Monetizing a Windows Phone Application discusses various ways for developers to monetize their Windows Phone apps, including: 1. Joining the Windows Phone Marketplace for $99 per year to publish and sell apps, with developers receiving 70% of sales. 2. Apps can be free or paid, with developers limited to 100 free apps per year but unlimited paid apps. 3. The document provides tips for increasing monetization such as using trials, live tiles with push notifications, ads, pricing strategies, and localization. 4. It introduces the Marketplace Test Kit for validating apps before submission and the new private distribution service for targeted beta testing before full publication.

1. Monetizing a
Windows Phone
Application
Dave Bost
Sr. Developer Evangelist,
Windows Phone
http://davebost.com/blog
@davebost

2. Joining AppHub
(Your first step to Rock Star status!)
2

3. Joining the Marketplace
 You can register to be a member of the marketplace
for $99 per year
 Students can register for free via DreamSpark
 Registered developers can submit applications for
approval in the marketplace
 Unlock up to 5 Devices for testing
 Join at: http://create.msdn.com
3 Windows Phone

4. Payment
 Developers can set a price for an application or give it
away for free
 Developers receive 70% of the price paid for the
application
 Payment starts once the developer has earned up to
$200
4 Windows Phone

5. Free and Paid Applications
 Developers are limited in the number of
free applications they can make available
 Only 100 free apps per developer per
year
 Can publish further free applications at
a extra cost of $20 per application
 Developers can publish as many paid
applications as they like
5 Windows Phone

6. Applications for sale
 Applications can be free or paid
 Developers can also allow customers to
use an application in “try before buy”
mode
 Your application can determine which
mode it is running in by calling a status
API
6 Windows Phone 6

7. Detecting Trial Mode
using Microsoft.Phone.Marketplace;
LicenseInformation info = new LicenseInformation();
if ( info.IsTrial() )
{
// running in trial mode
}
 It is easy for an application to determine whether it is
running in Trial mode
7 Windows Phone 7

8. Marketplace
Submission
8

9. Application Validation
 When you submit your application for validation the
system performs a number of automated tests
 Checks if the application makes use of any
capabilities that were not specified
 Checks for any unmanaged or disallowed libraries
 Ensures that all the required assets are provided
 Then the application is manually tested to ensure
proper behaviour in a number of scenarios
 Proper dormant/tombstone behaviour
9 Windows Phone

10. The Marketplace Test Kit
 The Marketplace Test Kit lets you perform the same
tests on your application before you submit it
 This vastly improves your chances of the application
passing first time
10 Windows Phone

11. Demo:
Marketplace Test
Kit

12. AppHub

13. New Beta Distribution Service
Windows Phone

14. New Private Distribution Service
 Distribute certified apps privately to a targeted set of
users
 Capabilities:
 Applications are certified before distribution
 Developer sends an e-mail with deep link to the users
 Applications are not discoverable via search or browse
 Developer can update the applications
 No limits on the number of users or duration
 No access control on distribution
 Apps can be „free‟ or „paid‟
 Apps can be published publicly at any time
 Benefits:
 Enables broad distribution of apps in a more private way
 Enables broad public betas, previews, and community
distribution
Windows Phone

15. Marketplace Distribution Options
Number of users 100 Unlimited Unlimited
App Price Must be “free” Can be “paid” Can be “paid”
Time Limited Expires after 90 No No
days
Updateable No Yes Yes
Certification No Yes Yes
Required
Publicly No No* Yes
Discoverable
Access Control Selected WL ID‟s No No
Target Users Beta users Private users Public users
Windows Phone

16. New App Hub Dashboard
 New app lifecycle tab
 Notifications for any actions
needed and status of app
during certification process
 Shows payout amounts to
track money earned to date
 Highlights all your apps by
downloads and royalties
 Data on daily downloads
shown on dashboard

