作者：Kyle Waring

常有游戏开发者问我，“让我的应用盈利的最佳方法是什么？”

我想我还是不要千篇一律地回答同个问题，最好写篇博文总结我自己过去几年采用的一些盈利策略和技巧吧。

本文所讨论的应用盈利技巧包括：

1）免费模式胜于付费应用

2）关注玩家

3）追踪应用的用户&使用率情况

4）混合广告+IAP商业模式

5）广告>绑定一个广告服务平台

6）最佳广告网络

7）IAP是最佳策略

1.免费模式（F2P）胜于付费应用

F2P应用在市场中占据了最大份额，超过90%的装载量来自免费模式的产品。

付费游戏（即预先付费的游戏）仍然是那些掌握着至少1万名活跃粉丝的发行商和开发者的可行解决方案。

对于我们其他人来说，我还是强烈建议大家选择F2P模式。

2.关注玩家

在我们继续讨论这个话题之前，有必要指出你的游戏应该首先关注玩家！不要一开始就抱着盈利的心态来创建游戏，这肯定会失败。你的游戏必须具有吸引力，长度和成瘾性。通过关注提升玩家反馈，增加润色，并引进成瘾元素，你的游戏必定能够带来长期的复合收益！

小型独立工作室最易忽视的一个游戏参数就是用户留存率。多数时候人们安装游戏后又快速将其删除的一个原因就是早期的某个关卡太困难了，或者他们发现游戏太无聊并对其感到失望。千万不要让这种情况发生在你身上！

3.追踪应用的用户&使用情况

建议：安装Google Analytics或Flurry Analytics。

这些追踪工具可以让你获得极为宝贵的数据点，从而用于调整你的游戏。针对各个关卡设置目标，并监测用户何时放弃你的应用。通过应用了解你的用户流，这可以让你清楚如何提升和优化产品。

例如，你在第3个关卡已经流失了50%以上的流量，你就需要重新访问你的头几个关卡。

你可以采取的操作包括：

a)调整教程

b)更早制作关卡

c)制作更短的关卡

d)专注于吸引用户

除此之外，还要能够看到用户在你的应用中花了多少时间，他们来自哪些国家/地区，他们访问了应用的哪些内容。

要监测安装量和榜单排名情况，你可以使用App Annie或Appfigures.com服务。

作为游戏开发者，当你的应用发布时首要目标就是从商业角度进行考虑。关注和了解玩家成为游戏工作室获得成功的基础上。

再重申一次：要首先关注玩家。

4.混合广告+IAP商业模式

现在你已经关注玩家，并且追踪相当数据运用于自己的应用，我们要开始考虑盈利的问题了。

在我看来，无论你是自主发行还是与发行商合作——最佳的应用盈利方法就是混凝土合IAP和广告商业模式。

为什么？

因为你只有一小部分用户会真正消费。一般付费转化费介于1%-5%之间，中核至硬核游戏的这一转化率则可能在10%左右。

这意味着，有95%至99%的玩家在消极体验游戏，如果你开发的是一款式中核游戏，这种玩家比例也有90%。这是你的主要下载来源，当然也应该实现。鉴于你要将自己的辛勤劳动成果免费发放，在游戏中植入一些广告不会对它的评价情况产生太大影响。关键在于广告不可以太多。只要有一点常识你知道，不可以用大量广告轰炸玩家。

我建议在一个关键位置设一个条幅广告，这个位置可以是关卡胜利画面或游戏玩法区域。这些地置拥有最讥的点击率（CTR），并可能产生最高的CPM。除了移动广告条幅外，还可以有每5个或10个关卡中设置一个插页式广告。这些广告盈利性相当高，在一级市场的CPM超过了5CPM。

不要轻视游戏中的广告，经常有开发者告诉我他们的广告收益远超过IAP！

5.广告>绑定广告服务平台

首先，我强烈建议使用一个广告服务平台。广告服务平台便于开发者在应用中轻松改变广告网络。无需更新你的应用，或者绑定数个广告网络的特定SDK。

市场上有不少广告服务平台可供选择，但行业最为领先的当属Mopub.com。最近它被Twitter收购了，拥有提供统计数据和来自数个广告网络盈利解决方案的杰出工具。

