[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
I don't think you actually can switch an app from free to paid in the Android market, without taking it down and renaming it. In either case, it is hardly surprising to find downloads of free apps far exceeding paid apps. This is no different from the pattern you see with normal software - the industry standard conversion rate from downloads to sales is around 1%. I am actually very impressed by the numbers that Polyclef presents on his blog, with his Golf Solitaire lying around a 3% conversion, while Wordwise is a whopping 20% (though I suspect this may be due to fans of his previous game purchasing the new one. We shall see whether the conversion rate remains as high when/ if he presents more recent numbers). Low conversion rate from free to paid is something that should be expected by an app developer; it is simply part of the business. Generally speaking, I do not think think apps are much different from regular software. The main difference is that the gold rush mentality and the ease of throwing together an app makes a lot of developers think they can make a lot of money from a weekend's work. Consider that in the indie games development world, there are 1000s of would-be developers who try to make games - try it, and fail. Their products never make it to the market, because they are never finished. In the app world, though (especially in the open Android market), there is no such barrier. Anyone can publish, and a lot do. Add to this dedicated spammers, and you have the explanation for a major part of the long tail (about 30%). That too has to be viewed in the balance. While I nodded at Dan's comment about show business, I don't quite agree. Certainly, a breakout $100,000 success will require luck, but I do think that simply being smart and hard work will take you very far (polyclef again comes to mind). From my observations, a lot of things go into this kind of success; e.g., being able to correctly identify a niche/opportunity, a huge amount of hard work to deliver a polished product, and figuring out the most effective marketing method for the product (something which we coders very often ignore or are very bad at). Of course, even with all of these factors in place, there is no guarantee of success, but that is no different from any other endeavour in life. The real answer to the OP's question (which is, essentially, a variant of the eternal How much money can I make?), of course, is: 42 Regards, Michael A. On Sep 22, 10:55 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: You make some very good points in this post, supplying the balance lacking in all the previous posts on this topic. But there is one thing I have to correct: I said rosy picture of glowing success...that doesn't really tell us much. I did not say 'outlandish'. The two are not the same. Even if we take at face value all the claims made about such-and-such app making such-and-such figure, it really doesn't tell us much. Why? Because as you yourself pointed out (thanks for that, BTW), only about 3% of apps even break 1000 downloads. The money makers are all doing far more downloads than that. So they are quite the minority. That is an excellent example of the balance lacking in all the previous posts on the topic. But here is another example: have you noticed how free apps in general get more downloads than paid apps? Or what about apps that start out free and turn into paid apps? Don't the download numbers then tend to drop like a rock? I haven't actually checked the numbers on Google's Android Market, but I did notice both these trends on SlideME. I can think of no reason why the same trend would not occur on both (though I know Google discourages turning free into paid). On Sep 22, 1:50 am, Michael A. michael.aki...@gmail.com wrote: On Sep 21, 10:35 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: So the moment the first post in this thread went up, I knew we were going to see some responses painting a rosy picture of glowing success. But that doesn't really tell us much. I haven't seen any claims on this thread that I find outlandish by any means. At, e.g., $3 a sale, $100 per day is only 33 sales per day = about 10-15K downloads over a year. There are several hundreds of paid apps that have broken the 10K downloads mark, so I am not surprised to see several people reporting such income. Note that both niko and Doug - the two who have cited $100 a day, specifically point out that their apps have been on the market for a long time = most likely top ranked apps. These are not apps that have made big money for years - most likely their current level has only been reached in recent months as the number of Android devices has gone through the roof. Of course, one should put their success in perspective by noting that of 45K+ paid apps, only about 3% have 1000 downloads and less than 1% have 5000 downloads (according to Androlib). So obviously, success
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Sep 21, 10:35 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: in Yeltsin's Russia, for example, it was routine to keep one set of books for real and the other to show the taxman. You can figure out which showed the higher profits. It's not quite true ;) There were 3 books - for yourself, for your mafia taxes ( roof ) and for taxes , where first 2 existed virtually. And it still the same ;) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Sep 21, 10:35 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: So the moment the first post in this thread went up, I knew we were going to see some responses painting a rosy picture of glowing success. But that doesn't really tell us much. I haven't seen any claims on this thread that I find outlandish by any means. At, e.g., $3 a sale, $100 per day is only 33 sales per day = about 10-15K downloads over a year. There are several hundreds of paid apps that have broken the 10K downloads mark, so I am not surprised to see several people reporting such income. Note that both niko and Doug - the two who have cited $100 a day, specifically point out that their apps have been on the market for a long time = most likely top ranked apps. These are not apps that have made big money for years - most likely their current level has only been reached in recent months as the number of Android devices has gone through the roof. Of course, one should put their success in perspective by noting that of 45K+ paid apps, only about 3% have 1000 downloads and less than 1% have 5000 downloads (according to Androlib). So obviously, success of that kind is rare and not to be expected for the average app. The sad thing is that, by iPhone standards, these tales of glowing success are laughable. Consider for instance Trism (big hit on the iPhone - sold 50K units in its first 2 months @ 5$) has yet to break the 500 download mark on Android. Obviously, success is all about being in the right place at the right time with the right product, but but such a huge disrepancy in sales can hardly be put down to only luck. I am looking forward to reading Polyclef's blog when he takes status of sales on iPhone/Android for his latest cross-platform app whether he finds the trend of iTunes being immensely superior to the Android market continuing. Currently (again according to Androlib), Android has 27 paid apps with more than 50K sales. Only 1 (Robo Defense) has gone over 250K in sales. That should really tell people everything they need to know about the profitability of the market for a regular starting developer. If you have the name recognition, of course, big hits are still possible. Angry Birds will certainly make a killing when it comes on the paid market. Judging by their download data, the Moron Test is making well over $600 a day now (5000 downloads between Jun 29 - Jul 11; 40,000 downloads from Jul 11 to Sep 7 @ $0.99). So really good sales are clearly possible, if you have the right IP. Regards, Michael A. On Sep 17, 7:40 am, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM, William Ferguson william.ferguson.au@ gmail.com wrote: Very droll. Perhaps =P But it's a good question. Yes, it would definitely be very interesting to see some stats from various developers. But it IS a fairly private / personal question not many people are going to be willing to answer. Notice how no one has actually answered the question, including the OP, save for the one person that was already blogging about it anyway. BTW, poly, thanks for sharing and congrats on the success. When I'm making that much I'll be flaunting it too =P - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
You make some very good points in this post, supplying the balance lacking in all the previous posts on this topic. But there is one thing I have to correct: I said rosy picture of glowing success...that doesn't really tell us much. I did not say 'outlandish'. The two are not the same. Even if we take at face value all the claims made about such-and-such app making such-and-such figure, it really doesn't tell us much. Why? Because as you yourself pointed out (thanks for that, BTW), only about 3% of apps even break 1000 downloads. The money makers are all doing far more downloads than that. So they are quite the minority. That is an excellent example of the balance lacking in all the previous posts on the topic. But here is another example: have you noticed how free apps in general get more downloads than paid apps? Or what about apps that start out free and turn into paid apps? Don't the download numbers then tend to drop like a rock? I haven't actually checked the numbers on Google's Android Market, but I did notice both these trends on SlideME. I can think of no reason why the same trend would not occur on both (though I know Google discourages turning free into paid). On Sep 22, 1:50 am, Michael A. michael.aki...