How Do You Find Users Who Will Actually Pay for Your App?

There's this gut-wrenching moment that hits every app developer—you've spent months building what you think is a brilliant app, launched it with high hopes, and then... crickets. Downloads trickle in, but nobody's actually paying for anything. The free trial conversions are dismal, the in-app purchases aren't happening, and you're left wondering if you've just built something nobody actually wants to pay for.

I've been in this industry long enough to see this story play out hundreds of times. Developers get so caught up in the technical features and the "wouldn't it be cool if..." ideas that they forget the most important question: who's going to open their wallet for this? It's a harsh reality, but building an app that people use is completely different from building an app that people will actually pay for.

The mobile app market is absolutely brutal when it comes to monetisation. Sure, there are millions of apps out there, but only a tiny fraction generate any meaningful revenue. Most apps make less than £500 in their entire lifetime—that's not even enough to cover basic development costs, let alone turn a profit.

The difference between a successful app and a failed one isn't usually the technology or even the design—it's understanding who your paying customers are before you write a single line of code.

But here's what I've learned after working with everyone from solo entrepreneurs to major brands: the apps that succeed financially all have one thing in common. They identified their paying users first, then built the app around what those users were already trying to solve. This guide will show you exactly how to do that, step by step, so you can avoid the expensive mistake of building something nobody wants to buy.

Understanding Your Market Before You Build

Right, lets talk about something that makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes. The number of clients who come to me with an app idea and when I ask "who's going to buy this?" they say "everyone!" That's not a market—that's wishful thinking.

Look, I get it. Your app idea feels like it could help millions of people. But here's the thing that took me years to learn: the apps that make money aren't built for everyone. They're built for someone specific who has a specific problem and is willing to pay for a specific solution.

Before you even think about wireframes or features, you need to understand three things about your market. Who are they? What problems keep them up at night? And most importantly—how much are they already spending to solve these problems?

I've seen brilliant apps fail because their creators assumed people would pay for something they've always gotten for free. And I've watched mediocre apps succeed because they solved expensive problems for people with money to spend.

Questions You Must Answer Before Building

These questions will save you months of wasted development time and thousands in costs:

• What existing solutions are people paying for right now?
• How much do those solutions cost and why aren't they good enough?
• Where do your potential customers spend their time online?
• What language do they use to describe their problems?
• Who influences their buying decisions?

The apps that generate real revenue don't just solve problems—they solve problems that people are already trying to fix with their wallets. Find those problems first, then build your solution around them. Trust me, its much easier than trying to convince people they need something they've never paid for before.

Finding Your Ideal Customer Profile

Right, let's get real about who's actually going to pay for your app. I've seen too many developers build something they think everyone will love, only to discover that "everyone" includes precisely nobody willing to part with their money.

Your ideal customer profile isn't just demographics like "women aged 25-35"—that's marketing fluff that won't help you. What you need to understand is the specific pain point that drives someone to actually open their wallet. I'm talking about the person who's so frustrated with their current solution that they're actively searching for alternatives.

Here's what I do with every client: we map out the customer's day when they're experiencing the problem your app solves. What time does it happen? How often? What's their emotional state? Are they stressed, annoyed, or just mildly inconvenienced? Because here's the thing—mildly inconvenienced people don't pay for apps. Genuinely frustrated people do.

Start with one very specific person who has one very specific problem. You can always expand later, but trying to serve everyone from day one is a recipe for serving no one well.

Building Your Customer Profile

I use this simple framework to dig deeper into who will actually become paying users:

• What's keeping them awake at night? (The real problem, not surface-level stuff)
• What solutions have they already tried and why didn't they work?
• How much time or money is this problem currently costing them?
• What would need to be true for them to trust a new app with their data/money?
• Where do they currently go when they need help with similar problems?

The magic happens when you can finish this sentence: "My ideal customer is someone who currently does [specific behaviour] but gets frustrated because [specific problem] and would gladly pay [specific amount] to avoid [specific consequence]."

Once you've got that level of clarity, finding these people becomes much easier. You'll know exactly what they search for online, which communities they join, and most importantly, what language they use to describe their problems.

Researching What People Actually Pay For

Right, let's talk about something most people get completely wrong when they're planning their app. They spend months building what they think people want, then wonder why nobody's willing to pay for it. I've seen this happen more times than I care to count—and it's always painful to watch.

The trick is understanding the difference between what people say they want and what they actually open their wallets for. Sure, everyone says they'd love a free fitness app that tracks everything under the sun. But will they pay £4.99 monthly for it? That's a completely different question.

