Advertising In Android Apps

Free things are clearly ideal in any situation. If you had the choice of paying for something and not paying for something but still receiving it, you’d choose the latter option every time.

When it comes to Android apps, it’s clear that free apps are a veritable hot ticket. People are more willing to download something for free than they would be to actually fork over any money for it.

With the plethora of free apps in app marketplaces for the Android, there is almost an expectation that apps will come completely free of charge. But, as developers know, building an app costs money, and the reality is that charging money for the app is one of the few ways of getting a return on an investment.

A General Overview of Advertising with Android Apps.

Expectations:

There is this natural break between most end users and the developers in that it’s becoming too easy to expect Android apps to be free. It’s also true that many apps (particular games) don’t require any monetary investment whatsoever. So, where exactly does this leave developers in this equation?

Naturally, if their goals are purely egalitarian, then they don’t really have to worry about the financial aspect of their apps. In all honesty, though, most Android app developers aren’t making apps primarily to fulfill some creative need.

That leaves only a few options if charging for the app happens to become unrealistic. Even marked price reductions might not be enough to entice the stingiest of Android users. So, advertising in one of its many forms becomes the natural option for many developers.

It often doesn’t require any actual input from the users and is something that can still make the app profitable. In fact, many free Android apps have still been able to turn a considerable profit despite the obvious limitations on the front end.

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Information Sharing:

There is, however, a tricky, ethical line that most developers are wary of crossing. If you want to monetize your customers, sometimes it’s necessary to divulge some of their information to third-party advertisers. While this helps them receive targeted ads, it may be seen as an invasion of privacy. Of course, some ads don’t have to play that tricky political game.

It’s relatively simple to embed a few non-targeted ads into your app to maximize the profits that you gain. You can also add a feature that allows you to take the ads away for a price. This obviously increases potential revenue and makes the user happy.

The important thing is for consumers to start realizing that there is no such thing as a free app. If time and money go into the creation of the app, some of that is going to need to be “refunded,” so to speak. In some cases, the only way to get that job done is with a little bit of mobile advertising.

Not everyone knows exactly how to make money from Android apps, and it’s different for literally every product on the market. Some companies can get by with very traditional forms of marketing and selling, while others need to use advertising.

Martin Blackman

About the Guest Author:

Martin Blackman is an Android app developer from Australia. He has created more than 20 apps and offers advice on the Android app market.