@gmail.com wrote: On Sep 21, 10:35 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: So the moment the first post in this thread went up, I knew we were going to see some responses painting a rosy picture of glowing success. But that doesn't really tell us much. I haven't seen any claims on this thread that I find outlandish by any means. At, e.g., $3 a sale, $100 per day is only 33 sales per day = about 10-15K downloads over a year. There are several hundreds of paid apps that have broken the 10K downloads mark, so I am not surprised to see several people reporting such income. Note that both niko and Doug - the two who have cited $100 a day, specifically point out that their apps have been on the market for a long time = most likely top ranked apps. These are not apps that have made big money for years - most likely their current level has only been reached in recent months as the number of Android devices has gone through the roof. Of course, one should put their success in perspective by noting that of 45K+ paid apps, only about 3% have 1000 downloads and less than 1% have 5000 downloads (according to Androlib). So obviously, success of that kind is rare and not to be expected for the average app. The sad thing is that, by iPhone standards, these tales of glowing success are laughable. Consider for instance Trism (big hit on the iPhone - sold 50K units in its first 2 months @ 5$) has yet to break the 500 download mark on Android. Obviously, success is all about being in the right place at the right time with the right product, but but such a huge disrepancy in sales can hardly be put down to only luck. I am looking forward to reading Polyclef's blog when he takes status of sales on iPhone/Android for his latest cross-platform app whether he finds the trend of iTunes being immensely superior to the Android market continuing. Currently (again according to Androlib), Android has 27 paid apps with more than 50K sales. Only 1 (Robo Defense) has gone over 250K in sales. That should really tell people everything they need to know about the profitability of the market for a regular starting developer. If you have the name recognition, of course, big hits are still possible. Angry Birds will certainly make a killing when it comes on the paid market. Judging by their download data, the Moron Test is making well over $600 a day now (5000 downloads between Jun 29 - Jul 11; 40,000 downloads from Jul 11 to Sep 7 @ $0.99). So really good sales are clearly possible, if you have the right IP. Regards, Michael A. On Sep 17, 7:40 am, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM, William Ferguson william.ferguson.au@ gmail.com wrote: Very droll. Perhaps =P But it's a good question. Yes, it would definitely be very interesting to see some stats from various developers. But it IS a fairly private / personal question not many people are going to be willing to answer. Notice how no one has actually answered the question, including the OP, save for the one person that was already blogging about it anyway. BTW, poly, thanks for sharing and congrats on the success. When I'm making that much I'll be flaunting it too =P - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Just FYI, in any other first world country, exceptiing Japan and South Korea, it would be (considerably) more. On Sep 21, 11:57 pm, JonFHancock jonfhanc...@gmail.com wrote: @Angus I don't do ads in the app or on the website that powers the app. That is just sales. I've considered doing a free version with ads, but I just don't like ads, plus, half the people I know with android devices are rooted and have an adblocker installed. If I don't get a fresh supply of media attention every few weeks, my sales slump. The lowest slump since we hit it big thanks to Droid Life was about $70 for the day. Oh, also, if you're in the US, YOU MUST put 18% of every dollar into a savings account, and forget it exists until tax season. Don't let all that income tax sneak up on you. I'm sure you should do the same in any country, but I don't know what percentage that is anywhere else. On Sep 21, 12:06 pm, Agus agus.sant...@gmail.com wrote: @JonFHancock Is that amount generated from ads or paid? If from ads i want to know the average #impressions and %clickthroughrate per month if you don't mind ? On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 11:50 AM, JonFHancock jonfhanc...@gmail.com wrote: On an average day, I make $70 to $100 on one paid app. If I get a blog post, it jumps up above $200 for a few days. The first time Droid Life posted about it, I made $700. A high-ish profile mention in a forum will pull in an extra $20 - $40. My app is in its 3rd month, and serves a niche market. If your app is marketable, you need to be watching key terms using Google Alerts. Respond to every relevant form and blog post (in as much of a non-spammy way as possible), and make bloggers love you. I just started selling on PayPal too, and it has been quite a hassle to support, and is making about $10/day. That is only three days of activity though. Given time, it may make more money, and I may suffocate under the pile of I didn't get my license and where do I download it emails. On Sep 18, 2:15 pm, cellurl gpscru...@gmail.com wrote: ACC (Android Cruise Control) v1.4 Applications: Entertainment (5) Comments 614 total 153 active installs (24%) Free Errors Published Back Seat Driver V, Strip Line v9.8 Applications: Entertainment (10) Comments 2185 total 304 active installs (13%) Free Errors Published Speed Limit v1.65 Applications: Entertainment (7) Comments 44 total 15 active installs (34%) $0.99 Errors Published -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
In short, apps are like show business. How many actors/musicians even get to give up their day jobs? On Sep 22, 3:55 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: You make some very good points in this post, supplying the balance lacking in all the previous posts on this topic. But there is one thing I have to correct: I said rosy picture of glowing success...that doesn't really tell us much. I did not say 'outlandish'. The two are not the same. Even if we take at face value all the claims made about such-and-such app making such-and-such figure, it really doesn't tell us much. Why? Because as you yourself pointed out (thanks for that, BTW), only about 3% of apps even break 1000 downloads. The money makers are all doing far more downloads than that. So they are quite the minority. That is an excellent example of the balance lacking in all the previous posts on the topic. But here is another example: have you noticed how free apps in general get more downloads than paid apps? Or what about apps that start out free and turn into paid apps? Don't the download numbers then tend to drop like a rock? I haven't actually checked the numbers on Google's Android Market, but I did notice both these trends on SlideME. I can think of no reason why the same trend would not occur on both (though I know Google discourages turning free into paid). On Sep 22, 1:50 am, Michael A. michael.aki...@gmail.com wrote: On Sep 21, 10:35 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: So the moment the first post in this thread went up, I knew we were going to see some responses painting a rosy picture of glowing success. But that doesn't really tell us much. I haven't seen any claims on this thread that I find outlandish by any means. At, e.g., $3 a sale, $100 per day is only 33 sales per day = about 10-15K downloads over a year. There are several hundreds of paid apps that have broken the 10K downloads mark, so I am not surprised to see several people reporting such income. Note that both niko and Doug - the two who have cited $100 a day, specifically point out that their apps have been on the market for a long time = most likely top ranked apps. These are not apps that have made big money for years - most likely their current level has only been reached in recent months as the number of Android devices has gone through the roof. Of course, one should put their success in perspective by noting that of 45K+ paid apps, only about 3% have 1000 downloads and less than 1% have 5000 downloads (according to Androlib). So obviously, success of that kind is rare and not to be expected for the average app. The sad thing is that, by iPhone standards, these tales of glowing success are laughable. Consider for instance Trism (big hit on the iPhone - sold 50K units in its first 2 months @ 5$) has yet to break the 500 download mark on Android. Obviously, success is all about being in the right place at the right time with the right product, but but such a huge disrepancy in sales can hardly be put down to only luck. I am looking forward to reading Polyclef's blog when he takes status of sales on iPhone/Android for his latest cross-platform app whether he finds the trend of iTunes being immensely superior to the Android market continuing. Currently (again according to Androlib), Android has 27 paid apps with more than 50K sales. Only 1 (Robo Defense) has gone over 250K in sales. That should really tell people everything they need to know about the profitability of the market for a regular starting developer. If you have the name recognition, of course, big hits are still possible. Angry Birds will certainly make a killing when it comes on the paid market. Judging by their download data, the Moron Test is making well over $600 a day now (5000 downloads between Jun 29 - Jul 11; 40,000 downloads from Jul 11 to Sep 7 @ $0.99). So really good sales are clearly possible, if you have the right IP. Regards, Michael A. On Sep 17, 7:40 am, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM, William Ferguson william.ferguson.au@ gmail.com wrote: Very droll. Perhaps =P But it's a good question. Yes, it would definitely be very interesting to see some stats from various developers. But it IS a fairly private / personal question not many people are going to be willing to answer. Notice how no one has actually answered the question, including the OP, save for the one person that was already blogging about it anyway. BTW, poly, thanks for sharing and congrats on the success. When I'm making that much I'll be flaunting it too =P - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
BTW, I will break 10K downloads today or tomorrow with an active install rate of about 35% On Sep 22, 3:59 pm, DanH danhi...@ieee.org wrote: In short, apps are like show business. How many actors/musicians even get to give up their day jobs? On Sep 22, 3:55 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: You make some very good points in this post, supplying the balance lacking in all the previous posts on this topic. But there is one thing I have to correct: I said rosy picture of glowing success...that doesn't really tell us much. I did not say 'outlandish'. The two are not the same. Even if we take at face value all the claims made about such-and-such app making such-and-such figure, it really doesn't tell us much. Why? Because as you yourself pointed out (thanks for that, BTW), only about 3% of apps even break 1000 downloads. The money makers are all doing far more downloads than that. So they are quite the minority. That is an excellent example of the balance lacking in all the previous posts on the topic. But here is another example: have you noticed how free apps in general get more downloads than paid apps? Or what about apps that start out free and turn into paid apps? Don't the download numbers then tend to drop like a rock? I haven't actually checked the numbers on Google's Android Market, but I did notice both these trends on SlideME. I can think of no reason why the same trend would not occur on both (though I know Google discourages turning free into paid). On Sep 22, 1:50 am, Michael A. michael.aki...