它有一个iOS & Android SDK。

第三方开发者已经面向iOS和Android平台创造了Mopub Native AIR扩展版和Unity插件。

使用广告服务平台，你将能够通过测试不同广告网络查看最佳表现而更好地实现应用盈利。我主要是通过寻找各个国家的精品广告网络来获取最佳盈利网络和应用。通过瞄准各个国家较高价值的付费广告，你就能够最大化自己的广告收益了！

6.最佳广告网络

什么广告网络回报最高？

对于插页式和条幅广告来说，能够实现最多广告印象的最高回报广告网络是AdMob.com这个谷歌旗下公司。

对于熟悉盈利网络的人来说，它相当于使用Google Adsense。Admob拥有极为庞大的广告基础，它是使用Google Adwords的广告商所采用的服务。

除了Admob之外，iAds似乎也挺管用，但广告库存填充率却更低。你可以使用iTunes Connect来绑定和分析iAds。

不妨测试iAds和Admob的情况来衡量二者的盈利表现。当你了解了最佳表现的平台时，可以设置mopub传送设置来优化最高回报。

除了这些广告网络平台之外，也可以考虑以下平台：

Chartboost–插页式广告+交叉推广能力

NativeX–可定制广告包装器

LeadBolt

StartApp

如果你想用视频广告（意味着极高的CPM）来取代插页式广告，我推荐使用YuMe.com。你的应用不可像插页广告一样频繁植入视频广告，因为它们很令人讨厌。通常运行30秒的视频广告，有可能因为用户的网速而运行了45秒！所以要慎用视频广告！

现在我们已经概括了基本的分析、广告服务和广告网络层面，现在可以转向IAP环节了。

7.IAP，最佳策略

IAP如果能够在考虑用户留存率和尊重用户的基础上巧妙执行，就有可能极具盈利性。设置你的应用IAP的首要元素就是理解玩家与你的游戏交互方式。

了解玩家如何看待你的游戏是一个漫长的过程。

我所知道最高IAP转化率来自玩家从游戏中获得了一些真正喜欢的东西。也许是通过一些额外操作完成了一个极具挑战性的关卡，也许是用一些额外技能和武器来提升角色能力。

作为一名关卡设计师，说服玩家相信你的游戏具有成瘾性这一点很关键。一开始可以先推出10个简单关卡并以此吸引玩家。如果游戏不能先吸引玩家，就不可能实现IAP转化。

当你已经获得足够的关注时，要增加难度和呈现挑战。让你的游戏难度呈现过山车式的起伏，而不是每个关卡的难度都在之前关卡的基础上直线上升。

游戏最具挑战性的一个环节可能就是找到用户在哪个节点上最可能实现IAP转化，而事先了解这一点则有助于你计划和设置一个有效的盈利系统。

我将这种IAP技巧称为厌输策略（Loss Aversion）。

用户并不想输掉游戏，尤其是在他们已经向游戏投入大量时间的情况下。对目前多数游戏来说，利用这一方法可以实现最高的IAP转化率。

让我们举一个厌输策略的例子吧。谜题游戏。如果用户卡在特定关卡，并且在同个关卡上试了无数次……他们就很可能为之付费闯关！

在游戏的失败画面上植入一个IAP以便他们打通该关卡。这不应该只是一个简单的跳过按钮，而应该是有助于他们闯关的更多回合或更多提示。

最好是为用户提供帮助，而不是让他们直接跳过进入下一关。这样他们会更开心并有兴趣继续体验。

有一些很常见但转化率较低（不值得绑定）的其他IAP类型包括：

*付费移除广告

*没有特殊属性，只能提升视觉效果的道具

*付费体验迷你游戏

较好的IAP替代选项包括：

*为新关卡内容包付费，但这些应该是用户可以通过游戏货币赢取的设置……而不是简单地为付费用户打通关卡。

*为游戏货币付费，这些货币可在游戏中兑换有利于玩家的道具

*提示，贴士或攻略

IAP应该是一个加速游戏玩法和引导玩家的途径。理解这一点对于游戏盈利策略来说很重要，并且会对你的应用收益成功产生极大影响。

结合广告+IAP可以为你的游戏提供多样化的盈利来源。优化玩法和留存率，你的收益就会随时间发展成倍增长！（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

7 Expert Monetization Tips

by Kyle Waring

I’m asked by Game Developers on a daily basis, “What’s the best way to monetize my app?”