Here's what I do when researching payment behaviour; I look at what's already working in similar markets. Not to copy it, but to understand the psychology behind why people are spending money. Check out the top-grossing apps in your category—not just the most downloaded ones. Big difference there.

What Actually Makes People Pay

From what I've observed over the years, people pay for apps that solve urgent problems or save them significant time. They don't pay for "nice to have" features—they pay for "can't live without" solutions.

• Apps that save them money (budgeting, deal-finding, investment tracking)
• Apps that save them time (productivity, automation, quick access to services)
• Apps that help them make money (business tools, freelancing platforms)
• Apps that provide exclusive content or experiences they can't get elsewhere
• Apps that solve embarrassing or private problems they won't discuss publicly

One client of mine learned this the hard way—they built a beautiful recipe app with tons of features. Nobody paid. Then we pivoted to focus specifically on meal planning for busy parents, with grocery list automation. Same core functionality, different problem focus. Suddenly people were subscribing.

The key? People don't pay for apps; they pay for outcomes. Find out what outcome your target users desperately want, then work backwards from there.

Testing Your App Idea Without Spending a Fortune

Right, so you've got this brilliant app idea and you're itching to start building it. But here's the thing—spending months and thousands of pounds on development before knowing if anyone actually wants your app? That's a recipe for disaster, and I've seen it happen far too many times.

The smartest approach is to validate your idea with real people before you write a single line of code. Start with a simple landing page that explains what your app does and includes a sign-up form for early access. It doesn't need to be fancy; just clear enough that visitors understand the value you're promising. If people aren't willing to give you their email address, they definitely won't pay for your app later.

The MVP Approach That Actually Works

Next, create what I call a "fake door" test. Build a basic version of your app's core functionality—maybe just one or two key features—and see how people interact with it. You can use no-code tools like Bubble or Adalo to put together something functional in days, not months. The goal isn't perfection; its validation.

The biggest mistake I see is people building their entire app based on assumptions about what users want, rather than testing those assumptions first

Run small paid advertising campaigns targeting your potential users. Start with £50-100 on Facebook or Google ads and see what happens. Are people clicking through? Are they signing up? Are they asking questions about pricing? These early signals tell you everything you need to know about market demand. If you can't get people interested with a simple landing page and basic prototype, your full app won't magically solve that problem.

Where Your Paying Users Actually Hang Out

I've built apps for everything from fitness tracking to financial planning, and there's one mistake I see time and again—people assume their paying customers are everywhere. They aren't. Your most valuable users cluster in specific places, both online and offline, and finding these goldmines can make or break your app's success.

The thing is, free users and paying users behave completely differently. Free users might discover your app through generic social media ads or random app store browsing. But paying users? They're usually found in communities where they're already discussing problems your app solves. They hang out in niche Facebook groups, specific subreddit communities, industry forums, and professional networks where they're actively seeking solutions.

Digital Communities That Convert

LinkedIn groups are absolute gold for B2B apps—people there have budgets and decision-making power. Reddit communities can be brilliant for consumer apps, but you need to be genuinely helpful rather than pushy. Discord servers, Slack communities, and industry-specific forums often house your most engaged potential users.

Don't overlook offline spaces either. Trade shows, meetups, coworking spaces, and professional events are where decision-makers gather. I've seen apps gain their first 100 paying customers simply by attending the right conference and having genuine conversations with attendees.

• LinkedIn groups for professional/B2B apps
• Reddit communities for consumer apps
• Industry forums and discussion boards
• Discord servers and Slack communities
• Trade shows and professional events
• Local meetups and networking groups
• Coworking spaces and business centres

The key is being present in these communities long before you start selling. Contribute valuable insights, answer questions, and build relationships. When you finally mention your app, people will already trust you—and that trust converts to paying customers faster than any advertisement ever will.

Getting Real Feedback From Potential Customers

Here's where most people get it wrong—they ask friends and family what they think of their app idea. Your mum will tell you its brilliant because she loves you, not because she'd actually pay £4.99 for it! Real feedback comes from strangers who have no reason to spare your feelings and every reason to be honest about whether they'd open their wallet.

I've seen too many apps fail because the founder confused politeness for genuine interest. When someone says "that's a great idea" it doesn't mean they'll download it. When they start asking specific questions about pricing, availability, and features? That's when you know you're onto something.

Where to Find Honest Opinions

The best feedback comes from communities where your potential users already spend time discussing problems your app might solve. Reddit threads, Facebook groups, LinkedIn communities, Twitter conversations—these are goldmines for understanding what people actually struggle with daily.

