9 implicit mobile application monetization errors that could be a disaster for a developer

Developers are always striving to look for new ways to monetize mobile games and applications. At the same time, everyone knows that monetization should not be too annoying, otherwise the user can simply remove the program with too unnerving advertising (the user can do this for a number of other reasons ). But there are other problems in the monetization of applications that far from all developers realize. They may not be too obvious, but they are critical to the success of the application.

We now want to talk about such problems of monetization of mobile applications.

Creating an application monetization scheme at the last stage of development

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Many developers at least once made this mistake. But to think about the strategy of monetization must be in advance, long before the application is ready. If you think over the monetization scheme at the start of development, then you will be able to design the application according to a general, quite clear plan.

Otherwise, you will have to choose a strategy from a limited number of options. There is also a significant possibility that you will have to redo the application in accordance with the chosen monetization scheme. But this is only if you have not thought through everything in advance.

Creating a clear plan for monetization in advance will save you from many problems, and allow you to get the planned income.

Lightheartedness with users ’personal data

In our time, information security, the security of user data should be the developer at the forefront. It is also worth remembering that many monetization schemes involve the use of certain user data — for example, age, profession, or gender. If this is so, it is imperative that the user data handling scheme be completely transparent to the users themselves.
The person who works with your application should know how their personal data is used and why.

Focusing on ad displays only.

If you correctly display ads to the user, it will help to get a good income. But to focus only on advertising shows, leaving all other nuances "overboard" - this is the wrong decision. It is necessary to make the application as user friendly as possible, and then make sure that the advertisement is not too user-friendly. Be sure to test the shows, ideally on a test audience.

Also try to understand what the user feels at a particular stage of the game, and plan your ad impressions in accordance with the user's feelings and emotions. Do not annoy the user with an advertisement if the level fails. It is unlikely that an upset player will click on the banner or put on some of the proposed programs. It is better to offer, for example, a discount on some bonus items, artifacts that help to pass this level.

On the other hand, a user who has successfully completed the level will be more supportive of advertising. Positive user emotions will allow the developer to get more revenue.

Do not show ads to everyone, try to choose the most appropriate moment to show the banner to the user.

Using only one type of advertising

There are many types of advertising now. This includes advertising banners, video advertising, and native advertising. Advertising networks now offer a large number of options, and using only one of them is a mistake. This may sound strange, but the user does not like, if he is constantly offered the same, the same advertisement.

If you use different types of advertising in your application, this will allow you to achieve a cumulative effect and get more revenue.

Ignore metadata

Another serious mistake is ignoring metadata. This error is often made even by experienced application developers, both gaming and application. The term "metadata" in this case means information about the user. This may be gender, age, income.

If the developer does not use metadata, the result can be that the user ignores the advertisement shown to him in your program. Why? For example, a businessman who needs office furniture will see ads from Barbies, and children will receive advertisements for a Parker pen or a refrigeration unit that a restaurateur needs.

The result is that metadata should be used. But, as mentioned above, working with private user data should be made as transparent as possible for the user. By the way, Appodeal supports full transfer of user interests to advertisers.

Same strategy for monetizing apps on iOS and Android

It may well be that your application works just perfectly. You have optimized the program, have thought through every detail. Both iOS and Android versions look and function perfectly. But advertising is not very effective.

Why? The fact is that the audience for different versions of the application may also be different. Users of iOS and Android programs are not the same at all - the audience is different there and there. In most cases, this is true.

And here again metadata can come to the rescue. Studying the audience may take some time, but the developer will eventually be able to find the best advertising option for each version of his application.

It is worth mentioning the fact that ad formats available for Android may not be available for iOS. This can be an unpleasant surprise for a developer who has not provided all the details.

Use different monetization schemes for iOS and Android application versions.

Reluctance to work with interstitial advertising

Most developers of mobile applications are afraid to use ad inserts, interstitial advertising. Typically, this type of advertising is represented by full-screen banners that appear when a user performs an action — for example, choosing another level in the game.

Yes, such an advertisement, if used incorrectly, can annoy the user. In the worst case, the user can even delete the program.

But "afraid of wolves - not to go to the forest." The same advertising can be very effective, just need to use it properly. For example, do not interrupt the game process.

Interstitial advertising is worth showing in gaming applications. Do not use this format too often in ordinary programs.

Ignoring the possibility of customization of promotional materials

Most ad networks and aggregators allow the developer to modify standard advertising materials. This applies to the format of advertising, the color of banners, font size and much more.

Do not forget that users of mobile applications have already seen most of the default formats, and over time experienced users produce “advertising blindness”.

If you use a custom advertising banner, it can help attract the attention of even the most advanced user who is used to ignoring ads. Competent customization of the appearance of advertising will help increase your income.

Pay Download Bet

This can work for PCs and game consoles, but on a mobile platform this way of monetizing an application is not very efficient. Most users will prefer to spend half a day to find a free alternative than to pay for your application / game.
One of the most effective models for monetizing applications (especially mobile games) is freemium. We have already discussed this in detail earlier.

There is another interesting option - this is a suggestion to the user of two versions of the same application. One of them may be freemium , shareware, the other - paid, but the user will not be shown ads. Users will only be happy to freedom of choice.

Freemium is one of the most effective ways to monetize an application, especially gaming.

What errors of monetization of the application would you like to add to this list?

Of course, the list presented by us is far from complete. We all will be very interested to hear what problems of monetization of applications you personally or your company faced.

And, of course, one of the most effective ways to monetize your application is to use programmatic mediation from Appodeal . We offer a large number of advertising options that are optimal for your application.