@gmail.com wrote: On Sep 21, 10:35 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: So the moment the first post in this thread went up, I knew we were going to see some responses painting a rosy picture of glowing success. But that doesn't really tell us much. I haven't seen any claims on this thread that I find outlandish by any means. At, e.g., $3 a sale, $100 per day is only 33 sales per day = about 10-15K downloads over a year. There are several hundreds of paid apps that have broken the 10K downloads mark, so I am not surprised to see several people reporting such income. Note that both niko and Doug - the two who have cited $100 a day, specifically point out that their apps have been on the market for a long time = most likely top ranked apps. These are not apps that have made big money for years - most likely their current level has only been reached in recent months as the number of Android devices has gone through the roof. Of course, one should put their success in perspective by noting that of 45K+ paid apps, only about 3% have 1000 downloads and less than 1% have 5000 downloads (according to Androlib). So obviously, success of that kind is rare and not to be expected for the average app. The sad thing is that, by iPhone standards, these tales of glowing success are laughable. Consider for instance Trism (big hit on the iPhone - sold 50K units in its first 2 months @ 5$) has yet to break the 500 download mark on Android. Obviously, success is all about being in the right place at the right time with the right product, but but such a huge disrepancy in sales can hardly be put down to only luck. I am looking forward to reading Polyclef's blog when he takes status of sales on iPhone/Android for his latest cross-platform app whether he finds the trend of iTunes being immensely superior to the Android market continuing. Currently (again according to Androlib), Android has 27 paid apps with more than 50K sales. Only 1 (Robo Defense) has gone over 250K in sales. That should really tell people everything they need to know about the profitability of the market for a regular starting developer. If you have the name recognition, of course, big hits are still possible. Angry Birds will certainly make a killing when it comes on the paid market. Judging by their download data, the Moron Test is making well over $600 a day now (5000 downloads between Jun 29 - Jul 11; 40,000 downloads from Jul 11 to Sep 7 @ $0.99). So really good sales are clearly possible, if you have the right IP. Regards, Michael A. On Sep 17, 7:40 am, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM, William Ferguson william.ferguson.au@ gmail.com wrote: Very droll. Perhaps =P But it's a good question. Yes, it would definitely be very interesting to see some stats from various developers. But it IS a fairly private / personal question not many people are going to be willing to answer. Notice how no one has actually answered the question, including the OP, save for the one person that was already blogging about it anyway. BTW, poly, thanks for sharing and congrats on the success. When I'm making
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Software in general is a hit business. The top apps make big money, the rest made almost nothing. There are some exceptions niche exceptions but if your writing a game realize that the top 50 will make big money but the 250th (the number are a bit made up) will struggle to get any money at all. For what is worth I have a top 100 free game(something like 60-75. Too lazy to get the exact number. It has 600k users). It brings in about $500/day in add revenue. Market sales are about 25/day. I am thinking about discontinuing the paid version (too much piracy, not worth the effort). The iphone version of the same app struggles to make half of that. Your mileage may vary. On Sep 22, 6:59 pm, DanH danhi...@ieee.org wrote: In short, apps are like show business. How many actors/musicians even get to give up their day jobs? On Sep 22, 3:55 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: You make some very good points in this post, supplying the balance lacking in all the previous posts on this topic. But there is one thing I have to correct: I said rosy picture of glowing success...that doesn't really tell us much. I did not say 'outlandish'. The two are not the same. Even if we take at face value all the claims made about such-and-such app making such-and-such figure, it really doesn't tell us much. Why? Because as you yourself pointed out (thanks for that, BTW), only about 3% of apps even break 1000 downloads. The money makers are all doing far more downloads than that. So they are quite the minority. That is an excellent example of the balance lacking in all the previous posts on the topic. But here is another example: have you noticed how free apps in general get more downloads than paid apps? Or what about apps that start out free and turn into paid apps? Don't the download numbers then tend to drop like a rock? I haven't actually checked the numbers on Google's Android Market, but I did notice both these trends on SlideME. I can think of no reason why the same trend would not occur on both (though I know Google discourages turning free into paid). On Sep 22, 1:50 am, Michael A. michael.aki...@gmail.com wrote: On Sep 21, 10:35 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: So the moment the first post in this thread went up, I knew we were going to see some responses painting a rosy picture of glowing success. But that doesn't really tell us much. I haven't seen any claims on this thread that I find outlandish by any means. At, e.g., $3 a sale, $100 per day is only 33 sales per day = about 10-15K downloads over a year. There are several hundreds of paid apps that have broken the 10K downloads mark, so I am not surprised to see several people reporting such income. Note that both niko and Doug - the two who have cited $100 a day, specifically point out that their apps have been on the market for a long time = most likely top ranked apps. These are not apps that have made big money for years - most likely their current level has only been reached in recent months as the number of Android devices has gone through the roof. Of course, one should put their success in perspective by noting that of 45K+ paid apps, only about 3% have 1000 downloads and less than 1% have 5000 downloads (according to Androlib). So obviously, success of that kind is rare and not to be expected for the average app. The sad thing is that, by iPhone standards, these tales of glowing success are laughable. Consider for instance Trism (big hit on the iPhone - sold 50K units in its first 2 months @ 5$) has yet to break the 500 download mark on Android. Obviously, success is all about being in the right place at the right time with the right product, but but such a huge disrepancy in sales can hardly be put down to only luck. I am looking forward to reading Polyclef's blog when he takes status of sales on iPhone/Android for his latest cross-platform app whether he finds the trend of iTunes being immensely superior to the Android market continuing. Currently (again according to Androlib), Android has 27 paid apps with more than 50K sales. Only 1 (Robo Defense) has gone over 250K in sales. That should really tell people everything they need to know about the profitability of the market for a regular starting developer. If you have the name recognition, of course, big hits are still possible. Angry Birds will certainly make a killing when it comes on the paid market. Judging by their download data, the Moron Test is making well over $600 a day now (5000 downloads between Jun 29 - Jul 11; 40,000 downloads from Jul 11 to Sep 7 @ $0.99). So really good sales are clearly possible, if you have the right IP. Regards, Michael A. On Sep 17, 7:40 am, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM, William Ferguson
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
ACC (Android Cruise Control) v1.4 Applications: Entertainment (5) Comments 614 total 153 active installs (24%) Free Errors Published Back Seat Driver V, Strip Line v9.8 Applications: Entertainment (10) Comments 2185 total 304 active installs (13%) Free Errors Published Speed Limit v1.65 Applications: Entertainment (7) Comments 44 total 15 active installs (34%) $0.99 Errors Published -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On an average day, I make $70 to $100 on one paid app. If I get a blog post, it jumps up above $200 for a few days. The first time Droid Life posted about it, I made $700. A high-ish profile mention in a forum will pull in an extra $20 - $40. My app is in its 3rd month, and serves a niche market. If your app is marketable, you need to be watching key terms using Google Alerts. Respond to every relevant form and blog post (in as much of a non-spammy way as possible), and make bloggers love you. I just started selling on PayPal too, and it has been quite a hassle to support, and is making about $10/day. That is only three days of activity though. Given time, it may make more money, and I may suffocate under the pile of I didn't get my license and where do I download it emails. On Sep 18, 2:15 pm, cellurl gpscru...@gmail.com wrote: ACC (Android Cruise Control) v1.4 Applications: Entertainment (5) Comments 614 total 153 active installs (24%) Free Errors Published Back Seat Driver V, Strip Line v9.8 Applications: Entertainment (10) Comments 2185 total 304 active installs (13%) Free Errors Published Speed Limit v1.65 Applications: Entertainment (7) Comments 44 total 15 active installs (34%) $0.99 Errors Published -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
@JonFHancock Is that amount generated from ads or paid? If from ads i want to know the average #impressions and %clickthroughrate per month if you don't mind ? On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 11:50 AM, JonFHancock jonfhanc...@gmail.com wrote: On an average day, I make $70 to $100 on one paid app. If I get a blog post, it jumps up above $200 for a few days. The first time Droid Life posted about it, I made $700. A high-ish profile mention in a forum will pull in an extra $20 - $40. My app is in its 3rd month, and serves a niche market. If your app is marketable, you need to be watching key terms using Google Alerts. Respond to every relevant form and blog post (in as much of a non-spammy way as possible), and make bloggers love you. I just started selling on PayPal too, and it has been quite a hassle to support, and is making about $10/day. That is only three days of activity though. Given time, it may make more money, and I may suffocate under the pile of I didn't get my license and where do I download it emails. On Sep 18, 2:15 pm, cellurl gpscru...@gmail.com wrote: ACC (Android Cruise Control) v1.4 Applications: Entertainment (5) Comments 614 total 153 active installs (24%) Free Errors Published Back Seat Driver V, Strip Line v9.8 Applications: Entertainment (10) Comments 2185 total 304 active installs (13%) Free Errors Published Speed Limit v1.65 Applications: Entertainment (7) Comments 44 total 15 active installs (34%) $0.99 Errors Published -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
BPTracker v1.2.5 Applications: Health (2) Comments 51 total 30 active installs (58%) $1.00 Errors Published BPTracker Free v1.2.5 Applications: Health (18) Comments 3388 total 1042 active installs (30%) Free Errors Published On Sep 21, 3:06 pm, Agus agus.sant...@gmail.com wrote: @JonFHancock Is that amount generated from ads or paid? If from ads i want to know the average #impressions and %clickthroughrate per month if you don't mind ? On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 11:50 AM, JonFHancock jonfhanc...@gmail.com wrote: On an average day, I make $70 to $100 on one paid app. If I get a blog post, it jumps up above $200 for a few days. The first time Droid Life posted about it, I made $700. A high-ish profile mention in a forum will pull in an extra $20 - $40. My app is in its 3rd month, and serves a niche market. If your app is marketable, you need to be watching key terms using Google Alerts. Respond to every relevant form and blog post (in as much of a non-spammy way as possible), and make bloggers love you. I just started selling on PayPal too, and it has been quite a hassle to support, and is making about $10/day. That is only three days of activity though. Given time, it may make more money, and I may suffocate under the pile of I didn't get my license and where do I download it emails. On Sep 18, 2:15 pm, cellurl gpscru...@gmail.com wrote: ACC (Android Cruise Control) v1.4 Applications: Entertainment (5) Comments 614 total 153 active installs (24%) Free Errors Published Back Seat Driver V, Strip Line v9.8 Applications: Entertainment (10) Comments 2185 total 304 active installs (13%) Free Errors Published Speed Limit v1.65 Applications: Entertainment (7) Comments 44 total 15 active installs (34%) $0.99 Errors Published -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
