For years, mobile app growth has followed a familiar script: run ads, pray to the ASO Gods, drive installs, and hope your product speaks for itself. But with rising customer acquisition costs, reduced visibility into ad performance, and Apple taking 30% of your revenue, that script is breaking down.
Today, serious app teams are rethinking their funnel — starting not in the App Store, but on the web.
This shift is what we call Web2App: a new way of acquiring, onboarding, and monetizing users by starting the journey on a web-based funnel instead of pushing directly to install. And for developers, marketers, and founders looking to take back control, the results speak for themselves.
What is a Web2App Funnel?
A Web2App funnel flips the standard playbook. Instead of sending paid traffic directly to the App Store or Play Store, you first land users on a web funnel
On this web funnel, you can showcase what makes your product great — with copy, images, testimonials etc. You’re not locked into a static app store listing. You can tell your story the way it converts best.
From there, users either make a purchase on the web, create an account, or are deep linked into your app with higher intent and more context. The difference in downstream behavior is massive.
You also gain a huge edge when it comes to attribution. Unlike app installs (which rely on SKAdNetwork and limited data), a Web2App funnel lives in the browser.
You get real-time analytics, session-level insights, and full visibility into what’s working — and what’s not.
Why Now?
A few things have changed.
First, Apple’s ATT rollout and SKAdNetwork crippled traditional app install attribution. Marketers are flying blind, and optimization has become guesswork. Web, on the other hand, still supports robust tracking — allowing for smarter decisions and better ROAS.
Second, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has opened the door to compliant, alternative payment options in many regions. That means you’re no longer forced to route every transaction through Apple or Google. Web2App funnels let you monetize outside the app store — often with 100% of the revenue going to you, not to gatekeepers.
Lastly, tools like Zellify make Web2App implementation seamless. You no longer need a full engineering team or a complex CMS to spin up custom funnels. With a few clicks, you can create, A/B test, and iterate on high-converting onboarding flows — all without touching code.
How App Teams Are Using Web2App
We’ve seen app developers use Zellify to experiment with freemium-to-paid journeys, drive upfront payments, and even segment their onboarding based on ad creative. In one case, an app cut their CAC by over 25% simply by switching from App Store CTAs to a Zellify-built web funnel.
Another team used Zellify’s A/B testing tools to test three pricing models in parallel, finding a 19% lift in conversions with one variant — something that would’ve been impossible to test directly in-app without weeks of engineering.
Even more valuable: they got all this data instantly, no waiting for SKAd postbacks or fighting with expensive MMPs.
Web2App is More Than a Short-Term Growth Hack — It’s the Future
Web2App isn’t a short-term workaround. It’s the future of how apps will acquire and monetize users — with more control, transparency, and profitability. As regulation keeps shifting, and app stores become less dominant, the ability to build your own growth funnel on the web is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a competitive advantage.
At Zellify, we believe every app deserves full control of its funnel — from the first click to the paid conversion. That’s why we built a no-code platform that lets you launch Web2App funnels in minutes, test everything, and scale without friction.
Get Started Free
Zellify is free for our first 500 early users. No setup costs. No lock-in. Just the tools you need to build your funnel, own your data, and grow faster — all on the open web.
Get Started Now
If you’re tired of giving up revenue and data to Apple, it’s time to make the switch.