iphone subscriptions in apps - from noob to ... who knows

I made several Android journeys but not finished any of them. There were different reasons, once I failed, another time I was making very blackhat. Many newbie people from this forum asked me questions that I cannot reply in public to not kill my methods, niches, etc. With Android apps, I have still xxx/day revenue but I cannot reveal everything on public forums, sorry.

Anyway, stop talking about Android because it can be related to my products. I want to try something different, a lot different than Android. I think about iPhone and subscriptions model to monetize your applications. In iOS it's a lot easier than on Android. Why? Because user needs to click one time and bump! Subscribed to your service and paying for your app for example $15 / week.

The pluses that Android haven't:
-mostly, users are from USA, Canada or UK, they have money and they get used to pay for apps
-sub process is simple, just tap accept button and done
-Apple loves sub model
-human verification excludes any ban possibility
-for subs you don't need 500k users like with Android ads, you need 15k users and if 1% subscribe, you have $9000 monthly

Minuses:
-iOS app must be full WHITE HAT and with perfect quality
-you need to have OSX
-you need to have iphone for tests
-you need to learn swift


I want to feel newbies, who are trying something new after my Android posts inspired. They are jumping into Android without skills, knowledge or nothing. So I want to do the same and refresh my mind, so I decided to go iOS.

The plan for application is Keto Diet, with products, recipes, shopping list, qrcode reader, tracking.
After the engine is made and polished perfectly, can be replicated with paleo, low carb, high carb, sports diets and many stupid plans for fat woman. If we have perfect app, we can charge $15/week for diets made by AI.

SUMMARY:

1. I don't have iOS skills, no knowledge about swift development
   I plan to learn it in 3-4 weeks, by just doing slowly my app
   I have only objective programming knowledge, so all is about semantic and Apple SDK
   I am busy man and will start with 3 hours/day and full weekends. Have my android apps and clients to take care.
   
2. I will need huge database of products, I am going to build SQL + REST API, SAME WITH RECIPES. Mostly I copy and rewrite stuff from diet blogs, worst with images. I cannot just copy them but I try to find some Photoshop magic
3. I don't have a mac, I will work on hackintosh
4. I want to spend arround $10 000 for marketing, it's a lot but it's not budget journey, it's DIY Journey - Learn and make it yourself
5. I may also fail, it's completly new for me, it's just for my personal test and don't regret in future I not tried iOS ever
   
   

DEADLINE:
I made a deadline to my app, want to release it in June and test subscription model.

UPDATE FREQUENCY:
This will be very boring on the begining.
In learning phase, I think 1,5-2 weeks update is enough.
When I start publish and make some cash, the update will be more frequent.


THIS WEEK WORK:
-install hackintosh on my Dell Optiplex, restore full tools for Android, install Photoshop, install Xcode (for ios development)
-take few tutorials to understand iOS semantic, project structure, etc.



I AM INSPIRED WITH THESE MOVIES:

Good luck dude.
This is a worthy journey and based on your other posts I don't think anything will stop you

$60 per month for this is close to impossible. People won't pay that much. Something like $9 per month sounds more realistic and still many people would think it twice. People hate subscriptions even in America and the uk so you'd need to add a lot of value to convince them to subscribe. Also, apple takes like a 30% cut + a yearly fee.

Other than that, iOS is overall a much more lucrative plattform than android, so if you do it right you can make some decent money.

rafark said:

$60 per month for this is close to impossible. People won't pay that much. Something like $9 per month sounds more realistic and still many people would think it twice. People hate subscriptions even in America and the uk so you'd need to add a lot of value to convince them to subscribe. Also, apple takes like a 30% cut + a yearly fee.

Other than that, iOS is overall a more lucrative plattform than android, so if you do it right you can make some decent money.

Click to expand...

I plan to make amazing app because I am keto fan, this is my passion, I want to help people and make something big. I feel like I started with Android, boosted with enthusiasm and fresh energy.
Huge database of meals, products. AI to calculate macros to their poll, tracking, diary. It's like creating them real diets by dietetic.
I think they will pay for this such money or even more. Professional diet is expensive, people don't like to go to specialists, they just feel shame.

Anyway, this would be also great business to make a website but in iOS, what's lure me is the easy subscription process, no problems with payment processors/chargebacks and my mobile experience.



Also you don't understand how it works.
It's free trial and after 7 days, bump! Bill $15
People just forgot to cancel trial

Yes iOS users pay much more than android users. Free tiral is correct, I see %60 more payments in trials than normal buys. But even iOS, the point in subscription in long term is, making smaller accounts and as much as users you can. Many fall this trap, making the price high doesnt make any sense, remember, the top earners are the ones who sell it the most cheaper. Walmart family is one of the richest in USA. The top profit maker car companies are Renault, Toyoto, NOT Ferrari, Lamborghini or Bugatti. Oh, and to make an app approved in iOS is another version of pain in ass.

meannn said:

Yes iOS users pay much more than android users. Free tiral is correct, I see %60 more payments in trials than normal buys. But even iOS, the point in subscription in long term is, making smaller accounts and as much as users you can. Many fall this trap, making the price high doesnt make any sense, remember, the top earners are the ones who sell it the most cheaper. Walmart family is one of the richest in USA. The top profit maker car companies are Renault, Toyoto, NOT Ferrari, Lamborghini or Bugatti. Oh, and to make an app approved in iOS is another version of pain in ass.

