Beginner's Guide to Launch a Subscription-Based Android App

A detailed guide on creating an Android app and launch it.

Do you wish to learn how to create subscription-based apps? You've come to the correct place. First, we will go through the many models that are employed.

With the aid of the right business strategy, an app can be turned into a service.

App Business Models

There are four main sorts of business models that can be followed:

  1. Free Apps
  2. Freemium Apps
  3. On-off Fee
  4. Subscriptions


1. Free Apps

These apps generate cash by displaying advertisements to users while they use the app.

2.Freemium Apps

These apps are available at no cost. However, the free version has restricted functionality. Users will have to pay a charge to have access to further features. The cost might be ongoing (for example, every year) or one-time.

3.On-off Fee

These applications must be bought in order to be installed. Some may charge you for big improvements that are released in the future. However, most apps provide free upgrades.

4.Subscriptions

Subscription-based applications can be either paid or premium. They provide a variety of services and features for a fixed monthly or annual subscription.

Step-by-step Guide on Subscription-based App Development

Subscription-based app development is building an application that customers pay for membership in order to access and use. Companies like Spotify are pioneering this new method of software distribution. Subscriptions allow users to use the service as much or as little as they desire. This business is expanding, but with it comes new concerns. While there are numerous ideas and tactics to make the process go more smoothly, they involve significant work.

We've concentrated on the fundamental steps required and listed them below:

  1. Brainstorming
  2. Choosing an app type and platform
  3. Monetization
  4. The Design Phase
  5. Process of Development
  6. Advertising and Promotion

1. Brainstorming

The first stage in developing an app is to collect ideas. This is where we determine the app's purpose and how the user will interact with it. We also pick which features to include in the app and which to exclude.

2. Choosing an app type and platform

Many businesses provide identical products and services, yet they differ in some ways.

Making your app stand out from the crowd is the greatest method to get it noticed.

And in order to accomplish so, you must first prepare and understand what you provide, why it is good, and how it differs from the competitors.

Consider your app to be a product. You must decide how it will function, who will use it, and how much money you will gain from it. But, before considering such aspects, choose a platform on which to construct your app. Look at your rivals' products and observe which ones do better in downloads and user engagement, then try to find out why they performed better than yours.

3. Monetization

The most basic subscription model is charging consumers once after they have downloaded the app. Netflix, for example, has iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch applications that allow mobile users to view unlimited streaming movies and TV episodes. The app is free, but membership is required to use it on several devices at the same time.

4. The Design Phase

A strong development strategy may help you save time and money. The Design Phase is the first stage of app development. During this phase, the development team will go over your project with you and learn about your requirements before finalizing an app design. You may speed up the process by engaging with professionals who offer the service. 

5. Process of Development

Once your app's design has been finalized, the developers will begin the second step of the process. This is known as the Development Phase. During this phase, they will build your app and develop the code. They will proceed to the testing phase after the MVP has been produced. They test all of your app's features here before making it available to end consumers. Once you and the developers are satisfied that everything works well, they will publish it on Google Play, the Apple App Store, or the platform of your choice.

6. Advertising and Promotion

Maintaining both active consumers and a viable business strategy at the same time might be difficult!
You could win with smart marketing, strong retention methods, and a clear grasp of your consumers' requirements.
Subscription applications, as opposed to one-time purchases or apps that provide in-app purchases, need a recurring payment for access to the service. The success of such an application is contingent on its users' loyalty. When we like an app as users, we tend to keep it for a long period. As a result, even once the app's development phase is over, the app must be updated on a regular basis to give clients the most up-to-date features.

Subscriber Management in Subscription-Based Apps

The primary purpose of subscription-based apps is to acquire and retain a subscriber base. This appears to be an easy task, but it is not. Customer management is critical to the success of any subscription-based apps.

1. Welcome New Customers

Onboarding may be as simple as a walkthrough or as complex as multi-level client training.
When you offer your product to new customers, the process of showing them how to use it is known as onboarding. Here are some onboarding metrics to help measure the effectiveness. 

Assume you're trying to promote a fitness app. In that scenario, you might send an introduction email to each set of users with links to videos, or you could even establish an online course for people who are concerned about their health and fitness.

2. Subscription Delivery Services

You must ensure that your subscribers always obtain the service they subscribed for in order to promote customer loyalty and support the longest feasible subscription time.

3. Control Recurring Billing

For recurring payments, you can set up a system that automatically renews the membership every month (or year).

Add a reminder, so consumers don't forget to pay their bills. As soon as the money is processed and the subscription plan is activated, notify your subscriber that they have a few days before their next payment is due. This allows individuals to skip or terminate their plan if they no longer desire it.

You can instead reach out to Appflow.ai and grab all the required services like Subscription Analytics service, A/B testing and more which are essential for your subscription-based App all in one place.

Conclusion

Subscription-based applications have been there for quite some time now. Some of the first products published under this model were games such as "Theme Park," which allowed unrestricted access to a game's content for a monthly charge.

The real benefit of this app monetization technique is that it allows developers to make recurring money from a client base that they can engage with on a regular basis. It also reduces the barrier to entry into the market because customers can sign up for an initial free trial or make an in-app payment to access premium features rather than purchasing a complete app upfront.

Appflow.ai helps you implement in-app subscriptions easily and fast, as it serves as your in-app subscription backend infrastructure, combined with in-depth subscription revenue analytics, paywall a/b testing, remote configuration for in-app messages and push notifications. An all-in-one platform empowers your subscription app success.  

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Beginner's Guide to Launch a Subscription-Based Android App

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