Let’s take a look at some of the various ways you can monetize your mobile apps. In most cases, your best bet is going to be to stick with one or two methods of monetization, rather than trying to apply all of these at once. Which method(s) you end up going with will of course depend on the type of app you’re trying to monetize.
In-App Ads
An easy way you can generate a constant stream of revenue from your mobile app(s) is by inserting advertisements into the UI of the app. While these ads can bring in some steady cash just from people using your app, they can also be very annoying to your users, so keep that in mind. If choosing this method, it’s best to approach it from a user’s point of view, ensuring the ads aren’t too intrusive.
Subscriptions
If you’d like to avoid the advertising/marketing rout all together, subscriptions are the way to go. Just like ads, subscriptions bring in a steady stream of ongoing revenue, but without the annoyance of ads cluttering up the interface. Of course, some users might also perceive the subscription fee as a nuisance. Subscriptions tend to work best for apps that constantly provide new content to their users, or apps that provide users with a unique service they may need on a regular basis, so if you don’t have something to keep your users coming back over and over again, you might not want to chance charging a fee.
Affiliate Links
Historically, affiliate links and promotions have been a proven method of monetization for bloggers and web developers alike, so it’s no wonder the same methods can be applied to mobile apps. Rather than inserting third party ads into your app, you opt for links that point your users to your affiliates. This approach works well when you have a highly focussed niche you’re targeting.
In-App Purchases
Lastly, you can sell things from within your app, turning it into your own virtual marketplace. This strategy works very well for games, since you can sell an unlimited amount of virtual items, such as currency, characters, weapons, skins, tools, enhanced features, etc…
