Have you always dreamed of being the next Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs by developing and programming the next great social media application. Are you confused or in need of inspiration on how to go about fueling this dream and passion of yours, well you are in luck because we are bringing you the best way to earn money through Android app development.
As of the first quarter of 2017 the Android (OS) accounted for approximately 85 percent of all devices sold in the market. So it makes a lot of sense to channel your efforts in developing applications for the Android platform.
Aside the Androids popularity and economic viability, its efficiency and easy accessibility make it wise and stable choice, for both amateur and expert programmers or developers who wish to earn money through Android app development. The basics of Android Application development are quite easy to learn and more complex features can be learnt as you go along.
Android is a flexible mobile operating system developed by Android Inc. for Google. It is based on a modified version of the Linux Kernel and other open source software, and is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. In addition, Google has developed Android TV for televisions, Android Auto for cars and Wear OS for wrist watches, each with a specialized user interface. Variants of Android are also used on game consoles, digital cameras, PCs and other electronics. It was launched officially in 2008 and seen so much commercial success since that time.
BASICS OF ANDROID APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
There are lots of online courses on android application development that one can learn from. These courses range from free simple video tutorials to expensive expert classes that teach advanced programming. Knowledge is power in these cases, so getting the right directives is essential so that you do not get confused or discouraged along the way.
Android applications are constructed as a unique integration of various components that can be activated individually. For example, an activity is a type of application component that provides a user interface. Activities can be invoked when the user taps the main icon which is called the “main” activity, but different activities can be invoked from other applications or even notifications. Android provides resources for different devices ranging from layout types for screen sizes to hardware features such as microphones and cameras.
Understanding these basic concepts in Android application development requires professionals directives, which many beginners can get from top sites like udemy.com, developer.android.com, udacity.com. These sites come with both paid and free sign-ups for beginner, intermediate and expert levels that offer video tutorials and assign you to a professional.
A description of what you would learn includes;
- An in-depth approach to Java programming.
- Introduction to Android and learning to install Android Studio and Environment.
- Create an Android application, debug it and sign it so that it can be submitted to play store.
- Work with implicit and explicit intents
- In-depth analysis on working with Fragments.
- Learn various customization
- Learn to save application data to phone storage.
- Learn to implement Android Permissions.
- Read data from RSS feed and sending SMSes programmatically.
- Learn how to save data online and do user management with Backendless (MBASS).
MAKING MONEY FROM YOUR ANDROID APPLICATION
Lot of money exists in Android application development (projected to reach $188.9 billion by 2020) but so much competition has developed over the years that it is has become quite difficult to make an earning. The amount of time spent by users on mobile applications is about 90 percent, so the key is finding how to choose the perfect application and characteristics that will interest users and ultimately get downloads.
As with any other business, Application development will definitely involve cost and time as you go along, but creating a channel to generate profit for idea has to be effective so as not to waste energy and money. On an average, over 16 percent of Android application developers earn about $5,000 per month. Here are key points you would have to note;
CHOOSING AN ANDROID APPLICATION NICHE
This is the important aspect of application development; it has to do with knowing exactly your target market. It should be based on a combination of your interests and economic viability of the chosen niche. Gaming applications are right at the apex of top-grossing applications. Games like Candy Crush Saga by King, Fortnite and Pokemon-Go are grossing over $1 million in daily revenue. Other niches like social media, health and fitness, entertainment and video streaming services are also top earners.
FREE VS PAID ANDROID APPLICATION
This is a major consideration also; whether or not you are going to charge users to download your application. Free applications, generally speaking attract a greater number of downloads which in turn should mean more revenue but this might not always be the case. Paid applications are a great way to get more loyal customers who are willing to make in-app purchases which is projected to be worth $71.3 billion, but 98 percent of application revenue comes from free applications with in-app purchase options.
ANDROID APPLICATION MONETIZATION STRATEGIES
Once the niche and price (free/paid) has been decided, next you would need to ensure a viable way for the application to bring in revenue. Following these six monetization strategies can really help to push revenue upwards.
Advertisements
This is the most common and popular way to effectively monetize your application. It involves leveraging third-party ad networks to display the ads in your app for a fee. All you have to do is to increase the traffic and traction on your application. This can be done easily through promoting your application which increases downloads. Here are examples of some types of ads that are on offer;
- Native Ads
- Banner Ads
- Interstitial Ads
- Video Ads
- Incentivized Ads
An example of a third-party advertising network is Googles’ Ad-Mob.
Sponsorship
A lot of companies out there are willing to pay millions of dollars for the next great application idea. So if you have got a great application looking for sponsorship might not be a bad deal.
In-App purchases
This is the major money earner for most applications statistically speaking. As mentioned before in-app purchases account for 98 percent of application earnings. If more users are willing to pay for certain features on your application the higher your revenue.
Referral/Niche-Promotion Marketing
Promoting third-party brands and products on your application is another decent way to earn money. You can charge them for placing their logo or and products on your application.
Subscriptions
This is a huge money earner especially for applications in the dating niche like Tinder, or applications that provide a special service like VPNs. Users can also subscribe to premium services on the application to unlock certain features.
Affiliate Marketing
This basically entails displaying links of various online products from third-party online stores like Amazon, Jumia, Ali-Baba and the likes. Depending on agreement you can either get paid just for Users clicking the link or receive a certain percentage from their purchases.
CONCLUSION
Like all businesses Android application development requires a goal set and a strategy to be a success. If you go ahead without these strategies you are bound to fail and in the process lose all your investment. A perfect combination of these monetization techniques can make for real profitable earning.
There are other aspects of importance which needs to be well structured and focused on such as a solid mobile application marketing plan, clean and attractive application design and a well thought out user-experience among the different strategies. The Android applications are already a billion dollar market which many developers are delving into but the best is yet to come.
