There is a new workplace movement afoot that may seem almost counterintuitive to some employers. It’s called BYOD (bring your own device). It is sometimes called by a fancier name - “Mobile Enterprise Management.” Basically, it’s a work policy that permits employees to bring their own smartphones, laptops and/or tablets to their workplace. Employees would then use these devices to access proprietary company data and applications. This practice has its pros and cons, its fans and its foes - but it is gathering speed. Read more about it here: GWI blog - http://www.gwi.net/policy/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-byod-bring-your-own-device/ CIO  - http://www.cio.com/article/706560/7_Tips_for_Establishing_a_Successful_BYOD_Policy Search Security - http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/feature/BYOD-security-strategies-Balancing-BYOD-risks-and-rewards

You have an idea for the next hottest app, but don’t want to sell your left hand to finance it. Depending on the type of app you want to build, there are ways to go about monetizing without irritating your users with ubiquitous advertising or hidden charges. Some apps are driven to make a profit, making it easy to figure out how to cash in. Other apps are just for fun or add utility, and therefore require a little more effort to seamlessly integrate financing opportunities. Here are some ideas to help you figure out what will work best for you. Pay for Download This is clearly the most straightforward way to make money on your app. Simply charge users to download your app. The beauty here is if you have users, you will be making some money the second they start using it. The downside is that mobile users are used to finding apps for free, and therefore seek out free apps. If your direct competitor offers a similar service and their app is free, guess which app your potential user is going for? Do take note however that if you do go the paid app route, Apple and Google take 30% of all revenue for paid apps or in-app purchases. Advertising While advertisements aren’t necessarily a favorite method of monetization, it is still a common strategy that can be combined with other initiatives to increase cash flow from apps. In March 2014, it was found that click-through rates on iOS mobile ads increased fivefold over last year and for Android, click through rates increased 3x over. This is good news for advertisers and even better news for mobile app developers, who can prove now more than ever that including a mobile ad is mutually beneficial to both the developer and the advertiser. Native ads make this even more helpful, where the ad follows the function of the UX, naturally integrating the ad with the app experience. Critics of this method argue that only the most popular, top apps make much money on advertising, however including ads along with other means of monetizing could be a good hybrid solution. In-App Purchase Freemium Service If charging for the app right away isn’t the solution you’re looking for, freemium provides a solid alternative choice. By allowing users to download the app for free, they are able to get to know the services you provide without the upfront investment. From there, having some of the core functionality unlocked introduces the user to the main purpose of the app while encouraging brand recognition. However locking premium features entices the user to take advantage of further options if they choose to. For example, many gaming apps use the freemium model, enhancing the users’ experience with small upgrades throughout the game like extra lives or new levels. Another example is Spotify, an internet radio service on the freemium model. While any song can be listened to when using the app on desktop, the mobile app can only play music on shuffle mode for the free version. A premium upgrade is required for access to any song, any time on mobile. The premium upgrade also removes all audio advertising from the listening experience. Paid Apps with Paid Features Another way to combine freemium and paid apps This is a hybrid of the freemium and one-time paid app model, charging the user for both the app download and additional premium features. This monetization method is not without criticism, with arguments that if the user must pay to download the app, the app should therefore be considered paid in full. However if done cleverly, this model can, and does, work well. One example is Flightradar24, a flight tracking app available for $3.99. Once downloaded, users can purchase upgraded features like information on arrivals and departures and custom alerts, with these features ranging in price from $1.99 - $4.99. While this seems expensive, this is in reality a great way for users to experience the benefits of the app, while not having to pay closer to $10.00 for features they may or may not use. Selling Data Developers have insight into user behavior. User behavior is solid gold for marketing teams, providing yet another way that developers can make money with their app. Excellent examples are lifestyle apps such as fitness counters or check in apps, giving real data on how people spend their time. Understanding where they go, what they do, and how they prefer to live their lives gives advertisers valuable information on what kind of products the public would like - and even how to best market it. To make an app profitable, developers need to understand their audience and how they can provide enough value and earn enough revenue. How will you monetize your mobile app?

Free mobile applications are an impactful way to reach an audience with your brand messaging — but what about actual revenue? Some brands are able to host free apps without any need for revenue for a variety of reasons, including brand recognition. For the rest of us, monetization of mobile apps is a way to bring in extra revenue for our brand while engaging a following. Unsure how to get your mobile app to a point where it’s making money? As a follow up to our post titled, The 411 on App Monetization, we’ve created a more extensive list of all the options you have for making money on your app. In-App Purchases Offer your audience a chance to buy something without leaving the app. If your app centers on gaming, you can offer a price for more credits or lives. If your app is connected to a more traditional business, look for ways to offer low-cost, one-time options inside the app that benefit the user. Amazon developer evangelist, Mike Hines, analyzed the top 50 grossing apps with in-app purchases and found these commonalities: Purchase options changed consistently, offering new and different things. Making a purchase was simple, only requiring a few clicks of a button. The benefits of a purchase were well-communicated upfront. Returning users were segmented and offered targeted purchase options. List Building Collect simple contact information from your app users, like phone numbers or email addresses, giving you the opportunity to reach out beyond the app through SMS or email. This is particularly helpful for brands that have a product (besides the app) or service they want to market. You can send out special app-member discounts and newsletters to get people engaged beyond the basic app activities. The more a customer interacts with your brand, the better the chance you’ll have of a sale down the road. Freemium Model Allow users to download your app for free but then offer upgrades for a price. For an accounting business app, for example, give broad financial advice for free but offer more personalized content for a premium cost. Think of your app on two levels: basic and advanced. Engage users enough on the basic level to make them want to pay for advanced. And when they pay for advanced, keep them engaged by offering obvious value. Sell Products Here’s another tip for brands looking to use an app to market another product or service. Create a call to action directly in your app that allows users to purchase your products or services right then and there. Take the Sephora to Go app for instance. The app’s Virtual Artist allows users to try on different shades of lipstick and different styles of fake eyelashes. It also offers eyeliner and eyeshadow tutorials for a variety of looks. While trying on products or learning about application, the app gives users the option to click on the actual product and make the purchase instantly — genius! Native Ads You never want to disrupt the app experience and frustrate users. By designing native ads that fit smoothly into what you’re already offering, you can earn some cash from the advertisers but not run your app users off. Make sure you work with an ad-tech firm that can create ads that look native to your app so they aren’t disrupting your app experience. Joining Forces Partner with another app or brand to make indirect money by building your visibility. You don’t need a huge app to agree to partner with you, either. Look for one that complements your business and has a similar size following. Together, you’ll be able to draw in more app users and then monetize that following using one of the other strategies on this list. Subscriptions A great way to automate payments from users on a consistent basis is through subscriptions. Allow access to the app when users pay a monthly fee. Making that fee affordable is important, of course, and you must have plenty of value for that cost since there are so many competing apps. The Sweat with Kayla app by Australian personal trainer Kayla Itsines is a great example of an effective subscription-based app. The subscription cost is reasonable in terms of the value you get. As a subscriber, users gain access to workouts, meal plans, progress tracking, fitness education, and more — in essence, this app acts as a replacement for personal trainers, nutritionists, and even gym memberships since a lot of the exercises can be done at home. Affiliate Marketing Make money from other businesses when you send a sale their way. You can add affiliate links to your app for products or services that complement what you offer or make sense for your audience. Those affiliate links then act as a virtual referral, and you can collect a fee based on the sales you help that company make. The way you choose to monetize your app will depend on the nature of your brand, goods, and/or services. One approach or a combination of a few should suffice, so take the time to research how you want to turn your app into a money-making machine for your business, or simply consult the experts.