3 Simple In App Purchase Items to Increase App Revenue
Posted By PlacePlay on April 27, 2012
Social, mobile, freemium is clearly the hottest business model for iOS and Android app developers. But, what happens if you already launched your app and don’t have the resources to start from scratch to take advantage of this new model? Luckily, every iOS or Android app developer can increase their app revenue by providing their user base with a couple in app purchase options, without rebuilding their entire app.
Here are a few suggestions on how you can add in app purchases to your iOS or Android app and, hopefully, increase your app revenue.
Content Packs:
I define a content purchase as a set of new levels, map, card types, etc. App developers have varying levels of success with content purchases, but if your content production is cost effective, there’s no reason to not try to further monetize your user base by providing them additional levels (maps, etc.) for $.99, or whatever 
price is most appropriate for your title.
A word of warning: don’t provide additional content for free only to later charge for it. When we published Finger Physics (a long time ago) we provided 54 additional levels at no cost before we released our first paid level pack. That was dumb. Once we released additional levels to our user base for free we’d set the expectation that additional content in Finger Physics would always be free.
Cheats:
Cheats have been popularized in Angry Birds (Mighty Eagle), Ragdoll Blaster (Rocket), etc. as a great way to provide users with real 
value and increase your app revenue. We’ve all been frustrated by not being able to pass a specific level in an iOS or Android app ($*%&$!!!!); some users probably put down your app and never come back. When you lose a user, so goes any future opportunity to sell them additional content, promote a new game, ask for referrals, etc.
Instead of losing a valuable user forever, provide them with an option to skip the level (and future levels) by paying for a cheat. In Ragdoll Blaster, for example, you can utilize the Ragdoll Rocket every 60 seconds to pass a level in 1 shot. I was more than happy to pay the $.99 for this cheat after getting stuck on the same level for 10+ minutes. Not only did Backflip make an extra $.70, but I was a happier customer as a result.
If you want to take this implementation one step further: review how many times a user fails at a level before exiting the app, and implement a pop up a message offering the cheat before a user reaches that drop off point. Your users will be happier, and your app revenue will increase.
Pay to Remove In App Advertising:
Most users don’t like ads, but they are willing to deal with them in exchange for not having to pay for an app. Some people, though, are willing to pay a premium to remove in app advertising. Let them by making this an in app purchase item. 
Do make sure to identify the right price for this item based on how much revenue you will receive from each user via in app advertising. If you need help to identify this amount, we covered it here.
The biggest, and probably most lucrative method of increasing revenue via in app purchase is with consumable items (coins, fuel, etc.). “Consumables” is a big topic that we’ll cover in a later post. In the meantime, you can start increasing your app revenue via in app purchase by implementing one or more of the above. Good luck!
What other simple ways have you found to increase app revenue with in app purchase? Share them with us in the comments below!
