelling. Customer testimonials are better but still fall short. Take what you know about the user (from their use of the free features) to show them what premium features will look like for them. Plug in their data. Guess at their demographic. But give them a sense for "this is what you can have, and wouldn't that be great."
  3. Present premium features aggressively. Don't be obnoxious about it, but don't also wait for users to stumble across these features. Tell users about these features when they want to know. This is simply the art of the up-sell; get users to say "I wish I could do X," and then validate their wishes by saying "We can help you with that."
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    Note that the "free trial" option is a way of showing the user potential value, but in that case you're making them figure out where that value is rather than doing the work to teach them.
    – Sam Blake
    Jun 26, 2014 at 17:58
  • thanks Sam. that makes a lot of sense. i especially like #2 (along with the comment). i wonder what other potential intermediaries there are between a snapshot of what you could get if you went "premium" and a "premium" free trial, if any.
    – sheriff1
    Jun 26, 2014 at 22:40
  • One middle ground is to offer alternative ways to "pay" for premium features. For example: Trello gives you a free month of premium features for every new user you invite to the site. Or for a collaborative system like a wiki, you could give people access to premium in exchange for contributing quality content. Both of these are susceptible to gaming, though.
    – Sam Blake
    Jun 26, 2014 at 23:08

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