Get rid of the free mindset
When customers pay for your product out of their own pockets, it sends a strong signal.
Start asking them to pay from the beginning, or reduce the benefits of the free version.
If they’re not willing to pay,
(.) It means your product doesn’t compel them to part with their money or
(.) You haven’t marketed it well enough to reach the right audience.
It’s almost always the former rather than the latter.