Subscription is a business model.
Subscription is the act and result of subscribing or subscribing . This verb , for its part, can be used to name a person's decision to register or subscribe to some type of service .
For example: "I would like to cancel my subscription to the magazine" , "My father told me that if I pass the exam, he will give me a subscription to Netflix " , "With your subscription, you will help our organization feed thousands of children" .
Subscription, a business model
Subscription can be understood as a business model that consists of the distribution or delivery of certain products on a periodic basis , in exchange for the payment of a monthly or annual subscription . The subscription, in this way, is a kind of sale that is repeated periodically.
Suppose that a magazine that is published monthly offers readers the possibility of subscribing: with an annual payment, the person receives the magazine at their home every month. The subscription, in this case, consists of the reader paying a certain amount per year so that each new issue of the magazine reaches their home.
Subscriptions are common on the Web.
The term on the Web
Today, the subscription model is frequently used by websites and services on the Internet . A company can offer subscriptions for those who want to watch movies and series over the Web . Customers must pay a monthly fee to be able to access content using a key. Whoever subscribes to the service, therefore, has the right to access the movies and series offered by this company.
It should be noted that subscriptions can also be free : that is the case of websites that provide information free of charge to those who subscribe by entering their email address into a database.
Purposes of a subscription
The subscription has several purposes, and in general aims at much more than ensuring a monetary income over a period of time: through this system a closer link is created between the consumer and the company , a greater commitment, and this opens the doors to a longer lasting relationship. Likewise, most people like to feel part of a group, and subscribing to a website gives them that possibility, even if only symbolically.
Many times, the subscription does not give rise to real benefits for the consumer, beyond greater convenience in using a service. For example, subscribing to a YouTube channel does not offer us exclusive content or discounts to access paid videos, but it keeps us up to date with publications of interest to us. In reality, this does not reflect a tangible advantage for the user, since they probably actively visit their favorite channels to see if there is news ; For content creators and YouTube , on the other hand, it is a tool that allows them to stay present in the lives of their followers and ensure that they do not go long without using their services.
Possible drawbacks
One of the most common problems related to subscriptions is that it is not always easy to unsubscribe , and this results in many users being "forced" to receive unwanted email messages. Although respectable companies do not hide the option to stop receiving these messages, it is normal for them to place it in strategic parts of their sites, so that only the most observant and persistent can use it.
There are also sites that do not clearly explain to their readers that after entering their email addresses they will be automatically subscribed; This, in turn, can lead to the situation described in the previous paragraph.