BPTracker v1.2.5 Applications: Health (2) Comments 51 total 30 active installs (58%) $1.00 Errors Published BPTracker Free v1.2.5 Applications: Health (18) Comments 3388 total 1042 active installs (30%) Free Errors Published -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Not only is it private and personal, but one wise and cynical financial advisor once told me something I'll never forget: never believe somebody's claims about how much money he makes until you see his 1040 form yourself -- especially the Schedule C. Of course, she was speaking in an American context and of Americans, so she gave the references for US Federal Tax. But if it had been in many other countries, I don't think I would believe it even -after- seeing their filings: in Yeltsin's Russia, for example, it was routine to keep one set of books for real and the other to show the taxman. You can figure out which showed the higher profits. So the moment the first post in this thread went up, I knew we were going to see some responses painting a rosy picture of glowing success. But that doesn't really tell us much. On Sep 17, 7:40 am, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM, William Ferguson william.ferguson.au@ gmail.com wrote: Very droll. Perhaps =P But it's a good question. Yes, it would definitely be very interesting to see some stats from various developers. But it IS a fairly private / personal question not many people are going to be willing to answer. Notice how no one has actually answered the question, including the OP, save for the one person that was already blogging about it anyway. BTW, poly, thanks for sharing and congrats on the success. When I'm making that much I'll be flaunting it too =P - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Sep 21, 1:35 pm, Indicator Veritatis mej1...@yahoo.com wrote: never believe somebody's claims about how much money he makes until you see his 1040 form yourself -- especially the Schedule C. irony onPeople's income statements, a hallmark of honesty, anywhere in the world.irony off Haha I got a good chuckle out of your post (:-). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
@Angus I don't do ads in the app or on the website that powers the app. That is just sales. I've considered doing a free version with ads, but I just don't like ads, plus, half the people I know with android devices are rooted and have an adblocker installed. If I don't get a fresh supply of media attention every few weeks, my sales slump. The lowest slump since we hit it big thanks to Droid Life was about $70 for the day. Oh, also, if you're in the US, YOU MUST put 18% of every dollar into a savings account, and forget it exists until tax season. Don't let all that income tax sneak up on you. I'm sure you should do the same in any country, but I don't know what percentage that is anywhere else. On Sep 21, 12:06 pm, Agus agus.sant...@gmail.com wrote: @JonFHancock Is that amount generated from ads or paid? If from ads i want to know the average #impressions and %clickthroughrate per month if you don't mind ? On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 11:50 AM, JonFHancock jonfhanc...@gmail.com wrote: On an average day, I make $70 to $100 on one paid app. If I get a blog post, it jumps up above $200 for a few days. The first time Droid Life posted about it, I made $700. A high-ish profile mention in a forum will pull in an extra $20 - $40. My app is in its 3rd month, and serves a niche market. If your app is marketable, you need to be watching key terms using Google Alerts. Respond to every relevant form and blog post (in as much of a non-spammy way as possible), and make bloggers love you. I just started selling on PayPal too, and it has been quite a hassle to support, and is making about $10/day. That is only three days of activity though. Given time, it may make more money, and I may suffocate under the pile of I didn't get my license and where do I download it emails. On Sep 18, 2:15 pm, cellurl gpscru...@gmail.com wrote: ACC (Android Cruise Control) v1.4 Applications: Entertainment (5) Comments 614 total 153 active installs (24%) Free Errors Published Back Seat Driver V, Strip Line v9.8 Applications: Entertainment (10) Comments 2185 total 304 active installs (13%) Free Errors Published Speed Limit v1.65 Applications: Entertainment (7) Comments 44 total 15 active installs (34%) $0.99 Errors Published -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
But how do you get featured? Our sports app is in top 5 and has been there 6 months. Never been featured. ESPN apps are always featured. Does it favor US sports apps? Ours is a soccer one... Would be great if we knew how they were chosen. On Sep 18, 11:13 pm, Dianne Hackborn hack...@android.com wrote: On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 1:43 PM, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: 3 - The system is skewed to the big guys. The only apps I ever see featured are those by big name companies (including Google themselves) that steal all the attention and really don't need the promotional help to begin with. Hm currently featured on my phone... Kids Shape Puzzle by anahoret ESPN Fantasy Footbal by ESPN Inc Glyder 2 by Glu Mobile Deadly Chambers by Battery Powered Games Shanghai Travel Guide by Urban, Inc Radio Ball 3D by Awesome Software Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary by gWhiz Mobile On the Go by Five Pumpkins Miami Dolphins by Mobile Roadie Sporting News Pro Football by The Zumobi Network Tumblr by Tumblr Tank Recon 3D by Lone Dwarf Games Inc Amtalee by frostream RD3 - Groovebox by mikrosonic Taylor Swift by Mobile Roadie Granted, most of those companies I've not really heard of, so I can't say for sure whether they are big guys, but it seems reasonably balanced to me. And not a Google app in sight. ;) -- Dianne Hackborn Android framework engineer hack...@android.com Note: please don't send private questions to me, as I don't have time to provide private support, and so won't reply to such e-mails. All such questions should be posted on public forums, where I and others can see and answer them. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Sure, you can give away a T-Shirt or Cup or stuff like that and probably not get into conflict with the TOS, but then you're just running an on-line shop + it requires you have an artist/designer to produce something worth giving away. And I'd say you still risk being slapped with 4.5 (Non-compete - thou shall not put stuff on the market to sell stuff outside the market). Of course, enabling stuff in the game as thanks for the donation would run into 3.3 (bypassing the payment processor). Hasn't stopped lots of developers from doing just this, of course. Regards, Michael A. On Sep 19, 12:18 am, Mark Murphy mmur...@commonsware.com wrote: On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 6:15 PM, Michael A. michael.aki...@gmail.com wrote: I have also had a few individuals donating money for the app which really impresses me, since the Android Market TOS forbids me to offer any incentives to in return for such donations (and I note this in the app). Out of curiosity, what clause in the TOS do you think applies in that case? If you want to give donors a T-shirt, I'm unaware of any TOS clauses that would prohibit this. -- Mark Murphy (a Commons Guy)http://commonsware.com|http://github.com/commonsguyhttp://commonsware.com/blog|http://twitter.com/commonsguy _The Busy Coder's Guide to *Advanced* Android Development_ Version 1.9 Available! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Sun, Sep 19, 2010 at 5:39 AM, Michael A. michael.aki...@gmail.com wrote: Sure, you can give away a T-Shirt or Cup or stuff like that and probably not get into conflict with the TOS, but then you're just running an on-line shop + it requires you have an artist/designer to produce something worth giving away. You need the logo, anyway, for your Web site, ad banners, business cards, and so on. Given the logo, other donation-ware is fairly straightforward. And I'd say you still risk being slapped with 4.5 (Non-compete - thou shall not put stuff on the market to sell stuff outside the market). You really need to consult qualified legal counsel. IANAL, but IMHO 4.5 does not mean what you think it means. That is the anti-Al Sutton clause, prohibiting you from distributing on the Market a client for a competing market. Of course, enabling stuff in the game as thanks for the donation would run into 3.3 (bypassing the payment processor). I agree with you here. My point was that the TOS does not block all freemium/donation strategies. The closer you get to enabling app features, the more likely it is the TOS will be a problem. -- Mark Murphy (a Commons Guy) http://commonsware.com | http://github.com/commonsguy http://commonsware.com/blog | http://twitter.com/commonsguy Android Training in London: http://skillsmatter.com/go/os-mobile-server -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Sep 19, 12:09 pm, Mark Murphy mmur...@commonsware.com wrote: On Sun, Sep 19, 2010 at 5:39 AM, Michael A. michael.aki...@gmail.com wrote: Sure, you can give away a T-Shirt or Cup or stuff like that and probably not get into conflict with the TOS, but then you're just running an on-line shop + it requires you have an artist/designer to produce something worth giving away. You need the logo, anyway, for your Web site, ad banners, business cards, and so on. Given the logo, other donation-ware is fairly straightforward. Depends. For me this is a part-time occupation, and I haven't found any of those necessary. And I'd say you still risk being slapped with 4.5 (Non-compete - thou shall not put stuff on the market to sell stuff outside the market). You really need to consult qualified legal counsel. IANAL, but IMHO 4.5 does not mean what you think it means. That is the anti-Al Sutton clause, prohibiting you from distributing on the Market a client for a competing market. I seriously doubt that the revenue generated from overpriced coffer mugs would justify the cost of legal counsel for something like this. :-) In any case, I did not say that 4.5 necessarily prohibits this activity - I said that you risk being slapped with 4.5. What a lawyer thinks the clause means is rather irrelevant, because if Google decides that this sort of activity violates 4.5, then it violates 4.5 (see 7.2 which specifically says that determining violations of the TOS are done at Google's sole discretion). Seeing as how I have yet to read of any app being taken off the market (or even warned) for bypassing the payment processor, I don't think this would actually become a problem, but I don't see the point in taking the risk just for a few extra dollars. There are many excellent freemium/donation strategies one can use. If you're outside the magic 12 (or is it 11) countries, though, I think you are pretty much screwed for reasonable options, though. Regards, Michael A. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