Instead of having the same conversation ten thousand times, I figured I’d write a blog post addressing some key monetization strategies and tactics that I’ve deployed over the years

By reading this blog you’ll learn the following app monetization tips:

Free 2 play (f2p) over Paid apps

Focus #1 on the player

Tracking users & usage in app

Hybrid Ad + In App Purchase (IAP) business model

Ads > Integrate an Ad serving platform

Best Ad Networks

In App Purchases, best practices

Get ready to take notes, let’s jump right in!

1. Free 2 play (f2p) over Paid apps

Go F2P.

F2P apps attack the largest market on the app store. Over 90% of all installs are free! [1].

P2P, aka premium games that cost money upfront are still a viable solution for publishers and developers who have amassed a minimum of 10,000 active followers.

For the rest of us starting to build this momentum, I highly recommend choosing the F2P model.

2. Focus #1 on the player

Before we go ahead and continue down the monetization path it’s critical to note that your games should focus on the player! Do not build a game primarily with monetization in mind, it will fail. Your game needs to be engaging, lengthy and addicting. By focusing on improving player feedback, adding polish, and bringing out the addicting aspects of your game will drive long term compounding revenue!

The most overlooked metrics for games by smaller indie studios is user retention. Often times games are installed and quickly deleted afterwards because a level was far too difficult early on, or they found the game to be boring and were let down. Don’t let this happen to you!

3. Tracking users & usage in app

Action point: Install Google Analytics or Flurry Analytics.

These tracking tools will give you extremely valuable data points you can use to tweak your game. Setup goals for individual levels, and monitor where users abandon your app. Understanding the flow of your audience through your app will tell you exactly how to improve and optimize it!

For example, if by level 3 you have already lost over 50% of your traffic you will need to revisit your first few levels

Action points you can take are:

a) adjust the tutorial

b) make levels easier

c) make levels shorter

d) focus on hooking the user

In addition to this, you will also be able to see how much time users spend in your app, what countries they come from, and where they go in your app!

That’s Huge.

To monitor installs and chart ranks you can use App Annie orAppfigures.com.

The primary objective as a game developer once your app is launched is to start thinking in business terms. Focusing and understanding the players becomes the foundation for your game studios success.

To recap: The #1 focus is the player. The #2 focus is the player.Capiche?

4. Hybrid Ad + In App Purchase (IAP) business model

So now that you’re focused on players and have tracking implemented in your app, we’re ready to approach monetizing.

In my opinion whether your Self Publishing or a Publisher — the best approach to monetizing your apps is a hybrid business model of In App Purchases (IAP) and Ads.

Why?

Only a fraction of your audience will purchase something in your app. Typical conversion averages range from 1-5% [1] with more mid-core to core games around 10%.

Meaning, 95%-99% will passively play your game, and if you develop mid-core games around 90%. It’s a big chunk of your downloads, and surely should be monetized. Considering that you’re giving away your hard work free of charge, having a few ads in your game will not drastically effect it’s rating and reviews. The key here is few ads. Do not launch an all out ad attack on players, use your common sense.

I advise 1 banner in a key location, either on the level win screen or game play area. These locations have the highest CTR and will subsequently generate the highest CPMs. In addition to a mobile banner, every 5 or 10 levels place an interstitial ad. These monetize quite well, above $5cpm+ for top tier countries!

Don’t knock ads in your game, often times developers will tell me that they have made significantly more money off their ads vs. IAPs!

5. Ads > Integrate an Ad serving platform

First and foremost, I strongly advise using an ad serving platform. An ad serving platform allows you to easily change ad networks within your app. No need to update your app, or integrate several ad network specific SDKs!

