

Ask HN: business models - pro account to avoid (useful) ads? - keiferski

Take the typical freemium business model:<p><i>- Free version supported by ads, with limited (but sufficient) perks<p>- Paid version for ~$5/month, no ads + various other perks specific to the site</i><p>This obviously works for a number of sites, like Pandora. But let's say that your site is similar to Google - your ads are based on searches and (presumably) would be useful. Do you still make the pro account ad-free, or does that signal that the ads aren't so useful after all? Maybe just make the ability to hide ads an option?
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jasonmcalacanis
if you have very disruptive ads (pre-rolls, audio ads) and high-value content
this is a fine idea.

However, the truth is if you have a valuable product you will get massive
support from your user base just by asking for it. only .1% of your users have
to respond in order for it to be meaningful.

evernote, reddit gold and the This Week in Startups producer program we
started six weeks ago are all proof points (www.twistlist.co ).

we ask for help and had producers pony up $25k in five week of our $70k goal.

~~~
surfingdino
High-value content wins in the long run. I very rarely pay for ad-free
versions of services or products if the only benefit is getting rid of the
ads. If that's the only thing I get, I pass.

