How Developers Can Sell Their App beyond the App Store
The excitement of distributing an app quickly wears off when developers realize that online shops like Google Play and Apple Store take a chunk of the profits.
And it's not a small sum -- it's 30 percent. The cost is an enormous pressure on developers and they've had to seek out alternative options. But the good news for those just like yourself is there's methods to market your app without having to split the profits with mainstream channels.
In this post in this article, we'll discuss an option for developers to stay clear of the 30-percent charge that is charged to developers by Google Play and Apple Store.
Let's dive in.
Benefits and Disadvantages of Using Mainstream App Distribution Channels
Before we dive into other methods of distribution we'll take an overview of the way that mainstream application channels function.
We've mentioned previously, Google Play and Apple Store make up about a third of revenue of an app that is sold via their storefronts. This isn't the sole problem that arises when selling on these platforms.
Most apps have distributors who offer their services. It means there's numerous apps that are distributed via two websites. It's a problem in itself. could developers do to help their applications more visible?
Aha! Through advertising, naturally.
Alongside the 30percent fee the distributors pay for advertisements in order to get their apps noticed. A study has found that there was a real cost to app advertising. The firm took a $10,000 budget and divided it among four advertising companies:
- Google AdWords
- Facebook Ads
- Twitter Ads
- Ads from iAds
The findings showed that the price per application installed ranged from $1.43 up to $5.36.
If we add this cost to the regular distribution cost and the distribution cost, we will see why developers are searching for alternatives. The majority of top-rated downloaded applications, such as Spotify and Netflix can be downloaded from Play as well as the App Store. Instead of having the distributor handle the payment, these companies have created their own system for subscriptions.
And companies like Epic Games have taken matters into their own hands and have made the game that is wildly popular Fortnite accessible to download from their website as well as in the Samsung Store. By doing so they've gotten about the 30 percent cost charged by the big distributors.
Additional benefits to selling outside of the Google Play and Apple Store include:
- Alternative distributors rarely require a listing fee. App stores that are a third parties can boost the exposure of your business because you have greater chances of being featured on one of their apps during the day or in other promotions.
- Alternatives generate more revenue than Google or Apple stores, especially if apps developers offer localized applications which target certain countries
There are advantages in distributing apps through Google Play and Apple Store. The stores are not only thought of by consumers as a suitable location to download and install apps, but they are also easy to distribute apps through these channels.
Spotlight: How a Developer earns money selling outside of Main App Stores
When Christian Tietze started selling his items on the internet He was determined to earn money and have more control.
Tietze posted about his experience on a blog on his website. Tietze encountered a range of challenges when selling on his Mac App Store, including:
- Cost of revenue 30% (excluding VAT)
- You can't provide a demo
- You can't provide upgrade pricing
- You'll not be able to see your clients.
After that, he started looking at ways to increase sales beyond his Mac App Store.
"Distributing via the App Store is convenient since anyone can access your app as well as download, update, and download from one location," Tietze says.
"On the other hand the other hand, you'll lose money with every transaction. you're bound to the stringent App Store Sandboxing Policy which means you can't create special deals. Also when Apple removes your account from the store, then your business has been shut down.
"This does not happen very often However, it's possible. "
Tietze states that his (and numerous other independent developers) have their apps distributed through their individual platforms. Tietze utilizes the platform to market his app, and the platform lets him offer discounts, sales bundles as well as a store API that is specific to his.
" has a storefront test both online and within the app, should you make in-app purchases. This is a convenient way to check if your checkout works and if your app transitions between "locked" to "paid," he declares.
Wrapping around
When it comes to ways to distribute apps to developers, it's clear that things are evolving.
At one time, the two main players in the game of apps, Google Play and Apple Store have all the chips. If developers wanted to give their applications a shot at success, they'd have the option of distributing their apps on these platforms and pay the 30 percent fee.
Developers are however getting back in control of their apps and the revenue streams.
If you decide to select an all-inclusive vendor to sell the app through your website, or make them available through alternative app marketplaces, there's a variety of alternatives you could use to market your product. If you're trying to connect with those in areas that are hard to reach and then distribute the app inside the organization, or provide an easy downloading option, there are no limits to the possibilities.
Keep in mind that Google Play and Apple Store are popular because millions of users around the world have faith in their services. Due to the huge quantity of applications downloaded by other distribution options every day, it's evident that users are tolerant when it comes to choosing which apps to download.
Learn how easy it is to transform your web site into a retail store by making use of examples. Through the use of the examples, you are able to create a variety of fake stores to understand the tools capabilities using Store Builder API. The Store Builder API. The examples include links to documents and CodePpen-like examples of code in source.
Article was first seen on here