Click to expand...

I don't want to be Renault or Bugatti. I want stable 10k$/month from this on start. It means, I need only 150-200 paying users, it's 1% from 15k-20k installs.
Maybe you have right, I will experiment with few diet apps, I just need an engine for this.

My input from experience is, to achieve $500 revenue;

Finding 100 users who pay $4.99 is MUCH MORE easier than
Finding 10 users who pay $49.99

And for your theory about 1 tap purchase, Apple just updated their payment gateway in a response of abusers and many complaints from users. I just saw it on tech news 3-4 days ago.
Because some fitness and health iOS apps abused the 1 tap fingerprint as hell. They were encouraging users to tap fingerprint saying its about getting your health.

meannn said:

My input from experience is, to achieve $500 revenue;

Finding 100 users who pay $4.99 is MUCH MORE easier than
Finding 10 users who pay $49.99

And for your theory about 1 tap purchase, Apple just updated their payment gateway in a response of abusers and many complaints from users. I just saw it on tech news 3-4 days ago.
Because some fitness and health iOS apps abused the 1 tap fingerprint as hell. They were encouraging users to tap fingerprint saying its about getting your health.

Click to expand...

Anyway, i am into Want to check iOS for white hat revenue. Android is profitable only with blackhat or if you are huge brand
I am just tired fighting with Google Play, maybe in next 3 years ill resign from Android or they make some changes critical to blackhat. Then what?
With iOS apps you can have revenue for next 15 years, especialy they are planning to connect with mac appstore and unify the ecosystem.
Not worry about bans, ad networks, ecpm or seasons in advertising budgets.

Just peace of mind and feel that you are making something good.

Awesome! Good luck on your journey bro!

Here is the post I found it Its also about fitness. Not sure its a luck or you already know it.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/3/18123644/ios-app-scam-fitness-tracking-touch-id-trick-payments

meannn said:

Here is the post I found it Its also about fitness. Not sure its a luck or you already know it.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/3/18123644/ios-app-scam-fitness-tracking-touch-id-trick-payments

Click to expand...

Nah, I want to make only clean, white hat and fair with Apple policy. This ecosystem is growing so much, that I don't want to loose it.
iPhones may sell worse now but even Tim Cook told this month, they are planning to change prices policy.
I think it's sleeping lion, iOS can change everything in future. Especialy connected with mac store and ARM.

I respect companies, who cares about developers. Google just fck them in ass. The market will not forgive it in next years.

Don’t forget the 30% apple cut for the subscriptions

TiagoS said:

Don’t forget the 30% apple cut for the subscriptions

Click to expand...

first year, after that 15%

Are you going to promote your app?which ways?

The best thing in apple store is that you don't wake up in sweat everyday to check if your account is banned

I made iOs version of my android app and it was completly disaster-only few downloads, but I didn't make any promotion.dissapointed a bit with ios

vinku said:

I respect companies, who cares about developers.

Click to expand...

Their publishing process is rather painfull. You can push app update and it will be rejected with 1 warning,after you try to fix it and push update again it can be rejected with 3 warnings-the same app.so depends on reviewer,~2 days for review process

Also sometimes they can't clarify how to fix problems-reviewer just write "minimum functionality" .but you can call them and ask some questions about your app rejection

Tomasson said:

Their publishing process is rather painfull. You can push app update and it will be rejected with 1 warning,after you try to fix it and push update again it can be rejected with 3 warnings-the same app.so depends on reviewer,~2 days for review process

Also sometimes they can't clarify how to fix problems-reviewer just write "minimum functionality" .but you can call them and ask some questions about your app rejection

Click to expand...

Really 2 days for process ? its been 10 days and my app is still in review. Its not an update though, but app submission.

meannn said:

Really 2 days for process ? its been 10 days and my app is still in review. Its not an update though, but app submission.

Click to expand...

yes,2 days for submission.sometimes it was 4 days,depends on holidays and weekends maybe

I subscribe to multiple applications and don't even use them, I need to unsubscribe now...

UPDATE - I MADE MY WORK STUFF READY
HACKINTOSHED MY DELL OPTIPLEX 9020
-i5 4 cores 4th generation
-ssd 256 gb plextor
-12gb RAM (ill expand to 32gb)

1. Installed xCode (the appstore works like crazy^^)
2. Installed Android Studio for my android work, works faster than on Windows (WTF)
3. Changed all shortcuts to Windows like, now it's like super fast Windows 10^^

Plan for next days: buy iPhone
Let's start learning, 4 hours / day

are you sure you can upload your app from a Hacintosh to the app store?, i have read its impossible unless you have a mac, but hey if it worked for you please update!
im also looking forward to see your method in IOS, unfortunately i failed hard but i have no programming skills on IOS i just tried to re-skin some apps and none of them passed the reviewer,
i stilll have my mac and my iphone and my account is activated, and im making 10$/day on android from one account, my peak was 70$/day on android, and i lost my motivation failing, but im looking forward to get back in buisness and maybe i will do a journey to, do you have some advices for me regarding IOS/Android re-skining?
and good luck in your journey (y)