So far I have released four android apps:
- Bus Stop Alarm
- Fire Starter
- Private Browser
- Free Private Browser
I have used three methods of monetization:
- Admob
- Mobclix
- Direct Market Sales
I’m serving up quite a bit of ads, ~20,000 a day. But, my RPM is only a few cents and I end up making under a dollar most days. Mobclix started of paying very well but fell very fast. I have had better luck with direct sales, but am still only making a few dollars a day. I read online of people with RPM’s around three Generic Viagra Online to five dollars. At that rate, I would be earning $60-100 a day, which would be very exciting.
I’m planning on writting Admob and Mobclix to ask why the RPM’s are so low. I was also thinking of trying adwhirl…
I would love to know if anyone has any ideas on how I could improve the monitization of my apps.
-James
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Hi There.
I am a new Android developer, and I started to use AdMob, but since yesterday the RPM dropped from 10$ to 1.20$.
I was thinking about changing to MobClix, but I don’t know which one is better. Could you please tell me ?
PS : I have (approximatively) 300 requests per day, and just 1 Android app developed until now (and it’s still in beta version..).
PPS : I like the Private Browser (I found the link of this site on the Android Market app Descriptions).
Thanks in Advance for everything.
Luis Da Costa (Aliasbody)
Hi Aiasbody,
So for the past few weeks I have been running an experiment. I released an application called Private Browser and Free Private Browser. Free Private Browser contained two ads, one from AdMob and one from MobClix. I’m planning to write up the results this weekend, but here is the summary.
Each day for two weeks I served 10,000 to 20,000 ads, but my RPM was very low, most of time about $0.05. I discovered that RPM is directly related to click though rate, almost all mobile ads are cost per click, so just because your serving ads doesn’t mean your making money. My RPM’s were low because users wen’t clicking on ads. I’m sure your RPM’s droped because you lost a good ad, and that the current ads aren’t as relevant to your users.
Over the past two weeks I earned less then $30 from both AdMob and MobClix. Private Browser was priced at $1.99 and I had about a 40% return rate, but still made $60 during the same two weeks. AdMob and MobClix were always very close in terms of total revenue, but MobClix seemed to have a higher fill rate, and at times it seemed like AdMob ran out of ads. MobClix by default doesn’t include any services, so sign up for the service and be aware it takes time to join them all. Also, make sure optimizations is on automatic, (its off by default). AdMob also has “age apporate ads” off by default. Turning them on improved RPM slightly, but brought my fill rate up to 100%.
AdMob is pretty good about paying every 30 days, but some people have complained that MobClix was late on payments. Don’t forget MobClix is taking a portion of your payment too! Google pays out every few days, which is really nice.
AdMob’s analitics are better about whats happing with the ads (such as click though rate), but MobClix includes metrics that are interesting such as how many new users, and how many copies are running. About 25 people are using Free Private Browser at any given time! Google doesn’t have much analytics, but about 1% of buys of my $1.99 app had their credit card declined.
In conclusion, for me, I think that ad supported apps are only worth it if the app is worth less then $0.99 (the minimum price on the market). In the case of Private Browser Ads just aren’t a good fit for the application. Right now there is just too much supply of ad space and not enough high paying ads for ads to be worth it. If I was going to make an ad supported app, I would choose AdMob. The pay is similar, they are more regular about payments, and they are a little more structured. My only real complaint about AdMob is that they update their client a lot and if you don’t update right away your fill rate will drop fast.
What’s the name of your app?
-James
Hello!
To begin with, I would like to thank your for the clarifications.
I am a student in “programming”, I’m still in my second year which makes my knowledge very basic.
I learned java in 2 days, and with the little I know I started developing for Android and created the application that I had mentioned in my first comment.
This app is called “Body IMC”, still in BETA version. My application is not in the Android Market, Google’s fault, I paid the $ 25 but Google didn’t take them from my account and since then I have tried to contact them to try to solve the problem but they haven’t answered after almost a week.
So my application can be found in unofficial Markets such as “AndAppStore” or even “SlideME.
I asked about the ads, because I want to earn a little bit with my work, but without having to sell my applications, not that I don’t think “they” (for now only one but I am developing another one) are not good enough to be sold, it’s just that I don’t like Google’s policy when it comes to foreign sellers (I can not sell my apps in the Android Market because I live in Portugal), so I decided to publish all my apps for free …
So I thought you could help me choosing the best method to make money, even a bit, out of my work.
It would be immensely nice on your part, if, obviously, it doesn’t disturb you.
Again, thanks for your help.
Aliasbody,
PS : I’m sorry for my english but Google translate is not very good, and my girlfriend can’t write proper english unless she’s the one doing it herself :S.
Your app looks really nice, its very clean. The Google Translation is very good, its completely readable. I would use AdMob, payments are regular, earnings are good, and you only have to deal with one network.
-James
I just required to say that I discovered your site via Goolge and I am glad I did. Carry on the good work and I will be sure to bookmark you for when I have much more totally free time away from the books. Thanks!
Hi Jsmes,
I need your advice, but I can’t find another way to contact you. So I am using this venue. Obviously, it is not meant to stay here.
Please visit GreenTyme.org to see what we are doing and why? Mt question is: How can people download our Circa-Med.swf Flash widget into Android phones, and install our clocks on the home screen? Please note that we prefer not to use Android Market. But if we have to we will.
Much thanks in advance, Yale
Hi Yale,
The best way would be to create an Android livewall paper app that has a webview that can host the Flash Player. Normally livewallpapers draw directly using the canvas, so it would take some work to make it work.
I am having so much trouble getting mobclix to work, the site seems slow and hard to navigate, or am I just so new at all this that I cannot make much sense of it?
[...] Making Money in android Development In contrast, most do not make much, Even with MANY page views daily Here’s a bit more on that.. http://jamesbecwar.com/blog/2010/07/02/making-money-in-android-development/ [...]
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