How Developers Can Sell Their App Outside the App Store How Developers Can Sell Their App Outside the App Store
The luster of distribution an app quickly wears off when developers realize that the stores such as Google Play and Apple Store make up a significant portion of profits.
And it's not a small chunk--it's 30%. This price is a huge burden and has forced developers to look for alternative options. The good news for those who are like you is that there is a way to market your application without having to split the profits with mainstream channels.
In this article in this piece, we'll examine a way developers can avoid paying the 30 percent fee charged by Google Play and Apple Store.
Let's dive in.
Pros and Cons of Using the main App Distribution Channels
Before we dive into other ways to distribute apps Let's review of how mainstream apps work.
As we've mentioned before that these Google Play and Apple Store consume nearly a third the earnings of any app sold through their stores. However, that's not the only issue that comes with selling via these channels.
Most apps on the market use these distributors to market their apps. This means that there are millions of apps being offered through two different stores. This creates another problem: how do distributors make their apps be noticed?
Aha! With advertising of course.
In addition to the 30percent fee distributors also pay for advertising to get their apps seen. One case study found that the actual price of app advertisements. The company took a $10k budget and distributed it over four different ad networks:
- Google AdWords
- Facebook Ads
- Twitter Ads
- Ads from iAds
The cost per app installed varied between $1.43 up to $5.36.
When we consider adding this expense on top of the standard distribution fee It's clear why developers are searching for alternative options. Many of the top downloaded applications, such as Spotify and Netflix are available through Play and the App Store. However, rather than letting the distributor manage the billing, the companies have developed their own billing system to manage their subscriptions.
Companies such as Epic Games have taken matters to their own and have made the game that is so popular Fortnite accessible to download from their site and in the Samsung Store. In doing this they've gotten around the massive 30% cost from the mainstream distributors.
The other advantages of selling outside of the Google Play and Apple Store are the following:
- Alternative distributors do not charge an app listing fee. Third-party app stores may advertise your products more effectively because you will have a higher chances of being featured on your app of the day, or as part of other promotion offerings
- Alternatives are more profitable than Google or Apple stores, if app creators offer localized apps which target certain countries
But there are benefits for distributing apps via Google Play and Apple Store. The stores are not only trusted by customers as an appropriate place to download however, it's also very easy to deploy apps through the channels.
Spotlight: How One App Developer Makes Money Selling Outside the Major App Stores
As Christian Tietze started selling his products on the internet, he wanted two things: more cash as well as more control.
Tietze posted about his experience in a blog on his site. There were a variety of problems with selling through Mac App Store, including: Mac App Store, including:
- 30% revenue cost (excluding VAT)
- You can't provide a demo
- You can't provide upgrade pricing
- It's impossible to get to know your customers
So, he started looking at ways to market outside the Mac App Store.
"Distributing through an App Store is convenient because everybody can view your products and download, update and download from one central place," Tietze says.
"On the other hand there is a loss of in cash for each transaction. you're bound to the strict App Store Sandboxing policy and you aren't able to make special deals - and, if Apple disables your account then your company is closed.
"This isn't something that happens frequently, but it does occur."
Tietze says the developer (and numerous other independent developers) have chosen to distribute applications on their individual platforms. He uses to distribute his app. The platform gives him the tools to offer bundled sales, discounts, as well as a store API that is custom.
" offers a test storefront on the web and from within the application when you make in-app transactions. This is a convenient way to check if your checkout works and also if the app changes from "locked" and then "paid," he declares.
The Wrapping Up
When it comes to ways to distribute apps to developers, it's obvious that times are changing.
In the past, the two major players in the app game, Google Play and Apple Store had all the chips. If developers were looking to give their app a shot at succeeding, they had only one option: distribute their apps across these platforms and pay the 30% fee.
However, developers are taking back control of their applications and the revenue streams.
Whether or not you choose a full-service provider selling your app directly from your website, or distribute them using alternative apps stores or other stores, there are plenty of options out there for you to market your product. Whether you want to reach people in difficult-to-reach areas or distribute the app in-house or make it available as a one-click download there are no limits to the possibilities.
Just remember that Google Play and Apple Store are a hit because millions of people around the globe have faith in them. But with the number of apps that are downloaded via different distribution channels every single daily, it's evident that users are open-minded regarding discovering the best apps for them.
Check out how simple to turn your website into a shop with the help of examples. With the help of these examples, you can make a number of fake stores to test the waters at the tools capabilities using the Store Builder API. The examples also either contain or include links to documentation pages and CodePen-like source code demos.