Billing on Mobile

Not our words but this comes from Konny Zsigo of the Wireless Developer Agency.

“If you’re trying to make money selling consumer games and apps, it’s time to dump your iPhone strategy and march straight back to the cellular phone carriers and beg them to take you back.” Strong words!

I think quite a few developers are starting to learn this lesson themselves. Konny’s angle is that if you are a publisher and are paying for licenses, build quality products, QA them and then pay to market them, you need to make a return on your investment. The iPhone is a paradox; it’s both a blessing and a curse for the content industry.

Of course, there is an alternative to begging the mobile operators to take you back. Why not take control and market your digital content directly to mobile visitors. Build a mobile website and promote through your existing marketing channels but also consider mobile advertising and search.

Then charge for content by integrating with a WAP billing service. You can detect mobile visitors hitting your PC website and deliver them the mobile service with a mobile friendly billing system like Bango’s seamlessly integrated into the flow.

It makes sense to cross-promote in other channels so tell your PC visitors that you have a mobile service, promote in email campaigns, I’m sure you can think of lots of other places you touch your prospects and customers.

There’s no reason why you can’t be on the carrier deck AND have a direct-to-consumer mobile service. Many of the top entertainment brands do just that!

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