There are a number of ad serving platforms out there, but Mopub.com is pioneering the industry. Recently acquired by Twitter, Mopub has exceptional tools that provide statistics and monetization solutions from a number of ad networks.

There’s an iOS & Android SDK

3rd party developers have created a Mopub Native AIR extension, Unity plugin for iOS andAndroid

By using an ad serving platform, you will be able to further monetize your app by testing different ad networks to see which pay the best rates. The way I’ve approached both monetizing websites and applications is by finding boutique ad networks for individual countries. By geotargeting highly paid ads in individual countries, you’re able to maximize your ad revenue!

6. Best Ad Networks

What ad networks pay the best?

For interstitials and banners, the highest paying ad network that fills the most impressions is AdMob.com, which is a Google owned company.

For those familiar with monetizing websites, this is the equivalent of using Google Adsense. Admob has a very large advertiser base, which services advertisers who use Google Adwords!

In addition to Admob, iAds seem to work well but fill a lower % of your ad inventory. You can integrate and analyze iAds using iTunes Connect.

It’s worth testing iAds versus Admob to gauge revenue performance. Once you gain an understanding of the best performing network, setup mopub delivery settings to prioritize the highest paying.

I will write a follow up blog at a later time discussing how to properly setup A/B tests for your ads, and develop an even stronger waterfall approach to monetizing your app with multiple ad networks.

In addition to these mobile ad networks, it’s worth looking into the follow:

Chartboost – interstitials + cross promo capabilities

NativeX – customizable ad wrappers

LeadBolt

StartApp

If you’re interested in replacing your interstitials with video preroll which earns very high cpms, I recommend YuMe.com. The implementation of video in your app needs to be less frequent than interstitials, as they are really annoying. Usually ads run for 30 seconds and depending on the users internet connection this could run up to 45s due to buffering! Monetize with video in rare instances!

Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals of analytics, ad serving and ad networks > we can move onto In App Purchases!

7. In App Purchases, best practices

In app purchases can be extremely lucrative if integrated intelligently, with user intention and respect in mind. The first element in setting up your in app purchases is understanding how players interact with your game (reread Tracking Users).

Understanding how players perceive your game goes a long way.

The highest converting in app purchases that I have found have resulted in players getting something they really enjoy out of the game. Whether that’s completing a challenging level by getting extra moves, to equipping your character with extra skills and weapons.

As a level designer it’s essential to convince players that your game is addicting. Have 10 easy levels to start your game off, and really hook users. No IAPs will convert before a user is engaged with your game.

Once you have their full attention, increase the difficulty and present challenges. Design your game to have a rollercoaster of ups and downs in difficulty, instead of each level being linearly more difficult than the previous.

The most challenging parts of the game will be where your users are most likely to convert on IAPs, and knowing that ahead of time will allow you to plan and setup an effective monetization system.

I call this IAP tactic Loss Aversion.

Users don’t want to lose, especially once they have invested time into your game. Taking advantage of this is by far the highest converting In app purchase for major titles.

Let’s take a practical example of Loss aversion. Puzzle games. If a user is stuck on a particular level, and have tried time and time again to beat the same level… they are likely willing to pay to beat it!

On the lose screen, implement an IAP to help them beat a particular level. This should not be a simple SKIP button, but rather more turns or more hints to help them progress through the level.

It’s always best to aid the user, instead of jumping them to the next level. They become more satisfied and excited to continue playing.

Some additional IAPs that are common, but convert poorly (and aren’t worth integrating) are:

Pay to remove ads

Items with no attributes and are simply visual improvements

Pay to play mini-games

Better alternative options for In app purchases are:

Pay for new level packs, BUT these also need to be setup where users can earn them through in game currency… not simply locked off levels for paying users

Pay for in game currency, redeemable for items in the game that will assist players

Hints, tips, or walkthroughs

In app purchases should be a means to speed up game play and guide players. Understanding this is critical to your monetization strategy and will contribute significantly to your app’s revenue success.

Combining both Ads + In app purchases will provide a diversified revenue stream for your game. Optimize the game play and retention and your revenues will compound over time!（source：gamasutra）