In-App purchase is a big thing for all the iPhone developers. Not only it helps to tease users to try and buy but also can help to reduce piracy. This is why you should consider it in your next application.
Thanks to the Store Kit framework purchase you can easily split your application into chunks and sell it bit by bit. The most important thing is that users download application for free and play with limited functionality, when they are satisfied they will use In-App purchase to pay for the full version. This is much better than releasing “full” and “lite” versions separately. If you work on game you may think of selling extra levels, if your app is an utility tool this can be paid access to extra features. I’m sure you’ve got the idea now.
Brief intro
The way the Store Kit works makes it very tempting to use it. Within iTunes Connect portal you have to define pieces you want to sell. Then in the application you will refer to these bits selling them to the user. No worries, this is the AppStore who will process payments and return to you transaction details.
Built-in vs Server product model
In-App purchase was designed not only to help you selling your application but also to support selling virtual products like subscriptions. This lead us to two group of products recognised by Apple:
- Built-In: everything you sell is built in to the application (eg. game levels, pro features),
- Server: you sell the goods provided by external server you provide (eg. e-books, subscriptions)
The latter obviously requires extra mile on the server side. This is the receipt validation and enabling the content to the user. Check the following two diagrams from the official guide.
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Temptation is the key
Apart from the technical side there is also a big gain from In-App purchase for marketing. Users who will try an application for free and like it are more likely to buy full version, there is no doubt here. But this also opens another window of opportunity: If you are selling more than a simple upgrade you may offer discounts to the users. The game Roland 2 from ngmoco:) is a very good example. They offer you the game and first level for free. Then you may either buy single levels one by one or buy all of them at once with a discount. On the top of that there is a very nice preview of every level thus users know exactly what they buy. Compare this to a text alert telling you the feature you are trying to access is available only in pro version, which one will squeeze your wallet better?
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Summary
The In App Purchase can be a powerful weapon in your hands. It can improve your sales and decrease piracy in a significant way if you use it wisely. If you polish the free version and show the users what they will get then success will be inevitable.
If you are curious about StoreKit development details please read In-App Purchase: Programming Overview
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One Response to “In-App Purchase: Quick Overview”
[...] post is continuation of In-App Purchase: Quick Overview. This part focus on programming details. The outline of the steps to create and sell products [...]
Pingback by cSquirrel – In-App Purchase: Programming Overview on January 31, 2010 at 11:21
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