Since latest news about mass removal from Google Play I consider it to be the time to think what to do to be as little dependent as we can. True business doesn’t stand on one leg. With this in mind I want to start a discussion about ways to be really independent.
Most common situation looks like this: You have app on Google Play only and uses one or two ad networks. It has worked, but last days showed us that You never know when Google with just a few click can destroy Your income and life in result.
As far as I know there are several stores that we can use. Most popular are (besides GP):
Samsung App Store
Amazon App Store
and the rest which are not so well know (but that may change - if devs will stop uploading their apps in GP, user will start to go to other stores if they’re loyal enough).
AFAIK, Samsung is releasing Tizen OS which automatically ports to Android and iOS. That gives us one more big app store for distribution. If Samsung will release it - upcoming devices will be no more with Android. And sharemarket of Samsung devices is quite a chunk. In other words - we loose several % of income.
Amazon is playing too safe to be taken seriously now.
So, my first thought how to be more independent is to get to know Tizen (I am myself Android dev, FYI) so we can take advantage of three most important appstores - Apple Appstore, Google Play and Samung Apps. Nevertheless, Tizen is new so it can have maany bugs so it’s just one more thing to consider.
Second thing that I think may be important in following years is having Your own place in the web from which user can download Your app. Seeing how Google want to monopolize whole market (just to install apps that are not from GP You have to go to settings and check this feature). So, maybe building equivalent of mailing list (contact list?) - let’s say user base that You can reach directly is the step to take. I’m not saying to not use app stores - just use them as much to Your advantage as You can. To build Your own website nowadays it’s a matter of hours, really.
Third thing - ad networks. PingJam just showed that being GP compliant doesn’t mean that Your app is 100% safe and it’s not good to balance on the edge. You can do this in life, where is court and stuff, but when only judge is Google - it’s just not worth it. So, as to ad networks - they are popular because they are soo easy to use. You don’t have to talk to advertisers - they do it for You and in exchange You can focus on development. But…if You have some apps and they are niche-based maybe there is someone who could pay You directly for including their banner in You app? Then You get agreement and regular payment. But, for know - ad networks are not in danger to be monopolized and they don’t have so much power over our work. Remember, ad networks are the middle-man’s. You can cut them out.
If You have Your own ideas how to protect Your business - share it here. I started this thread here because more people to his section of the forum than the one that this thread should belong to - so I hope admins will understand that.