Monetizing Hybrid Apps [closed]

Question

I'm looking to launch a mobile app. Since the app is fairly simple/straightforward, without the need for a ton of performance/graphics/etc, a Hybrid app seems to make a lot of sense- especially considering my limited budget. However, a big part of the business model relies on in-app purchases. Here, it seems a lot more likely to convert those sales through payment systems such as ones' iTunes account. Does anyone know if a Hybrid app, written in HTML-5 but wrapped in a native shell, can still leverage internal, immediate payment features such as the iTunes store. If not, what are the options for Hybrid apps to streamline in-app purchases?

Thanks in advance for the help with this. Very limited info on this subject out there.

Answer 1

I'm not surprised that there are no replies to this question. I've been researching hybrid mobile app monetization with limited success. I'm personally more concerned with incorporating mobile ad networks (AdMob) and socialization networks (Socialize, Facebook, Twitter) in hybrid mobile apps based on HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. I'm focusing on Android to start. PhoneGap has an AdMob plugin that works. Eclipse also has a PhoneGap plugin by MDS that makes it easy to get started.

As you get further away from native Android and closer to the cross platform build environments it becomes more difficult or impossible to use various required SDKs for monetization and socialization unless there is an existing plugin or you (and other developers) are willing to write a plugin.

Most of the cross platform build systems (PhoneGap Build, Icenium, Monaca, Titanium ...) and the MEAPs (OpenMEAP, Convertigo, WorkLight, Feed Henry, Antenna, Appcelerator...) currently have no support. Apparently, monetization and socialization are low priorities in the race of the cross development platforms.

With respect to your question about in-app purchases for cross platform mobile development, there are two exceptions that I am aware of, the Intel XDK and the AppMobi Cloud Services SDK. The Intel XDK, largely based on it's acquisition of AppMobi and it's HTML5M App Center, has implemented this through 1Touch.

http://html5dev-software.intel.com/

http://www.appmobi.com/

http://www.appmobi.com/amdocs/lib/Article-1TouchInventory.pdf?r=4960

They also have references that advertising will be coming soon as well.

You can also develop hybrid Intel HTML5 apps without using the Intel XDK by using the AppHub Cloud Services.

http://www.html5dev-software.intel.com/amdocs/lib/Article-DevelopingOutsideXDK.pdf

Good luck.

Answer 2

There are various ad networks that have respective Cordova plug-ins that you can use should you choose to go hybrid via Cordova e.g. AdMob (https://github.com/rajpara11/phonegap-plugins/tree/master/Android/AdMobPlugin), RevMob (http://sdk.revmob.com/cordova) etc

If In-App purchase is your thing, then there are plug-ins for this as well: https://github.com/phonegap/phonegap-plugins/tree/master/iOS/InAppPurchaseManager.

As for platform of choice, I would definitely recommend Icenium, which was just officially released and has really matured. Their major version scheduled one month from now would enable users to take advantage of custom Cordova plug-ins.

Answer 3

The trick is to call the advertisements in the native layer instead of the WebView, essentially running Ads outside/ontop of the HTML5 portion. This typically requires use of an IDE to implement.