I am starting to develop an android app (a business/personal tool). My primary goal is to write the app and to have it available to people. My secondary goal is to monetize it.
There are various approaches to monetizing. Which, in your experience, are most effective? Which are least intrusive?
I want the primary focus of my app to be its value, usefulness and appeal. I would like to monetize, but not annoy the app users. I do not want user reviews that give fewer stars because of ad intrusion.
My technical constraint is my use of AI2LiveComplete as a development language.
Here are some related questions:
(1) What is most effective: A free version with limited functionality plus a paid version with expanded functionality? An ad-supported free version and an ad-free pro-version. A free version with a donation option? Bar banner ads vs. full-screen ads? (my personal feeling is that full-screen ads would be too annoying, and would disrupt the flow of the application). Variations on the listed options? AdMob vs. Amazon ads (or a combination of the two)? An ad bar near the top of the screen vs. one at the bottom of the (scrolling) screen. Nag messages in a free version to upgrade to a pro version. I am not listing in-app purchases as an option because they are not supported by AI2.
(2) How does Google Play treat price changes for paid versions? Can I increase or decrease the price at will? Can I run sales, reducing the price and then increasing it again? Will the user get free upgrades to the paid version, without having to pay additional money for upgrades if there is a price increase?
(3) I recently downloaded a free app, and later purchased the ad-free version of the same app. I then had two copies of the app on my phone, with two different version numbers, but both versions were now ad-free. How might that be accomplished?
(4) Is it possible to have a free ad-supported version, and a paid ad-free version (as in Question #3 above), and also a third pro-version with additional functionality where the user who had previously purchased the ad-free version can get the pro version for a reduced price? (Remember my constraint of no support for in-app purchases).
(5) In what ways does the Amazon app store work differently from the Google Play store? My thought is to initially develop for Google Play, and then port to Amazon.
These are basic considerations for a new app developer to understand regarding monetizing his or her app. Your perspectives and replies to these questions will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
David D.
There are various approaches to monetizing. Which, in your experience, are most effective? Which are least intrusive?
I want the primary focus of my app to be its value, usefulness and appeal. I would like to monetize, but not annoy the app users. I do not want user reviews that give fewer stars because of ad intrusion.
My technical constraint is my use of AI2LiveComplete as a development language.
Here are some related questions:
(1) What is most effective: A free version with limited functionality plus a paid version with expanded functionality? An ad-supported free version and an ad-free pro-version. A free version with a donation option? Bar banner ads vs. full-screen ads? (my personal feeling is that full-screen ads would be too annoying, and would disrupt the flow of the application). Variations on the listed options? AdMob vs. Amazon ads (or a combination of the two)? An ad bar near the top of the screen vs. one at the bottom of the (scrolling) screen. Nag messages in a free version to upgrade to a pro version. I am not listing in-app purchases as an option because they are not supported by AI2.
(2) How does Google Play treat price changes for paid versions? Can I increase or decrease the price at will? Can I run sales, reducing the price and then increasing it again? Will the user get free upgrades to the paid version, without having to pay additional money for upgrades if there is a price increase?
(3) I recently downloaded a free app, and later purchased the ad-free version of the same app. I then had two copies of the app on my phone, with two different version numbers, but both versions were now ad-free. How might that be accomplished?
(4) Is it possible to have a free ad-supported version, and a paid ad-free version (as in Question #3 above), and also a third pro-version with additional functionality where the user who had previously purchased the ad-free version can get the pro version for a reduced price? (Remember my constraint of no support for in-app purchases).
(5) In what ways does the Amazon app store work differently from the Google Play store? My thought is to initially develop for Google Play, and then port to Amazon.
These are basic considerations for a new app developer to understand regarding monetizing his or her app. Your perspectives and replies to these questions will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
David D.