17. Reaching Consumers from More
Countries
Taiwan
Hong
Kong South Korea
Singapore
Windows Phone

18. Demo:
Publish an App

19. Making Money and
Maximizing Uptake

20. 7 Ways to Make More Money
The Opportunity
Use trial API Revenue = price x quantity
Live tilestop-tier of
70x moreincrease English
Less than downloads
15%
Many portfolio makes WP
(75%) developers are
Multiple localized into ad
mobile FIGS
Xbox are
apps trial-to-paid conversion
10% frequency
Use
probably competing in real
networks paying too much in
2 Use live tiles w/push Marketplace work differently
languages
rate
taxesother app storesuse
time for each session
Duration of
than customers (like you)
Most satisfaction
ad requestin 7x higher sales
Resulting
User
25 of 29 countries have
3 Use APS Ad Control w/location prefer andASP, 12 DL/uu/mo.
$2.93 download apps in
negotiated treaty ratesvia
Better demo-targeting with
Equaling paid) impressions
their(3% more
local language
U.S. below 30%
WLID
4 Price it right 16 countries have 0%
70% of all ad revenue
Tips and Tricks
withholding
5 Publish (and localize) globally Tips and Tricks
Tips and Tricks
Don‟t giveand Tricks
Don‟t underpricetoo much
Tips away yourself
Tipsyour metadata and
Localize
and Tricks
6 Keep more of what you make value
Experiment withspeakers, if
and different
app with nativeTricks
Tips trial experience
Indicate “live tile” in
ForMakepoints
price theeCPM
highest
possible
description
compelling services for
7 Get promoted… Add and providecountries ad
in similar (A/B)
Get location andITINin single
Timenew languages price
Add or
Add relevant number
targetingcapabilitycreative
based
to Microsoft to end ofover
Start at upper
trials content avoid cut
pushvia updates
xap work
Know your user to to more
withholding easier get
range. It is
Make itthan raisein the trial
discretestand out prices
Incorporate ads
rather demographics
Windows Phone version

21. Merchandising
Panorama Featured List
2000% 150%
Windows Phone

22. The Best Way to Get Promoted
Delight
Utility
Functionality
Windows Phone

23. Functionality: W
Outstanding performance. Content is dynamic or First use of the app is
Quick loading. Does not hang exceptionally well prepared. intuitive and reassuring.
or crash Description and metadata Advanced features are
help sell the app discoverable and
Windows Phone
understandable

24. Utility:
App takes full Great use of color, Apps that are likely Concepts that push
advantage of device graphic placement, to compel frequent the boundaries for
features and mobile and visual elements and repeated use mobile apps, offering
scenarios and innovative features
surprises with or best-in-category
unexpected innovation
capabilities
Windows Phone

25. Delight:
Amazing app capabilities Makes full use of Windows Adoption of Windows Phone
that make the user smile Phone design language platform features (Live tiles,
and inspires “show (controls, iconography, font). push notifications, hub
and tell” behavior Uncluttered, polished clean integration, etc.)
Windows Phone experience

26. Making Money with Advertising
 Microsoft ad control
 Supports both Silverlight and XNA apps
 Click-to-web and click-to-call
 More markets coming in 2H2011
 Ad monetization
 Microsoft Ad Exchange
 Multiple top-tier mobile ad networks
competing in real time for each ad request
 Better demographic targeting via WL ID
 You keep 70% of ad revenue
 pubCenter
 https://pubcenter.microsoft.com
Windows Phone

27. Managed Indie Games
 Microsoft Games Studio
 Program for independent game
publishers to bring premium
mobile games to Windows
Phone and Xbox LIVE
 Access to Xbox LIVE services
and promotion
 Great Games Wanted
 Games of all types
 Minimum price point of $2.99
 XBox.com
 Contact:
mobilegames@microsoft.com
 Mobile, Console, PC
Windows Phone

28. Calls to Action
 Download the free tools
http://aka.ms/PhoneDB
 Register with App Hub http://create.msdn.com
 Consider one or all of the 7 ways to increase
your apps performance in marketplace
 Review the promotion criteria and consider
incorporating into your next update
 Make plans for addressing new markets later
this summer
 Keep giving us feedback

29. Getting Your Ideas Turned into
Apps
Windows Phone November 18, 2011, 8AM – 5PM
Microsoft Technology Center,
Developer Chicago
Boot Camp http://msdnevents.com
December 6th – 8th
Microsoft Technology Center,
Windows Phone Chicago
Accelerator Labs
Target: Devs working on apps
Experts on hand
Windows Phone

30. What‟s Next?
Download the Tools & http://aka.ms/phone
Register for App Hub http://aka.ms/azuresdk
http://aka.ms/AppHub
Get started with any of the http://aka.ms/WordPress
three Starter Kits http://aka.ms/School
http://aka.ms/AR
Get a free Marketplace Email
token for first 100 apps! msnextde@microsoft.com with
a description of your app
3
Windows Phone
1

31. Q&A

32. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the
current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because
Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted
to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the
accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation.
MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR
STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.
© 2011 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S.
and/or other countries.