Don't just lurk though. Jump into conversations, ask follow-up questions, and pay attention to the language people use when describing their problems. This becomes your marketing copy later on.

Questions That Actually Matter

• How do you currently solve this problem?
• What's the most frustrating part of your current solution?
• How much time or money does this problem cost you each month?
• What would need to be true for you to switch to something new?
• Who else in your company/family/friend group has this same problem?

Create a simple landing page describing your app and ask people to join a waitlist. The number of people who actually sign up (not just say they would) tells you everything about real demand.

Remember, you're not trying to validate that your app is good—you're trying to invalidate it. The faster you can prove an idea won't work, the faster you can move onto one that will.

Pricing Strategies That Convert Browsers Into Buyers

Getting your pricing right is probably one of the hardest parts of launching an app—and honestly, most people get it completely wrong on their first attempt. I've seen brilliant apps fail because they priced themselves out of the market, and I've watched mediocre apps succeed simply because they nailed their pricing strategy.

The biggest mistake? Thinking that cheaper always means more downloads. Actually, pricing too low can signal poor quality to potential users. Your price tells a story about your app's value, so make sure its the right story.

The Psychology Behind App Pricing

People don't buy apps—they buy solutions to their problems. When someone's scrolling through the App Store at 11pm looking for a meditation app, they're not thinking "I hope this costs under £2." They're thinking "Will this help me sleep better?" Price becomes secondary when the value is clear.

I've found that users fall into three main categories when it comes to app pricing. There's the bargain hunters who'll only download free apps, the value seekers who'll pay for quality, and the premium users who actually prefer expensive apps because they associate cost with quality.

Pricing Models That Actually Work

Here's what I've seen work consistently across different app categories:

• Freemium with a 7-day trial for premium features (works best for productivity apps)
• One-time purchase between £2.99-£9.99 for utility apps
• Monthly subscriptions starting at £4.99 for content-heavy apps
• Tiered pricing with a basic, standard, and premium option

The key is testing different price points with small user groups before you commit. Start higher than you think—you can always reduce prices, but raising them later is much harder and can upset existing users.

Building a Community Before You Launch

Here's something I learned the hard way—launching an app to crickets is soul-crushing. You've spent months building something you think is brilliant, only to discover that nobody cares. That's why I always tell my clients to start building their audience before they write a single line of code; it's the difference between a successful launch and watching your app disappear into the void.

Building a community isn't about getting thousands of followers on social media (though that doesn't hurt). It's about finding people who genuinely care about the problem you're solving and keeping them engaged throughout your development process. I've seen apps with communities of just 200 engaged users absolutely smash their launch targets because those users became paying customers and advocates.

Where to Start Building

Start with the platforms where your target audience already hangs out. If you're building a productivity app for freelancers, they're probably active in Facebook groups or on Twitter discussing their challenges. Join these conversations, share insights, and genuinely help people without constantly plugging your upcoming app. The key is to become known as someone who understands their problems.

The best marketing doesn't feel like marketing at all—it feels like having a conversation with someone who truly gets your struggles.

Email lists are your secret weapon here. I know it sounds old-fashioned, but nothing beats having direct access to people who've actively said they want to hear from you. Create a simple landing page explaining what you're building and why it matters, then start collecting email addresses. Share development updates, ask for input on features, and make people feel like they're part of the journey. When you finally launch, these people won't just be customers—they'll be your biggest cheerleaders.

Look, finding users who'll actually pay for your app isn't some dark art that only the big tech companies have figured out. It's really about understanding people, solving real problems, and being honest about what you're offering. Throughout this guide, we've covered the practical steps that actually work—not the theoretical stuff you read in textbooks.

The biggest mistake I see is people building first and asking questions later. By the time they've spent months developing their app, its too late to discover that nobody wants what they've built. Start with your market research, get clear on who your customers are, and test your ideas before you write a single line of code. Trust me on this one—I've seen too many brilliant apps fail because they skipped these steps.

Remember that pricing isn't just about covering your costs; it's about understanding the value you're providing and what people are willing to pay for that value. Don't be afraid to charge what your app is worth. Free users don't pay the bills, and converting them later is much harder than finding paying customers from day one.

Building a community before you launch might feel like extra work, but it's probably the most important thing you can do. These early supporters become your first customers, your feedback providers, and your biggest advocates. They'll help you refine your app and tell their friends about it.

The mobile app world is competitive, sure, but there's still room for apps that solve real problems for real people. Focus on being useful rather than being clever, listen to your users more than your own assumptions, and don't give up when the first approach doesn't work. Every successful app I've built has been through iteration and learning from what users actually do, not what they say they'll do.