Learning From AlfredCamera’s User Base.
We surveyed 1,404 US-based users in November 2021. Our aim was to understand their evolving security needs in anticipation of the next chapter of AlfredCamera. Here’s what we found.
Security is a basic human right, but, historically, it has been a right that only the privileged can afford to possess. It pays to feel safe.
AlfredCamera has proved the opposite: that increasingly affordable smart devices can successfully bridge the gap purely through powerful software—but there are shortcomings to an approach that utilizes native hardware alone.
Last year, we conducted a survey to learn more about the long-term use of our app. In doing so, we were able to discover what users want from their security setup.
Creating Awareness of Security Needs
Before smart devices and the widespread adoption of both mobile data and Wi-Fi, affordable home security for the masses was a market that didn’t yet exist. Traditional analog security cameras are inaccessible, hard to set up, and expensive to maintain compared to mobile apps and IP cameras. One of the biggest takeaways from our survey is that more than 40% of our users had never used another video security product before trying AlfredCamera.
40.2% of surveyed users have only ever used Alfred and no other security product.
Evidently, this suggests that there wasn’t an awareness of the need for home surveillance for many users. A reasonable inference to make is that this is precisely because security is financially out of reach for most people.
Through powerful yet affordable products, AlfredCamera has become a gateway to home security, creating an awareness around the need for surveillance (be it for home security or other uses, like pet and baby monitoring) by making it more accessible than ever before.
Creating Peace of Mind
AlfredCamera has been received as a long-term solution to security needs: approximately 83.2% of surveyed users stated that their needs will require use (for the app) for more than six months. In fact, nearly half of those participants are still actively using the app two months after the survey.
Almost 2/5 of the current user base in the US have already used the app for more than a year. This suggests that, far from free and accessible security being a short-term fix, it is being used by people as a long-term, reliable solution.
31% of surveyed users use the app exclusively for home security, while 69% use the app for multiple purposes, including as a pet camera and baby monitor. When describing their intentions for using the app, most users simply want peace of mind, with over 75% wanting to ‘check if everything is fine, anytime, anywhere’.
Though the practical ways in which users use security apps differ (for home security, as a baby cam, for checking in on pets, etc.), the end goal for users is largely the same—to provide a sense of relief through remote monitoring.
Using an old device is a simple, easy way to allow this to happen, and takes advantage of the existing popularity of smartphones. Peace of mind doesn’t have to be costly.
75.2% of surveyed users want to ‘check out if everything is fine, anytime, anywhere’.
Creating Trust
Something the team at AlfredCamera is especially proud of is the strong sense of customer loyalty that the app has created.
Of the 40.2% of users that only ever used Alfred, more than 70% stated that they would be interested in becoming a paying customer.
This indicates that, despite being introduced to home security products through AlfredCamera, customers, especially premium users, are willing to consider increasing their budget if the products are provided by Alfred.
More than 70% of surveyed users that had only ever used Alfred as a solution are willing to become a paying customer.
Importantly, this indicates that a free security app creates such sufficient awareness of the need for video monitoring that users would consider spending money on it, despite never having done so before.
By creating a reliable application with powerful features, AlfredCamera has been able to establish a trusting core user base that have a different understanding of security after using the service than they did before.
This places AlfredCamera in a strong position for future releases.
Creating Improvements
The one thing that the majority of surveyed users expected AlfredCamera to provide is a stable service.
Because AlfredCamera functions via an internet connection (usually on an old smartphone), some users have experienced difficulty maintaining a consistent connection. To combat this, we introduced Continuous Recording. This feature allows for users to record continuously in 8 hour loops, overwriting the oldest footage and saving to the camera itself.
Paid users also pointed out that they would most like to see improved night time recording.
Currently, Alfred uses filters to effectively enhance what can be seen in the dark, but this would also require hardware upgrades to fully replicate true night vision.
AlfredCamera’s limits, then, are largely the limits created by smartphone devices. Virtually all smartphones still lack true night vision, so it would be impossible to facilitate it in any resourceful way through the application alone.
Evidently, the awareness users have gained about security has also led to more awareness about what they need from security products, including a stable connection, night vision, and multi-screen viewing.
Surveyed paid users’ most requested feature was clearer footage in the dark.
The Future
With a core user base that knows and trusts our service, AlfredCamera is in a strong position to address the shortcomings of a dedicated security app by expanding its existing product line.
The desires of both our paid and unpaid users focus primarily on hardware issues: a more stable connection, better video quality, improved night vision, and weatherproofing for outdoor usage.
Unless expensive additional peripherals were sold, all of these factors are impossible to fully address through software updates alone. But the team is dedicated to bringing users exactly what they want.
Paid users’ most requested feature is improved night vision, followed by the option for multi-screen monitoring.
That’s why the team is proud to introduce its first dedicated hardware camera, AlfredCam, for use alongside our app.
AlfredCam: Our First Security Camera
By focusing on what users want and currently enjoy about the app, we are introducing an extremely cost-effective option for users looking to level-up their home monitoring system.
We aim to remain true to our core beliefs while recognizing room for a robust hardware camera that can provide some of our users the greater flexibility and more powerful features they want.
Pre-order for AlfredCam launches July 18, 2022 (19:00 PST) alongside a limited time offer for our existing users. Join the waitlist now so you don’t miss out!
‘Thanks to your continued support, we’re now ready to offer you a quality hardware security camera at an affordable price,’ says founder, Alex Song. ‘The last thing the market needs is another expensive camera that is out of reach for the people who need it the most.
As a show of thanks to our loyal user base, the first 500 AlfredCam units will be available for 50% off for existing users. We are very excited for AlfredCam to hit the market.’
About the Survey
The aim of the survey, conducted last November among US-based users of AlfredCamera, was to learn more about the people using the app and their evolving security needs. We sought to understand precisely what they require. We were able to find out what works well and what doesn’t, so that we can address these issues in future updates and releases.
Stratified sampling was used to ensure that the survey covers all types of users. The first stratum was based on the user’s primary device platform (iOS vs. Android) and the second stratum was based on the user’s current membership status (freemium or premium). Taking into account the number of active US users and the two-tier sampling design, the sample size of each of the four divisions needed to be at least 384 to achieve sufficient representation.
Therefore, a minimum sample size of 1,536 was required for the study. The survey was conducted via email, and was sent to valid users who registered before September 2021. The questionnaire addressed the reasons for, and frequency of, use of the product, as well as the willingness of users to obtain an alternative surveillance solution.