Monetization of children's applications, depending on age. Reasoning
Hello. Our unit has been developing children's educational mobile apps for over 3 years. 3 years is a rather big term, during this time we have gained experience that we want to share in our article. Namely, to tell about the features of monetization of applications focused on different age.
Recently, we began to receive a lot of feedback (50 percent) that our application “ Children's Interactive Developing Journal ” is very cool and interesting, but what surprised us in these reviews: they are written in simple children's language or, more simply, by children . Some complain that parents don’t allow apps to be bought, others say they’ve developed miserly, others ask to make everything free and feel sorry for poor children who have a device but no money.
')
Parents, are you ready to pay for educational content? Or do you not watch what children do on devices?
Interesting to get acquainted with our observations? I ask under the cat
Let's divide the users of children's applications into the following groups
Age 0–4 years . These are children who play games under the supervision of their parents and only in what their parents allowed. Applications pass the selection of parents. The main buyer is the parent. Therefore, at this stage it is very important to interest the parent in choosing exactly your application. The parent primarily pays attention to the educational value and security of the application (lack of advertising, aggressive content). If the application is like, the parent is ready to buy it.
In this case, children use the devices of their parents.
Also, parents are willing to pay for applications that, in their opinion, may entice a child a little. These are simple addicting games.
In this case, the ideal method of monetization will be the freemium model - providing the basic functionality of the application for free for review. Selling full functionality in the application - through IAP or a separate full version of the application.
Age 4–7 years. Children who may have their own devices in the near future or who have them. At the same time, they continue to play applications that parents have approved. At this stage, parents are interested in continuing to look for new educational applications. And it is interesting for children to learn something new. In this case, children use the devices of their parents. From the children's point of view, they are always interested in new content. They are ready to consume it, and the old quickly bothers them.
The parent is willing to continue to invest in educational content. It is important to establish friendly relations with parents and, accordingly, offer content for the new age. First of all, parents will choose those applications and those developers whose applications they used before.
At this stage, it is desirable to make the process of acquiring new content more simple for parents. For example, the release of new tales, magazines by subscription. In this case, the child will know that in this application the content is constantly updated, and expect it. And the parent does not need to do unnecessary actions, purchase something separately each time, but only control the subscription.
Age 7–10 years. At this age, children go to school. They have their own gadget. Children themselves know how to use a mobile device. Themselves can install their own applications and choose what to play. They are interested in what their friends use. They are interested in the game. And they are not ready to pay for the game: they do not have such an opportunity. But at the same time, they are ready to earn bonuses and watch advertisements in order to open additional content or functionality in the application.
Parents are ready to continue to invest in educational applications. But now it will be a recommendation. Those. a conflict appears here: children choose games and entertainment, parents are not willing to pay for it. Parents are willing to pay for educational content (books, magazines), but children may not be interested.
For this age, the monetization option is advertising. Providing users with bonuses for viewing advertising or installing the application. The introduction of advertising games, GetJar and other services (getting points and bonuses) that can be exchanged for premium content. Children are ready to do all this. Cons - the content they really should be interesting, should be popular among peers. This is most likely a game. But parents are also ready at this stage to continue to pay for the subscription of those applications that they have approved themselves, so that children can receive educational content.
Age 11–16 years old . High school students. They have top devices, smartphones.
There is free pocket money. This audience is becoming more interested in games and social applications for communication. Teens are ready to compete and share their results online with friends. At the same time, they can get a virtual card so that in games they can buy bonuses and chips even faster. To measure the results and compete on.
Those. it's hard for parents to impose content on children. Children choose for what to pay, and for what - no. They are ready to continue to watch ads, get achievements and earn bonuses by viewing ads and other actions, but they are also willing to pay for faster bonuses and results.
Age 16-22. Students New stage of life - new acquaintances, independence. Have top devices. Pocket money is found, but so far there is no willingness to spend money on applications. Funds are needed for entertainment and tusy. Students love freebies and competitions. Ready to consume mobile content with ads, awards and the ability to earn extra bonuses in the app or game for free. If the application is very, very like, and may pay for it.
Age 22 and more. Former students who have successfully graduated from institutions and got a job. They get paid. Such an audience is willing to pay for entertainment and games, i.e. ready to consume paid content. They understand why they do it and have every opportunity to do it.
Age 25 and over. This is not quite children, but these are real parents. And now they are ready to pay for educational and entertainment content for their children. The circle closes. Here is a cycle of monetization of applications, depending on the age of children.
Conclusion
We have always been against advertising in children's applications, but, having divided users into categories by age, we now understand that for some categories of age this may be the only way to monetize certain types of applications. This is necessary so that we can work, create new interesting content for children and pay salaries to designers, programmers, content managers.
Simple and functional applications that solve a specific goal, it is logical to monetize according to the freemiun model (for example, such applications as " Mathematics ", " Alphabet ", " Connect the dots ").
In applications in which content is constantly updated and something new appears every month, it is logical to use a subscription model where the user gets access to all content, including new content that appears during use of the application (for example, in applications such as “ Children's interactive development magazine "," Tales "," 3/9 kingdom ", we are planning to introduce this model in the near future, as the content is constantly updated and a new one is added).
This article is not a recipe for direct action. These are arguments based on market analysis, application analysis and observations. Perhaps in a year, two or a month everything will change, and the methods described in this article will not work.
Parents, are you ready to pay for educational content? What do you buy your children for? Those who have children - write comments to the article.
