Monetizing Apps in 2020

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andyh1234
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Monetizing Apps in 2020

Post by andyh1234 » Tue May 12, 2020 11:14 am

Hi,

I have looked through the forums and most topics relating to monetizing apps go back to the early 2010's or refer to controls or methods with no obvious way or instructions of easily using them with Livecode. A lot has changed so I thought perhaps it would be good to have a new thread with any suggestions or experience in actually monetizing apps with Livecode.

Mac Apps

Personally I have used the Mac App Store to sell a desktop app and that has worked ok, nothing earth-shattering but it does work so I know if I write a mac app it is worth jumping through the hoops (and using an app called app-wrapper) to get it into the mac app store. In the old days I also had a web site for direct sales, but that seems to have tailed right off, people don't seem to want to buy directly now.

Windows Apps

For windows, I don't have a recent answer to code signing that works right now. Every option now seems to be terribly expensive, or not available to individuals or sole traders. Without code signing the warnings Windows gives when a user downloads would be enough to put anyone off killing all possible sales. Has anyone got an answer to windows code signing that works in 2020 for small indys? Has anyone used an equivalent to the Mac App Store (and has it paid off?).

Mobile Apps

And then there is mobile. I have yet to find a solution that works. In-app advertising seems to have gone down the drain with the built in options no longer working. There are a couple of articles in 2016 on embedding a browser to show ads or perhaps in-app purchases being the way to go.

I've written a few mobile apps that got reasonable downloads but never seen a penny back. My feeling is people don't want to pay for apps. Any suggestions on any way to make money (that works) for a mobile app? Do in-app purchases work and if so, any suggestions, additional features or limitations on the app??

I'm not asking to make a lot, I think Id struggle to make a good living writing apps in any language now, but for me, a nice bottom line would be to make some money from a hobby so I can afford the annual subscription to LIvecode, keep my equipment up to date etc. It would be more motivating for me if I thought I might make a few dollars.

Id also like solutions that work with Livecode.

Perhaps this thread could run and come up with some up to date input.

Andy

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Re: Monetizing Apps in 2020

Post by FourthWorld » Tue May 12, 2020 4:48 pm

This is a great thread topic. Thank you for posting it.

You post prompted me to do a quick search for "why apps fail". Illuminating, but not surprising. Most said the same things. An exercise worth doing.

The reasons seem to boil down to something we don't see often in these technical forums: entrepreneurship.

Whether our ambitions are great or modest, if we want to make money from our software skills we need to acquire another set of skills, those of the entrepreneur.

Rather than think in terms of an app, we can think in terms of a product.

When we talk ourselves into undertaking the development of a product, it can be helpful to include an investment pitch. Even if we don't need outside investment, go through the exercise of imagining you do. What would you say to an investor about your product's upside, and the plan to achieve it?

So much of it comes down to identifying and communicating your product's unique value proposition.

What is the problem your product solves, and how does it solve that problem better than any existing solution?

And once you find the sweet spot where your skills and experience can uniquely serve your target market, how will those prospects learn about your product?

It's worth noting that most successful business spend been two and four times as much marketing a product as they do making it.

Any business plan will include a competitive analysis. When it's just for yourself this can be as simple as a spreadsheet listing competing solutions, noting the price points, strategic advantage, Alexa ranking, social media presence, and more.

Last year one of my clients hired me to deliver a competitive matrix for a possible variant of his existing product for a new market niche. In less than three hours we were able to come up with a useful cross-sectional view of the competitive landscape. It doesn't have to be an overwhelming project, but it's best if some form of market analysis is done.

Just as we learn software tools like debuggers and version control systems, investing time in learning the tools of entrepreneurship, like business plans and funnel diagrams, can contribute powerfully to product success.

Consider your investment pitch. Find your opinionated friend who will offer candid, critical feedback. Pitch to them. Hear the criticisms. Refine the plan. Pitch again, to others. Refine further.

Long before your first line of code, time invested in exploring the details of the business opportunity can guide your designs toward healthy ROI.
Richard Gaskin
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donizeti.borges
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Re: Monetizing Apps in 2020

Post by donizeti.borges » Thu May 28, 2020 8:58 pm

But we still haven't a widget from LC to show advertising in our apps.

I am waiting many years for this and I am thinking of getting out of LC and adopt Microsoft Xamarin.

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Re: Monetizing Apps in 2020

Post by FourthWorld » Thu May 28, 2020 11:23 pm

donizeti.borges wrote:
Thu May 28, 2020 8:58 pm
I am waiting many years for this and I am thinking of getting out of LC and adopt Microsoft Xamarin.
Which ad networks does Xamarin support natively? And what is the average monthly ad revenue reported from Xamarin users?
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Re: Monetizing Apps in 2020

Post by marksmithhfx » Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:18 pm

FourthWorld wrote:
Thu May 28, 2020 11:23 pm
donizeti.borges wrote:
Thu May 28, 2020 8:58 pm
I am waiting many years for this and I am thinking of getting out of LC and adopt Microsoft Xamarin.
Which ad networks does Xamarin support natively? And what is the average monthly ad revenue reported from Xamarin users?
Hi Richard, I saw this promotion on Youtube for Ad Mob and wondered if something like this could be incorporated into a LC app.

Mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo
macOS 12.6.5 (Monterey), Xcode 14.2, LC 10.0.0, iOS 15.6.1
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Re: Monetizing Apps in 2020

Post by FourthWorld » Wed Jul 01, 2020 6:55 pm

I can think of no reason why this couldn't be used with LC. If the API insists on a binary interface for mobile apps rather than a REST one as with web apps, you can use LC Builder to interface with it.
Richard Gaskin
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Re: Monetizing Apps in 2020

Post by marksmithhfx » Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:53 pm

FourthWorld wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 6:55 pm
I can think of no reason why this couldn't be used with LC. If the API insists on a binary interface for mobile apps rather than a REST one as with web apps, you can use LC Builder to interface with it.
Thanks -- nice to know these options should work.
macOS 12.6.5 (Monterey), Xcode 14.2, LC 10.0.0, iOS 15.6.1
Targets: Mac, iOS

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