19.09.2010 18:47, Michael A. пишет: In any case, I did not say that 4.5 necessarily prohibits this activity - I said that you risk being slapped with 4.5. What a lawyer thinks the clause means is rather irrelevant, because if Google decides that this sort of activity violates 4.5, then it violates 4.5 (see 7.2 which specifically says that determining violations of the TOS are done at Google's sole discretion). Seeing as how I have yet to read of any app being taken off the market (or even warned) for bypassing the payment processor, I don't think this would actually become a problem, but I don't see the point in taking the risk just for a few extra dollars. Having terms of use is one thing, enforcing them is quite another. I think it would take a pretty special application that violated the TOS for Google to actually notice and take action. Perhaps an app that made a lot of money bypassing Android Market, or an app that had really high visibility, or perhaps both. There are many excellent freemium/donation strategies one can use. If you're outside the magic 12 (or is it 11) countries, though, I think you are pretty much screwed for reasonable options, though. +1 to that. Especially ironic given that Google Checkout works in more counties. -- Kostya Vasilyev -- WiFi Manager + pretty widget -- http://kmansoft.wordpress.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 4:13 PM, Dianne Hackborn hack...@android.comwrote: Granted, most of those companies I've not really heard of, so I can't say for sure whether they are big guys, but it seems reasonably balanced to me. Well sure, if you want to play the factual evidence game ... =P I guess I have I should not have generalized and said that's all I ever see - that was an overstatement. I should really start proof-reading my posts. My bad. Certainly that's not the case, but I does seem like there are generally more of these big name or otherwise already so ridiculously popular they really don't need the bump apps in the list than others. Currently 9 of the 15 I'm looking at (some of which are in your list as well) I think would fall in that category, and one developer has two apps featured! How's that fair!? And not a Google app in sight. ;) Sure, Google Employee tries to prove a point and there just happens to not be any Google apps. I smell conspiracy! On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 4:21 PM, Justin Giles jtgi...@gmail.com wrote: Reasonable post Agreed - I did over-generalize. I do think that list could stand with a little refreshing every once in a while though. As a user, I get tired of seeing the same apps in rotation - with however many thousands of apps there are now, I don't think it's that hard to find a new app to feature that has not already been. Also, the section in each category at the top that features apps from that category needs major work. In Paid Travel, at least, there are only ever two apps that this flips back and forth between (it used to be only one). This does not effect me personally as my paid app is in the top and visible anyway, but if this is how that thing works across all categories, it sucks for most developers. In the Free Travel section, two of the apps featured are Google Earth and Yelp, which are already featured ON THE SAME PAGE by being visible at the #2 and #6 spots, respectively. Shouldn't those promo spots go to apps that are nowhere near the top but have good apps and could use a little help? On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 6:18 PM, Howard M. Harte hhar...@gmail.com wrote: I had an Ad-supported version of my app for a while. It made less in several months than my paid app made in a day. Not worth it IMHO. Yeah, sounds terrible, but the only reason I really bother with ads in the free version is as more incentive for people to buy the paid. Otherwise the profit is so pathetic it just makes me sad. On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 6:29 PM, Leigh McRae leigh.mc...@lonedwarfgames.com wrote: I for one have been extremely happy with how I have been treated by Google. Easy to say when you've been featured! On Sun, Sep 19, 2010 at 1:27 AM, Chister Nordvik cnord...@gmail.com wrote: But how do you get featured? Would be great if we knew how they were chosen. That is the million dollar ... err ... $0.99 (ad-free!) ... question and we'll probably never know. - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Most apps make very little money, too. That $100/day app mentioned earlier must be a 6sigma exception! Though I admit I don't have figures to back this up. Does anyone else have any? On Sep 17, 7:46 am, Agus agus.sant...@gmail.com wrote: Just go for paid apps if you want to make fast money, ads generate VERY little revenue unless you have 1.000.000 ads impressions/dayOn Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 7:40 AM, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM, William Ferguson william.ferguson...@gmail.com wrote: Very droll. Perhaps =P But it's a good question. Yes, it would definitely be very interesting to see some stats from various developers. But it IS a fairly private / personal question not many people are going to be willing to answer. Notice how no one has actually answered the question, including the OP, save for the one person that was already blogging about it anyway. BTW, poly, thanks for sharing and congrats on the success. When I'm making that much I'll be flaunting it too =P - TreKing - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
I am very interested in the responses to this thread. I only have one app on the market, a simple home page widget. It is free, and it has been downloaded 13,937 times with an active install percentage of 47%. Obviously, I would like to make some money from my apps, but when I look at paid versions of similar apps to mine, the download numbers are pitiful. We are constantly reading about the massive growth of Android and the 10s of millions of devices out there, so why do most apps struggle to even grab a tiny percentage of that user base? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
18.09.2010 12:59, Alex пишет: We are constantly reading about the massive growth of Android and the 10s of millions of devices out there, so why do most apps struggle to even grab a tiny percentage of that user base? Yes, this is indeed a curious thing. Especially given that, compared to the price of a phone + cellular plan (outright or per month), the price of a typical Android application ($3 to $5) is quite insignificant. -- Kostya Vasilyev -- WiFi Manager + pretty widget -- http://kmansoft.wordpress.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
My core app has been on the Market since early 2009. I currently make an average of 130ish dollars a day. The last two months I made more than at my full time job. On Sep 18, 4:34 am, Kostya Vasilyev kmans...@gmail.com wrote: 18.09.2010 12:59, Alex пишет: We are constantly reading about the massive growth of Android and the 10s of millions of devices out there, so why do most apps struggle to even grab a tiny percentage of that user base? Yes, this is indeed a curious thing. Especially given that, compared to the price of a phone + cellular plan (outright or per month), the price of a typical Android application ($3 to $5) is quite insignificant. -- Kostya Vasilyev -- WiFi Manager + pretty widget --http://kmansoft.wordpress.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Alex, I think the answer to your question is pretty simple: 99.99% of the apps users download are the same 100-200 top apps. This is the case even in the appstore/iTunes - the big difference there, of course, is that there are much better tools available there to facilitate browsing and discovery. Actually, I may be giving too much credit to the Android market, because in practice it does not support app discovery. I'd almost say that the few successful developers are successful in spite of the Android ecosystem, rather than because of it. The large number of apps that blatantly break the Android market TOS together with the huge number of spam apps (30%, according to appbrain in March) are all symptoms of an eco-system that is far from friendly for independent developers. One reason, I don't like to discuss how much I earn (beyond the obvious reasons), is that earnings are extremely variable - especially with ads; for instance, I've seen fluctuations of 300% revenue from one day to the next, so anything I might write now could be completely inaccurate in a week. It can also easily comes across as bragging. I have 2 apps on the market (both free); one pretty much finished (haven't done anything on it for a while), the other still being improved upon. The latter is the successful one - it is high enough on the market that a user might find it if he scrolls down the relevant category for long enough (most new users still find it through updates, though). It's currently up to around 90,000 users (it's about half a year old). No idea what the install base is - I do not trust Google's numbers at all any more (cf. other discussions here). According to Flurry, the app currently sees some 10K active sessions a day. It is currently making double digits per day in ad revenue, though still a good distance away from Doug's triple digits. Still, assuming the growth in active users continue over the next 3-4 months (possible, though the market gets ever more competitive) and that the current eCPM is maintained or improved (very uncertain), I think three digits is possible. A lof of ifs involved, but it is still pretty amazing to me, as a couple of months ago, the game was not making more than $2-$3 a day. I would certainly consider a paid version on the market, if this was an option at all. Even a 2% conversion rate would probably double the daily income; more than that (Polyclef has about 5-10% conversion, from what I can gather) would certainly place the game within reach of three digit income a day. Based on my own experiences, I can certainly see how someone could make a pretty OK living from simply focusing on developing Android apps, although I don't feel the least bit tempted myself (I've poured a lot of work into my apps, but it's still been out of my free time). I still find it inspirational to read stuff like Polyclef's blog, though. Regards, Michael A. On Sep 18, 10:59 am, Alex maroeb...@gmail.com wrote: I am very interested in the responses to this thread. I only have one app on the market, a simple home page widget. It is free, and it has been downloaded 13,937 times with an active install percentage of 47%. Obviously, I would like to make some money from my apps, but when I look at paid versions of similar apps to mine, the download numbers are pitiful. We are constantly reading about the massive growth of Android and the 10s of millions of devices out there, so why do most apps struggle to even grab a tiny percentage of that user base? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Very interesting read, this blog. I always assumed that the ratio would be stacked in favour of Ad revenue, with Paid revenue falling somewhere behind. But for this app, it's not the case. Perhaps it's because of the app type, being a well reviewed utility. I have a free Ad-supported app with well over a million downloads, and it's bringing in a very nice ad revenue. I never bothered creating a paid version, as a) my own research suggested not many people would pay for it, b) There wasn't much I could offer as an extra (except losing the ads). One of the things that I get as regular feedback is It's free! and I like to keep it that way. You never know though...maybe it's worth a shot. Hmmm. On Sep 17, 12:07 am, polyclefsoftware dja...@gmail.com wrote: I blog about my app revenue, among other things: http://polyclefsoftware.blogspot.com/2010/08/yet-another-android-succ... -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