Sincerely, Oleg Demyanov, WebCanape Team
and the mobile development unit Whisper Arts
Recently, we began to receive a lot of feedback (50 percent) that our application “ Children's Interactive Developing Journal ” is very cool and interesting, but what surprised us in these reviews: they are written in simple children's language or, more simply, by children . Some complain that parents don’t allow apps to be bought, others say they’ve developed miserly, others ask to make everything free and feel sorry for poor children who have a device but no money.
')
Parents, are you ready to pay for educational content? Or do you not watch what children do on devices?
Interesting to get acquainted with our observations? I ask under the cat
Let's divide the users of children's applications into the following groups
Age 0–4 years . These are children who play games under the supervision of their parents and only in what their parents allowed. Applications pass the selection of parents. The main buyer is the parent. Therefore, at this stage it is very important to interest the parent in choosing exactly your application. The parent primarily pays attention to the educational value and security of the application (lack of advertising, aggressive content). If the application is like, the parent is ready to buy it.
In this case, children use the devices of their parents.
Also, parents are willing to pay for applications that, in their opinion, may entice a child a little. These are simple addicting games.
In this case, the ideal method of monetization will be the freemium model - providing the basic functionality of the application for free for review. Selling full functionality in the application - through IAP or a separate full version of the application.
Age 4–7 years. Children who may have their own devices in the near future or who have them. At the same time, they continue to play applications that parents have approved. At this stage, parents are interested in continuing to look for new educational applications. And it is interesting for children to learn something new. In this case, children use the devices of their parents. From the children's point of view, they are always interested in new content. They are ready to consume it, and the old quickly bothers them.
The parent is willing to continue to invest in educational content. It is important to establish friendly relations with parents and, accordingly, offer content for the new age. First of all, parents will choose those applications and those developers whose applications they used before.
At this stage, it is desirable to make the process of acquiring new content more simple for parents. For example, the release of new tales, magazines by subscription. In this case, the child will know that in this application the content is constantly updated, and expect it. And the parent does not need to do unnecessary actions, purchase something separately each time, but only control the subscription.
Age 7–10 years. At this age, children go to school. They have their own gadget. Children themselves know how to use a mobile device. Themselves can install their own applications and choose what to play. They are interested in what their friends use. They are interested in the game. And they are not ready to pay for the game: they do not have such an opportunity. But at the same time, they are ready to earn bonuses and watch advertisements in order to open additional content or functionality in the application.
Parents are ready to continue to invest in educational applications. But now it will be a recommendation. Those. a conflict appears here: children choose games and entertainment, parents are not willing to pay for it. Parents are willing to pay for educational content (books, magazines), but children may not be interested.
For this age, the monetization option is advertising. Providing users with bonuses for viewing advertising or installing the application. The introduction of advertising games, GetJar and other services (getting points and bonuses) that can be exchanged for premium content. Children are ready to do all this. Cons - the content they really should be interesting, should be popular among peers. This is most likely a game. But parents are also ready at this stage to continue to pay for the subscription of those applications that they have approved themselves, so that children can receive educational content.
Age 11–16 years old . High school students. They have top devices, smartphones.
There is free pocket money. This audience is becoming more interested in games and social applications for communication. Teens are ready to compete and share their results online with friends. At the same time, they can get a virtual card so that in games they can buy bonuses and chips even faster. To measure the results and compete on.
Those. it's hard for parents to impose content on children. Children choose for what to pay, and for what - no. They are ready to continue to watch ads, get achievements and earn bonuses by viewing ads and other actions, but they are also willing to pay for faster bonuses and results.
Age 16-22. Students New stage of life - new acquaintances, independence. Have top devices. Pocket money is found, but so far there is no willingness to spend money on applications. Funds are needed for entertainment and tusy. Students love freebies and competitions. Ready to consume mobile content with ads, awards and the ability to earn extra bonuses in the app or game for free. If the application is very, very like, and may pay for it.
Age 22 and more. Former students who have successfully graduated from institutions and got a job. They get paid. Such an audience is willing to pay for entertainment and games, i.e. ready to consume paid content. They understand why they do it and have every opportunity to do it.
Age 25 and over. This is not quite children, but these are real parents. And now they are ready to pay for educational and entertainment content for their children. The circle closes. Here is a cycle of monetization of applications, depending on the age of children.
Conclusion
We have always been against advertising in children's applications, but, having divided users into categories by age, we now understand that for some categories of age this may be the only way to monetize certain types of applications. This is necessary so that we can work, create new interesting content for children and pay salaries to designers, programmers, content managers.
Simple and functional applications that solve a specific goal, it is logical to monetize according to the freemiun model (for example, such applications as " Mathematics ", " Alphabet ", " Connect the dots ").
In applications in which content is constantly updated and something new appears every month, it is logical to use a subscription model where the user gets access to all content, including new content that appears during use of the application (for example, in applications such as “ Children's interactive development magazine "," Tales "," 3/9 kingdom ", we are planning to introduce this model in the near future, as the content is constantly updated and a new one is added).
This article is not a recipe for direct action. These are arguments based on market analysis, application analysis and observations. Perhaps in a year, two or a month everything will change, and the methods described in this article will not work.
Parents, are you ready to pay for educational content? What do you buy your children for? Those who have children - write comments to the article.
Sincerely, Oleg Demyanov, WebCanape Team
and the mobile development unit Whisper Arts
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/238969/
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