Follow these 5 easy steps to boost your in-app purchases in 2020!

Let me first talk about the current quarantine time, and literally how boring it is! To top that off, I am using my smartphone like a madman, whether it is listening to songs while taking a shower, playing mobile games with friends, or merely browsing various social networking applications. This new daily routine had me concerned until I looked at mobile users' average data in Australia. On average, Aussies spend around 9.4 hours in front of their mobile screens! This fact is shocking as, on average, Aussies sleep for 7.3 hours each day. So, we are literally giving most of our precious time to our mobile devices, rather than getting a peaceful shut-eye time.

Now taking from a marketer's perspective, this shocking fact is more like a boon for mobile marketing. We already know that 90% of people love to shop via their mobile devices. What's more interesting is that they are 24 percent more likely to spend money on in-app purchases as they make those purchases. Curiously, a big chunk of the benefit goes directly to the creator of the app. Nevertheless, if nobody uses your in-app purchases, there would be no room for improvements. Luckily, there are a few tactics that you can use to get those in-app sales up and make your strategy to monetize your app in 2020, and see immediate results.

1. Keep your users pinned

In-app purchases can become very profitable, but no method to monetize the app will work if your users are not already hooked to your application. You are designing your app to suit the user's needs, let them experience your app's benefits as soon as they first turn it on. Let them play around with it and have fun free of charge until they get used to your application. If they get impressed with your app, they will definitely opt-in for in-app purchases.

2. Boost your in-app purchases

Once you're trying to monetize your app, promotion is absolutely essential. It's merely common sense because if people don't realize you've got something to sell, they won't get a chance to buy it. As an example, the iPhone App Store makes this task relatively simple. Up to 20 in-app purchases can be advertised directly on your App Store description page, enabling users to see how they can use your app at a fair price.

Put it all together with a discounted price in a bundle-pack, and your customers can start to see the real value in your in-app purchases. This will really enable you to monetize your application towards something profitable.

3. Shun clickbait

Make sure you are straightforward and honest about your in-app purchase promotions. We all know that those misleading little online commercials that advertise one thing and then offer something else weaken your confidence and connection with your buyers. Of course, these clickbait ads could pull in a few passive clicks, but they won't help turn those clicks into active digital sales.

4. Incorporate timely discounts

You must step up your game, considering the cut-throat competition in the smartphone app environment. One of the techniques you can adopt is to have limited-time discounts. In doing so, you get the app users to praise the application and receive word of mouth promotions simultaneously.

5. Profit from Push Notifications

In-app transactions are challenging, as tonnes of ups and downs are present to promote in-app purchases. One of the drawbacks is that, along the way, smartphone users frequently seem to abandon their online shopping carts. You can simply make the use of push notifications to address this problem.

Let me first explain what push notifications are. Well, these notifications help remind the smartphone users of checking their carts to buy goods and services. Furthermore, you must design and structure the message properly when you come up with these alerts. For example, you should highlight the personal benefits that your app can provide to the user while reminding them to process checkout simultaneously. When you have correctly packed the alerts, you will see a significant rise in revenue. Nevertheless, you should make sure to never bombard your users with notifications, as it can drive them away!

---

• These strategies are loosely based on Andreas M. Kaplan's 'Four I's' advice for mobile marketing. Please have a look at Kaplan's journal if you want detailed information into these strategies

• All the gifs and videos are embedded from the official online accounts of BTS

• The Display cover image is 'labeled for reuse'