How can freelancers bank on mobile apps as a regular source of income?

Freelancing is not regarded as a side hustle anymore. There was a notable lull in polite society when people said they were freelancers. The reason for this lull was obvious. Freelancing at the time was not the most stable way to make a living.

The scene has changed now. Freelancing is no longer a dicey prospect as there is no longer a shortage of clients. Furthermore, freelancers have loads of other options to earn money such as monetizing website traffic, affiliate marketing, dropshipping, and so on. These methods enable freelancers to create their own own brand through sheer skill and persistence.

One channel of monetization which still remains elusive to freelancers is mobile apps.

Mobile apps and freelancers - A difficult relationship

Making money with a website is fairly straightforward. Setting up a website doesn’t require a comprehensive base of knowledge in programming or web design. CMS options like WordPress and Shopify provide freelancers the ability to set up their websites without much technical knowhow.

Most freelancers today lean on their websites to provide returns.

We don’t see the same proclivity amongst freelancers to leverage mobile apps. This is strange in theory because mobile app usage has shown no sign of abating in the last few years.

Take ecommerce as an example. 85% of shoppers prefer mobile apps over mobile websites to buy stuff online. This stat naturally creates a dark foreboding for the hundreds of thousands of dropshipping websites which depend on website shoppers.

It is easy to understand why freelancers don’t think of launching apps on a practical level.

The process of making an app is extremely tedious. Freelancers have to first learn how to create an app which is not an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination. Then, we also have to consider the time and effort it takes to build an app. Even a seasoned app developer would take atleast four to five months to make an app.

Freelancers can hire app developers to make an app for them. However, most developers and custom app development companies charge a substantial sum of money to make an app. Freelancers generally cannot afford to pay such an exorbitant amount.

This reality is a chief factor in driving freelancers away from the prospect of building an app.

Online app builders - The bridge between freelancers and mobile apps

We know app development is costly, tedious, and time consuming.

An online app builder is a nifty solution to these problems. These app builders are essentially DIY tools which enable users to make their own app without coding.

There are many options freelancers can choose from if they seek to build an app with an online app builder. AppMySite is one of the more prominent mobile app builders in the market. It enables users to create premiums apps for both Android and iOS devices.

How online app builders work? Generally, these tools provide freelancers the option to use their website as a base to create their own app. Let’s assume you have a WooCommerce store. An app builder like AppMySite would empower you to convert WooCommerce website to mobile app.

Using websites to create mobile apps has two advantages. First, the app loads content directly from the website and hosts itself on the website’s host. Thus, there is no need to separately look for a hosting partner for the app.

Second, users can manage app content from their website itself. Any changes they make to their website will automatically be reflected on the app. There is no need to specifically master the backend of the app. The website backend serves as the backend for the app as well.

How can freelancers make money with an app?

An online app builder can simplify the process of making an app. However, there is still the prospect of monetizing the app which remains.

There is no shortage of monetization options when it comes to mobile apps. The only question is which channel fits best with the type of app a freelancer chooses to build.

If a freelancer decides to turn WordPress website to Android app with an app builder, which app monetization model would work? The answer to such questions can only be given when freelancers first learn the main types of mobile app monetization.

Ad monetization

A number of mobile ad networks these days publish ads on mobile apps. It is not simply enough for advertisers to increase their visibility on social media platforms and search engines. People spend a majority of their time on mobile apps. It thus makes sense to publish ads within a native app environment.

Freelancers can earn money by publishing these ads on their app. They can earn money every time their app users engage with the ad.

Some popular mobile ad networks include AdSense, ClickAdu, and Media.net.

Subscription models

Subscription models are very common these days. Most of the apps you use such as Spotify, Netflix, and even YouTube earn money with the help of paying subscribers.

When offering a subscription model, freelancers have to provide certain additional value to their subscribers. People don’t generally pay for a service out of the kindness in their hearts. They expect apps to provide a premium service. YouTube for instance provides an ad-free experience to its paying subscribers along with access to other premium content.

Paid apps

The other way to make direct money from apps is charging a fixed amount for them outright. You may have noticed that some apps on the app stores require users to pay upfront.

These apps follow the paid add monetization model. It works on some level as every app user has to pay first in order to get a service. The app in such a case is not very different from a product on an ecommerce store. However, when juxtaposed with free apps, paid apps look less alluring.

In-app purchases

In-app purchases is the most popular form of mobile app monetization. This form of monetization essentially enables freelancers to sell products within the app and make money.

Gaming apps are the forefront of using in-app purchases to create a stable revenue stream. Even ecommerce apps to some extent sell in-app products to make money. This is especially true if the products being sold belong to the company running the app.

In conclusion

Freelancing is a legitimate career choice these days. The traditional model of working is no longer the ideal way of working. The only ideal way is one which enables professionals to monetize their knowledge and skills to the fullest.

Sponsor Ads

• Ad Space Available - Rent it Now!

Report this Page

Created on Nov 18th 2020 05:19. Viewed 410 times.

Share on APSense

Comments