Platform model

Lots of users!

With the platform model, you can make money by growing a large group of regular users of your app and selling advertising space within the app. You will need lots of regular users so access is often given free. You can also make money by selling data about your users.

Examples: Facebook, LinkedIn

Subscription model

Regular payments

The subscription model often offers a free trial for users to try the app then charges a monthly or annual payment. This helps users decide whether they want the app and it’s great for you because it provides a regular revenue stream that can fund improvements.

Examples: Netflix, Spotify

Paid app model

One-off payment

With a paid-for app, users are required to pay upfront to use the app. Great if they do, but often the paywall reduces the number of customers. Apps that successfully charge upfront often have a strong brand which users trust to deliver good products.

Example: Minecraft, Risk Online

Freemium model

Free, sort of

In the freemium model, the app is free but users can pay for additional products or features. This can give users a chance to start using the app and pay only for the additional things they want.

Examples: Clash of Clans, Tinder.

Sell your app

Make an exit strategy

Once you have an app making money using one or more of the above methods you can explore an exit strategy where you can sell your app to another company and start work on your next creative project.

What about patents?

Can you patent an app?

In the UK apps can be tricky to patent however there are other ways to protect your app. The best thing you can do is develop your app fast, and use a portion of your profits to keep improving it to out-innovate your competitors.

What is an app prototype?

An app prototype is an initial visual mock-up that looks like a real app and feels like a real app but does not contain working code. The prototype demonstrates the key functions and unique selling points of your idea. Innovate Design can help you make app prototypes that can be downloaded onto your phone or shared via a web link that potential customers can add comments to.

Why make an app prototype?

Use an app prototype to test your app design with your target customers and find out whether the design meets their requirements. Making an app prototype costs less than launching an app so it can save you money by helping you perfect your design before committing to a fully developed app. You can also demonstrate use your app prototype to present your app to potential investors and partners. Our app prototypes help you to:

• Gain valuable user feedback from your target market
• Confirm your app is commercially viable before investing in the fully working version
• Create professional presentation material to help attract investors

In app development, the fully working version of the app can be developed ready to launch. This gives you time to find any bugs which may remain in the app. It is important to remember that app projects are an ongoing process. It is generally a good idea to start with just enough features for users to want the app, launch quickly and keep improving the app as you gain insights from your customers. Innovate Design can help you launch your app for iOS, Android and website versions. We can also help you build a basic website to tell people about the app and provide contact information.

• Setup your iOS and Android accounts ready to launch the app
• Create a basic website with contact information and a product tour
• Launch your app for iOS or Android or both!
• Launch quickly with a minimum set of features your customers want most

Next you need to get your app in front of potential customers. There are quite a few ways you can do this and it is worth experimenting to see which way works best for your app. Options include:

• Encourage customers to share the app with friends
• Advertising in the app store
• Advertising on Google and Facebook
• Create exciting PR content and share it with blogs and the wider media