It's hard to compete against free. I've not installed many phone apps, but in terms of desktop apps I find that quality/fit is so variable that I'm reluctant to pay up front for an app (have only done it on a couple of occasions), and I would imagine the same is true for phone apps. I have on a handful of occasions (maybe 25% of those that give the option) upgraded a free desktop app to paid to gain more features (and a little bit out of guilt, I suppose). I don't ever recall upgrading a trial period app -- for some reason they never seem that valuable to me when the trial period expires. One problem that phone apps have, I suspect, is that it's difficult/ impossible (depending on the market) to directly provide interfaces to upgrade to a new version, whether free or paid, while desktop apps can do it seamlessly. On Sep 18, 3:59 am, Alex maroeb...@gmail.com wrote: I am very interested in the responses to this thread. I only have one app on the market, a simple home page widget. It is free, and it has been downloaded 13,937 times with an active install percentage of 47%. Obviously, I would like to make some money from my apps, but when I look at paid versions of similar apps to mine, the download numbers are pitiful. We are constantly reading about the massive growth of Android and the 10s of millions of devices out there, so why do most apps struggle to even grab a tiny percentage of that user base? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Just my 2c - the freemium model when executed well could be one answer. Basically the free app version should do enough to not invite removal due to either not compelling or too irritating. But it should also entice enough so that the user just bites - again patience is key as not every one will bite the very first time. One app that does this well is Tapatalk (I am not associated with them in any way other than being a happy, paying consumer). Their free version allows me to read from forums, supply login, read private messages etc. but then if I want to post/reply/click thru to bigger images etc I must upgrade. They didn't keep telling me I was a cheapskate just when I tried a premium feature. Loved it enough to pay up. More than the platform it is the individual app I think. As an example, the free virus scan software that Google Pack installs on the desktop is irritating me to the point I am going to replace it - asks me to upgrade whenever it can as opposed to when it makes sense. On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 9:40 AM, DanH danhi...@ieee.org wrote: It's hard to compete against free. I've not installed many phone apps, but in terms of desktop apps I find that quality/fit is so variable that I'm reluctant to pay up front for an app (have only done it on a couple of occasions), and I would imagine the same is true for phone apps. I have on a handful of occasions (maybe 25% of those that give the option) upgraded a free desktop app to paid to gain more features (and a little bit out of guilt, I suppose). I don't ever recall upgrading a trial period app -- for some reason they never seem that valuable to me when the trial period expires. One problem that phone apps have, I suspect, is that it's difficult/ impossible (depending on the market) to directly provide interfaces to upgrade to a new version, whether free or paid, while desktop apps can do it seamlessly. On Sep 18, 3:59 am, Alex maroeb...@gmail.com wrote: I am very interested in the responses to this thread. I only have one app on the market, a simple home page widget. It is free, and it has been downloaded 13,937 times with an active install percentage of 47%. Obviously, I would like to make some money from my apps, but when I look at paid versions of similar apps to mine, the download numbers are pitiful. We are constantly reading about the massive growth of Android and the 10s of millions of devices out there, so why do most apps struggle to even grab a tiny percentage of that user base? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.comandroid-developers%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Keep in mind that there is a huge gap between the price to upgrade a desktop app and a phone app. The usual price range ($1-5) is generally so small that under normal circumstances, you should see good conversion rates. The problem is not that phone apps are difficult to upgrade to a new version - the problem is that the Android market does not provide the toolset to allow us to provide smooth in-app purchases and that one will break the terms of service if one implements it oneself. But this griping is nothing new, of course. Regards, Michael A. On Sep 18, 3:40 pm, DanH danhi...@ieee.org wrote: It's hard to compete against free. I've not installed many phone apps, but in terms of desktop apps I find that quality/fit is so variable that I'm reluctant to pay up front for an app (have only done it on a couple of occasions), and I would imagine the same is true for phone apps. I have on a handful of occasions (maybe 25% of those that give the option) upgraded a free desktop app to paid to gain more features (and a little bit out of guilt, I suppose). I don't ever recall upgrading a trial period app -- for some reason they never seem that valuable to me when the trial period expires. One problem that phone apps have, I suspect, is that it's difficult/ impossible (depending on the market) to directly provide interfaces to upgrade to a new version, whether free or paid, while desktop apps can do it seamlessly. On Sep 18, 3:59 am, Alex maroeb...@gmail.com wrote: I am very interested in the responses to this thread. I only have one app on the market, a simple home page widget. It is free, and it has been downloaded 13,937 times with an active install percentage of 47%. Obviously, I would like to make some money from my apps, but when I look at paid versions of similar apps to mine, the download numbers are pitiful. We are constantly reading about the massive growth of Android and the 10s of millions of devices out there, so why do most apps struggle to even grab a tiny percentage of that user base? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
One problem that phone apps have, I suspect, is that it's difficult/ impossible (depending on the market) to directly provide interfaces to upgrade to a new version, whether free or paid, while desktop apps can do it seamlessly. I implemented something for this in my app. It's not very difficult to do and has saved me a ton on support emails. -- Chris Stewart http://chriswstewart.com Fantasy Footballhttp://chriswstewart.com/android-applications/fantasy-football/- Android app for MFL fantasy football owners On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 9:40 AM, DanH danhi...@ieee.org wrote: It's hard to compete against free. I've not installed many phone apps, but in terms of desktop apps I find that quality/fit is so variable that I'm reluctant to pay up front for an app (have only done it on a couple of occasions), and I would imagine the same is true for phone apps. I have on a handful of occasions (maybe 25% of those that give the option) upgraded a free desktop app to paid to gain more features (and a little bit out of guilt, I suppose). I don't ever recall upgrading a trial period app -- for some reason they never seem that valuable to me when the trial period expires. One problem that phone apps have, I suspect, is that it's difficult/ impossible (depending on the market) to directly provide interfaces to upgrade to a new version, whether free or paid, while desktop apps can do it seamlessly. On Sep 18, 3:59 am, Alex maroeb...@gmail.com wrote: I am very interested in the responses to this thread. I only have one app on the market, a simple home page widget. It is free, and it has been downloaded 13,937 times with an active install percentage of 47%. Obviously, I would like to make some money from my apps, but when I look at paid versions of similar apps to mine, the download numbers are pitiful. We are constantly reading about the massive growth of Android and the 10s of millions of devices out there, so why do most apps struggle to even grab a tiny percentage of that user base? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.comandroid-developers%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 3:59 AM, Alex maroeb...@gmail.com wrote: We are constantly reading about the massive growth of Android and the 10s of millions of devices out there, so why do most apps struggle to even grab a tiny percentage of that user base? Just guessing, but: 1 - Clearly the Market is not the most elegant mechanism for discovering apps, so that's probably issue #1 right there 2 - Competition - how many task killer, tip calculator, ToDo, or file manager apps are there? Given problem #1, how do you stand out amongst your competitors? How do you convince people to pay for you app when others are free? I've seen $0.99 Flashlight apps and just laugh. C'mon, seriously? 3 - The system is skewed to the big guys. The only apps I ever see featured are those by big name companies (including Google themselves) that steal all the attention and really don't need the promotional help to begin with. 4 - As a user, one reason I hesitate to buy an app is the lingering question - is there something better out there now or will there be soon? Yes, it's only $1 - $5, but it's still a commitment - once you purchase that app it's yours for life and there's no getting rid of it (on your current account anyway) so it better be all you hoped for. On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 6:29 AM, Neilz neilhorn...@gmail.com wrote: I never bothered creating a paid version, as a) my own research suggested not many people would pay for it, b) There wasn't much I could offer as an extra (except losing the ads). One of the things that I get as regular feedback is It's free! and I like to keep it that way. You never know though...maybe it's worth a shot. Hmmm. It probably is. I've seen many, many user posts on apps requesting an ad-free paid version. There are quite a few people that are willing to pay to remove the adds and / or support the developer. Yes, these people often seem like myths, but they do exist. You really don't have much to lose and a lot to gain. On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 8:40 AM, DanH danhi...@ieee.org wrote: It's hard to compete against free. Only if you're not offering much more, if anything, above what the free competition is offering. If your app has some killer features not found anywhere else that people really want, they'll pay for it. On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 11:11 AM, Prakash Iyer thei...@gmail.com wrote: Just my 2c - the freemium model when executed well could be one answer. Basically the free app version should do enough to not invite removal due to either not compelling or too irritating. This is what I do and I do think it works quite well. I get way more positives on the free version then negatives for being limited. And it means a huge base of potential new buyers. - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 1:43 PM, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: 3 - The system is skewed to the big guys. The only apps I ever see featured are those by big name companies (including Google themselves) that steal all the attention and really don't need the promotional help to begin with. Hm currently featured on my phone... Kids Shape Puzzle by anahoret ESPN Fantasy Footbal by ESPN Inc Glyder 2 by Glu Mobile Deadly Chambers by Battery Powered Games Shanghai Travel Guide by Urban, Inc Radio Ball 3D by Awesome Software Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary by gWhiz Mobile On the Go by Five Pumpkins Miami Dolphins by Mobile Roadie Sporting News Pro Football by The Zumobi Network Tumblr by Tumblr Tank Recon 3D by Lone Dwarf Games Inc Amtalee by frostream RD3 - Groovebox by mikrosonic Taylor Swift by Mobile Roadie Granted, most of those companies I've not really heard of, so I can't say for sure whether they are big guys, but it seems reasonably balanced to me. And not a Google app in sight. ;) -- Dianne Hackborn Android framework engineer hack...@android.com Note: please don't send private questions to me, as I don't have time to provide private support, and so won't reply to such e-mails. All such questions should be posted on public forums, where I and others can see and answer them. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
