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Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

marco.org

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Re: Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

#51

Post by logic »

r00fus wrote: post #42
rkudeshi wrote: post #31

Perhaps the free app might've converted better if Marco had added an in-app purchase to upgrade to the full version.

Or perhaps not. I've spent hundreds on apps, and have yet to spend a single dollar in IAP. Horses for courses... it all depends on what type of market your app caters to.

Agreed. I've upgraded from a free version to paid from within an app (MobileRSS) before, but I'm not an average iOS user.

I think marco's point about the free version creating a "bad neighborhood" around his paid app really nails it. If you're not generating appreciable traction from the free version, but are starting to develop a negative image and generating significant headaches as a result of it, it's probably a smart move to suspend the free version.

Re: Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

#52

Post by cygwin98 »

xinsight wrote: post #38
jrockway wrote: post #20

How does he know nobody will buy the Android app? I barely use any free apps other than the ones that come with Cyanogen Mod. Titanium Backup? Paid. ROM Manager? Paid. Treking? Paid. Android IRC? Paid. X-Plane? Paid. Android users have no problems paying for apps. Non-Android developers are afraid of the unknown.

I ported an iOS app to Android. I've sold three (!!) copies while in that same period, the iOS version has sold about 300. I dropped the price from $5 down to $2 over easter and still didn't sell a single copy during the sale. The two apps have the same content and the sales funnel is exactly the same. (The only difference is the iOS app has lots of 5-star reviews.) It seems clear to me that Android users can't or wo…

Wow, sounds like a good story that deserves its own blog post.

Re: Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

#53

Post by macrael »

corin_ wrote: post #39

There's some incorrect logic in there to point out. "The math to explain this is simple: most Free users won’t give me anywhere near $3.50 worth of ad impressions." So, a free user is less valuable than a paid user, fair enough. But not 100% of people who would use the free version will buy the paid version. As he said in the second paragraph, "it’s hard to say which portion of the increase, if any, is attributable t…

But as he points out there are other costs to be taken into account. The amount of ad revenue can't be directly weighed against the money generated by sales. You also need to consider the development costs of maintaining the lite version, deciding what should be a universal feature, etc.

Re: Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

#54

Post by corin_ »

macrael wrote: post #53
corin_ wrote: post #39

There's some incorrect logic in there to point out. "The math to explain this is simple: most Free users won’t give me anywhere near $3.50 worth of ad impressions." So, a free user is less valuable than a paid user, fair enough. But not 100% of people who would use the free version will buy the paid version. As he said in the second paragraph, "it’s hard to say which portion of the increase, if any, is attributable t…

But as he points out there are other costs to be taken into account. The amount of ad revenue can't be directly weighed against the money generated by sales. You also need to consider the development costs of maintaining the lite version, deciding what should be a universal feature, etc.

Sure, I'm not arguing for/against removing the free version, just with the logic of comparing the advertising revenue per person with the cost of the paid version.

Re: Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

#55

Post by xuki »

macrael wrote: post #53
corin_ wrote: post #39

There's some incorrect logic in there to point out. "The math to explain this is simple: most Free users won’t give me anywhere near $3.50 worth of ad impressions." So, a free user is less valuable than a paid user, fair enough. But not 100% of people who would use the free version will buy the paid version. As he said in the second paragraph, "it’s hard to say which portion of the increase, if any, is attributable t…

But as he points out there are other costs to be taken into account. The amount of ad revenue can't be directly weighed against the money generated by sales. You also need to consider the development costs of maintaining the lite version, deciding what should be a universal feature, etc.

And server cost too

Re: Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

#56

Post by jokermatt999 »

xinsight wrote: post #38
jrockway wrote: post #20

How does he know nobody will buy the Android app? I barely use any free apps other than the ones that come with Cyanogen Mod. Titanium Backup? Paid. ROM Manager? Paid. Treking? Paid. Android IRC? Paid. X-Plane? Paid. Android users have no problems paying for apps. Non-Android developers are afraid of the unknown.

I ported an iOS app to Android. I've sold three (!!) copies while in that same period, the iOS version has sold about 300. I dropped the price from $5 down to $2 over easter and still didn't sell a single copy during the sale. The two apps have the same content and the sales funnel is exactly the same. (The only difference is the iOS app has lots of 5-star reviews.) It seems clear to me that Android users can't or wo…

What app? How well known is it? What is your competition on both platforms? Have you marketed the Android version as much as the iOS version?

Re: Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

#57

Post by rumblestrut »

I had tried the free iPhone app and could never get the thing to accept my credentials. So, I gave up and didn't give it much thought.

But then I kept hearing about how great Instapaper was. I didn't get it. My experience with the free app was bad so I didn't know what I was doing wrong. Instead of writing a terrible review of the free one, I went ahead and purchased the paid app.

And now I'm hooked. I find Instapaper to be incredibly useful and love its simplicity. I then turned it on in my Twitter client, expanding my use even more.

The free app is a detriment to Instapaper rather than an asset. Marco is likely better off sticking with a great product customers are willing to pay for who end up loving the service, than having a mediocre app that doesn't build up a fan base that translates to paying customers.

Keep up the great work Marco!

Re: Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

#58

Post by AllenKids »

jrockway wrote: post #20

How does he know nobody will buy the Android app? I barely use any free apps other than the ones that come with Cyanogen Mod. Titanium Backup? Paid. ROM Manager? Paid. Treking? Paid. Android IRC? Paid. X-Plane? Paid. Android users have no problems paying for apps. Non-Android developers are afraid of the unknown.

There will be buyers, but he does not see enough buyers to worth his time.

He'd have to rewrite the whole thing in Java, modify UI to fit in Android environment, maintain two code bases and try to keep feature parity.

He's a one man shop, he decided against it, and I agree with his decision.

Re: Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

#59

Post by dkarl »

xinsight wrote: post #38
jrockway wrote: post #20

How does he know nobody will buy the Android app? I barely use any free apps other than the ones that come with Cyanogen Mod. Titanium Backup? Paid. ROM Manager? Paid. Treking? Paid. Android IRC? Paid. X-Plane? Paid. Android users have no problems paying for apps. Non-Android developers are afraid of the unknown.

I ported an iOS app to Android. I've sold three (!!) copies while in that same period, the iOS version has sold about 300. I dropped the price from $5 down to $2 over easter and still didn't sell a single copy during the sale. The two apps have the same content and the sales funnel is exactly the same. (The only difference is the iOS app has lots of 5-star reviews.) It seems clear to me that Android users can't or wo…

To all app developers, please don't give up on Android. If your market is educated middle class folks -- i.e., if you don't sell games and fart apps -- then give us a chance to start showing up in the Android market. Most of us bought iPhones back when they were clearly superior, and we are unwilling to throw away a couple-hundred-dollar piece of electronics that works perfectly fine. The new line of Android phones look great. I'll certainly be there in less than two years, maybe less than a year depending on how long my phone lasts. At that point all my spending will move to the Android market. I'm not a huge purchaser of apps -- I've probably spent somewhere between $50 and $100 on apps -- but I did buy Instapaper!

Re: Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation

#60

Post by ilamont »

I recently bought the paid app, based on the recommendations of a friend and the number of positive reviews in the app store, but am quite disappointed in what I got in return for my $4.99. I won't turn this into a review of the functionality or criticize the developer for wanting to increase sales, but I will say that buyers should have a way to vet the product before purchasing it (there was no free option when I purchased it).
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