I tend to agree with Dianne. I've seen a plethora of big name apps as well as unknowns show up. I think the real issue is that all of us who have apps in the Market feel that our apps are the best of the best and should be featured. Any time we see a big name app on the Market we immediately think Well, there you go! Google is catering to those with $$$. Any time we see unknown, indie apps featured we immediately think What the heck! That app is no where as good as mine!! How did it get featured and mine didn't? So, those in charge (or the algorithm in charge) of what apps get featured are pretty much damned if you do, damned if you don't. None of us will be completely happy until OUR app has been featured. I have personally gone through this whole thought process and have come out feeling that I should just be happy for those apps that do get featured and work my ass off to try to write an application that could be worthy of one of the featured slots. Justin On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 4:13 PM, Dianne Hackborn hack...@android.comwrote: On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 1:43 PM, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: 3 - The system is skewed to the big guys. The only apps I ever see featured are those by big name companies (including Google themselves) that steal all the attention and really don't need the promotional help to begin with. Hm currently featured on my phone... Kids Shape Puzzle by anahoret ESPN Fantasy Footbal by ESPN Inc Glyder 2 by Glu Mobile Deadly Chambers by Battery Powered Games Shanghai Travel Guide by Urban, Inc Radio Ball 3D by Awesome Software Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary by gWhiz Mobile On the Go by Five Pumpkins Miami Dolphins by Mobile Roadie Sporting News Pro Football by The Zumobi Network Tumblr by Tumblr Tank Recon 3D by Lone Dwarf Games Inc Amtalee by frostream RD3 - Groovebox by mikrosonic Taylor Swift by Mobile Roadie Granted, most of those companies I've not really heard of, so I can't say for sure whether they are big guys, but it seems reasonably balanced to me. And not a Google app in sight. ;) -- Dianne Hackborn Android framework engineer hack...@android.com Note: please don't send private questions to me, as I don't have time to provide private support, and so won't reply to such e-mails. All such questions should be posted on public forums, where I and others can see and answer them. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.comandroid-developers%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Sep 18, 10:43 pm, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: It probably is. I've seen many, many user posts on apps requesting an ad-free paid version. There are quite a few people that are willing to pay to remove the adds and / or support the developer. Yes, these people often seem like myths, but they do exist. You really don't have much to lose and a lot to gain. Absolutely. I have plenty of users who post on message boards that they know I read asking for a paid, ad-free version. I have also had a few individuals donating money for the app which really impresses me, since the Android Market TOS forbids me to offer any incentives to in return for such donations (and I note this in the app). Regards, Michael A. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 6:15 PM, Michael A. michael.aki...@gmail.com wrote: I have also had a few individuals donating money for the app which really impresses me, since the Android Market TOS forbids me to offer any incentives to in return for such donations (and I note this in the app). Out of curiosity, what clause in the TOS do you think applies in that case? If you want to give donors a T-shirt, I'm unaware of any TOS clauses that would prohibit this. -- Mark Murphy (a Commons Guy) http://commonsware.com | http://github.com/commonsguy http://commonsware.com/blog | http://twitter.com/commonsguy _The Busy Coder's Guide to *Advanced* Android Development_ Version 1.9 Available! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
I've never seen my app in the featured apps list even though it is in the 20-30 highest rated paid apps in its category on AppBrain. When I first published my app about 18 months ago, I would get one order every few days. Raising/lowering the price did not seem to affect the number of purchases. Before the Motorola Droid came out, it had risen to coffee money per day. There was a large spike in orders when the Droid came out, which raised it up to gas money per day. There was another small spike when the Nexus One was released, and a more significant one when the Galaxy S came out and paid apps became available in South Korea. My best day of sales was about $150, which occurred when my app was featured in a Droid X root video on YouTube. It is normally significantly less than that. The most interesting thing is piracy though. My app is 95% pirated worldwide, and 66% in the USA where paid apps are available. Over half of the users for my app are in China (100% pirated) and since I published my app in the Shop4Apps store (Motorola apps store in China) there has not been a single purchase. I am not sure if I priced it right (just did the $USD to RMB conversion and rounded it off) so maybe it is way overpriced, I don't know. Even adding LVL has not helped the situation much, since there are still many older versions of my app still floating around on the pirate sites. I had an Ad-supported version of my app for a while. It made less in several months than my paid app made in a day. Not worth it IMHO. The conversion rate from free to paid was very low from what I could tell. The only good thing about that free app was that I got a free Nexus One out of it. That, and I used to use it for testing my app on new phones in the wireless store when they came out. In an attempt to help paid app developers, I'm now mostly using paid apps, the best of which I've found with AppBrain. I try to buy 2-3 apps per week. I'm also not publishing any new Free apps. When third-party apps came out for the iPhone, most were free. Now I've heard that the majority of iPhone apps are paid (don't know for sure since I got rid of my iPhone.) I guess this will happen in time for Android as well, as long as paid apps become supported in more countries, and more payment options are supported. It would also help to be able to filter apps better in the Market client, and if apps were actually sorted reasonably in Market. There is one app spammer who has five identical free spam apps which come up in Market search results above mine, despite his having 2-3 star rating and mine being north of 4.5. Go figure... -Howard On Sep 18, 3:18 pm, Mark Murphy mmur...@commonsware.com wrote: On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 6:15 PM, Michael A. michael.aki...@gmail.com wrote: I have also had a few individuals donating money for the app which really impresses me, since the Android Market TOS forbids me to offer any incentives to in return for such donations (and I note this in the app). Out of curiosity, what clause in the TOS do you think applies in that case? If you want to give donors a T-shirt, I'm unaware of any TOS clauses that would prohibit this. -- Mark Murphy (a Commons Guy)http://commonsware.com|http://github.com/commonsguyhttp://commonsware.com/blog|http://twitter.com/commonsguy _The Busy Coder's Guide to *Advanced* Android Development_ Version 1.9 Available! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
I feel it's only right if I chime in here. I am fairly new to Android so I don't know about day one but I wrote Tank Recon 3D for the BlackBerry originally and released it back in April 2010. I ported the game to Android and released it mid July of this year. The game finally got featured on BlackBerry about 2 weeks ago at the same time as Google featured it. If the name Lone Dwarf Game Inc doesn't give it away, I am a one man team. I for one have been extremely happy with how I have been treated by Google. On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 1:43 PM, TreKing treking...@gmail.com mailto:treking...@gmail.com wrote: 3 - The system is skewed to the big guys. The only apps I ever see featured are those by big name companies (including Google themselves) that steal all the attention and really don't need the promotional help to begin with. Hm currently featured on my phone... Kids Shape Puzzle by anahoret ESPN Fantasy Footbal by ESPN Inc Glyder 2 by Glu Mobile Deadly Chambers by Battery Powered Games Shanghai Travel Guide by Urban, Inc Radio Ball 3D by Awesome Software Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary by gWhiz Mobile On the Go by Five Pumpkins Miami Dolphins by Mobile Roadie Sporting News Pro Football by The Zumobi Network Tumblr by Tumblr Tank Recon 3D by Lone Dwarf Games Inc Amtalee by frostream RD3 - Groovebox by mikrosonic Taylor Swift by Mobile Roadie Granted, most of those companies I've not really heard of, so I can't say for sure whether they are big guys, but it seems reasonably balanced to me. And not a Google app in sight. ;) -- Dianne Hackborn Android framework engineer hack...@android.com mailto:hack...@android.com Note: please don't send private questions to me, as I don't have time to provide private support, and so won't reply to such e-mails. All such questions should be posted on public forums, where I and others can see and answer them. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- Leigh McRae www.lonedwarfgames.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
How much money do you make? I admire and strive to emulate those who earn a full time income from a part time effort. I'm having a bit of the opposite dilemma. My one app has been on the market close to three months. It hasn't cleared a thousand yet for the paid app, though getting closer, which means I haven't made $7000 yet. I think I'll be less open about earnings when/if I make more, because I don't want to encourage more people to go after the same markets. I do have a time limited trial version, with a DEMO app and License app, though the Market support for that model isn't great. I've gotten some 1 star ratings from people who didn't understand that model, or just didn't like that it wasn't free forever. I've done my best to make it blindingly obvious. Actually, this result would be tremendous if it only took me a few hours a week or was ever done. But it took about six months of near full time effort, and many of the target audience would consider the app a good start. Although this app is a $10 alternative to buying a $400 piece of hardware, many would still consider that too much if it doesn't do *everything* that the $400 hardware does, so there is enough to keep me busy for *years*. My app hasn't been in the top ten, nor featured that I know of, and I don't know if ever will be. It's a niche market in a broad category, travel. I am paying attention to my app's keyword searches. I'd estimate that 25% of my paying customers have found my app by its brand name, which means they probably knew my Windows Mobile app or found my website. I would agree with those that said the real money is in hiring out to write Android apps for others. Even though, like many of you, I would much rather be successful on my own apps alone, I need to increase my marketing efforts to get custom work. When I have gotten an OEM deal for Windows Mobile and have a possible one for Android, it has been people who have sought me out based on my product portfolio. But to have time to do custom deals or more apps, I have to accept that I need to hire others to do some of the work. To those developers who can't sell in the Market: I am hiring. I could also buy some of your app source code, though to maintain focus, it should probably be something on the outdoor recreation topic. This is just one person's perspective, but hopefully it is helpful to some. Nathan -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM, William Ferguson william.ferguson.au@ gmail.com wrote: Very droll. Perhaps =P But it's a good question. Yes, it would definitely be very interesting to see some stats from various developers. But it IS a fairly private / personal question not many people are going to be willing to answer. Notice how no one has actually answered the question, including the OP, save for the one person that was already blogging about it anyway. BTW, poly, thanks for sharing and congrats on the success. When I'm making that much I'll be flaunting it too =P - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Just go for paid apps if you want to make fast money, ads generate VERY little revenue unless you have 1.000.000 ads impressions/day On Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 7:40 AM, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM, William Ferguson william.ferguson...@gmail.com wrote: Very droll. Perhaps =P But it's a good question. Yes, it would definitely be very interesting to see some stats from various developers. But it IS a fairly private / personal question not many people are going to be willing to answer. Notice how no one has actually answered the question, including the OP, save for the one person that was already blogging about it anyway. BTW, poly, thanks for sharing and congrats on the success. When I'm making that much I'll be flaunting it too =P - TreKing - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
I'll bite. I make roughly $100/day on a single app that has the benefit of tenure since the beginning of the availability of paid apps on the market (about a year and a half ago). I put in about 5 to 10 hours per week on it with regular market updates, but I make my real money doing Android stuff for a company as a full-time employee. The money from my app just feeds my crack habit and makes me feel special. Doug P.S. I am joking about the crack habit. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Very droll. But it's a good question. Having a good sample (success and failures) that captures number of downloads and revenue over time for particular types of apps and particular revenue models would help a) set realistic expectations for new developers. b) allow developers to apply the most effective revenue model for that their app type. c) allow developers to better target market segments On Sep 17, 6:55 am, TreKing treking...@gmail.com wrote: On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 7:25 PM, EvanDog evanmschaf...@gmail.com wrote: How much money do you make for how many apps in how long of a time period? That's more like a fifth date kind of question. - TreKing http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
It's a great question actually. The answer given is even better. It's would be great to know all this and that is why you usually have to pay a market research company to get it. The OP could have shown his first before asking to see others at min. On 9/16/2010 6:22 PM, William Ferguson wrote: Very droll. But it's a good question. Having a good sample (success and failures) that captures number of downloads and revenue over time for particular types of apps and particular revenue models would help a) set realistic expectations for new developers. b) allow developers to apply the most effective revenue model for that their app type. c) allow developers to better target market segments On Sep 17, 6:55 am, TreKingtreking...@gmail.com wrote: On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 7:25 PM, EvanDogevanmschaf...@gmail.com wrote: How much money do you make for how many apps in how long of a time period? That's more like a fifth date kind of question. - TreKinghttp://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- Leigh McRae www.lonedwarfgames.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
I blog about my app revenue, among other things: http://polyclefsoftware.blogspot.com/2010/08/yet-another-android-success-story.html I have always appreciated it when devs share their numbers, and I think it's encouraging (or at least informative) to new devs or those considering migrating from other platforms. On Sep 16, 5:36 pm, Leigh McRae leigh.mc...@lonedwarfgames.com wrote: It's a great question actually. The answer given is even better. It's would be great to know all this and that is why you usually have to pay a market research company to get it. The OP could have shown his first before asking to see others at min. On 9/16/2010 6:22 PM, William Ferguson wrote: Very droll. But it's a good question. Having a good sample (success and failures) that captures number of downloads and revenue over time for particular types of apps and particular revenue models would help a) set realistic expectations for new developers. b) allow developers to apply the most effective revenue model for that their app type. c) allow developers to better target market segments On Sep 17, 6:55 am, TreKingtreking...@gmail.com wrote: On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 7:25 PM, EvanDogevanmschaf...@gmail.com wrote: How much money do you make for how many apps in how long of a time period? That's more like a fifth date kind of question. --- -- TreKinghttp://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- Leigh McRaewww.lonedwarfgames.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
Thanks, that was really interesting and is exactly what I was talking about. On Sep 17, 9:07 am, polyclefsoftware dja...@gmail.com wrote: I blog about my app revenue, among other things: http://polyclefsoftware.blogspot.com/2010/08/yet-another-android-succ... I have always appreciated it when devs share their numbers, and I think it's encouraging (or at least informative) to new devs or those considering migrating from other platforms. On Sep 16, 5:36 pm, Leigh McRae leigh.mc...@lonedwarfgames.com wrote: It's a great question actually. The answer given is even better. It's would be great to know all this and that is why you usually have to pay a market research company to get it. The OP could have shown his first before asking to see others at min. On 9/16/2010 6:22 PM, William Ferguson wrote: Very droll. But it's a good question. Having a good sample (success and failures) that captures number of downloads and revenue over time for particular types of apps and particular revenue models would help a) set realistic expectations for new developers. b) allow developers to apply the most effective revenue model for that their app type. c) allow developers to better target market segments On Sep 17, 6:55 am, TreKingtreking...@gmail.com wrote: On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 7:25 PM, EvanDogevanmschaf...@gmail.com wrote: How much money do you make for how many apps in how long of a time period? That's more like a fifth date kind of question. --- -- TreKinghttp://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- Leigh McRaewww.lonedwarfgames.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
Re: [android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
But you are lucky, you can see your apps in the market, there are a lot of developers cannot sell their apps in there yet, On Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 10:43 AM, William Ferguson william.ferguson.au@ gmail.com wrote: Thanks, that was really interesting and is exactly what I was talking about. On Sep 17, 9:07 am, polyclefsoftware dja...@gmail.com wrote: I blog about my app revenue, among other things: http://polyclefsoftware.blogspot.com/2010/08/yet-another-android-succ... I have always appreciated it when devs share their numbers, and I think it's encouraging (or at least informative) to new devs or those considering migrating from other platforms. On Sep 16, 5:36 pm, Leigh McRae leigh.mc...@lonedwarfgames.com wrote: It's a great question actually. The answer given is even better. It's would be great to know all this and that is why you usually have to pay a market research company to get it. The OP could have shown his first before asking to see others at min. On 9/16/2010 6:22 PM, William Ferguson wrote: Very droll. But it's a good question. Having a good sample (success and failures) that captures number of downloads and revenue over time for particular types of apps and particular revenue models would help a) set realistic expectations for new developers. b) allow developers to apply the most effective revenue model for that their app type. c) allow developers to better target market segments On Sep 17, 6:55 am, TreKingtreking...@gmail.com wrote: On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 7:25 PM, EvanDogevanmschaf...@gmail.com wrote: How much money do you make for how many apps in how long of a time period? That's more like a fifth date kind of question. --- -- TreKinghttp://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking - Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- Leigh McRaewww.lonedwarfgames.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.comandroid-developers%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- Regards, Michael Leung http://www.itblogs.info http://www.michaelleung.info -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
[android-developers] Re: How much money do you make?
The real money is in 3rd party apps -- making apps for businesses, both for their own internal use and as promotional tools. You get paid regularly and don't have to worry about piracy. You'll never get rich (unless you own a business that employs a bunch of other programmers), but it's much less of a gamble. The down side, of course, is that you do have to worry about marketing (which is why it's nice to work for someone else in such a business and leave the marketing to them). On Sep 14, 7:25 pm, EvanDog evanmschaf...@gmail.com wrote: How much money do you make for how many apps in how long of a time period? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Android Developers group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
