Monetizing A Business App Using Ad Networks

Getting Started Newbie Questions
#1

Hi All,

I am developing an app for a bar/restaurant which has the following functionality:-

  1. Deliver periodic Special Offers and Deals to the app user

  2. Display Upcoming Special Events (Valentines Party/Xmas Party/NYE Party)

  3. A ‘Stamp My Card’ facility like most coffee shops have these days (buy 6 get next 1 free)

  4. Contact Us page with links to Social Media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram)

The app is going to be free for the user to download.

I need to be able to monetize the app using the APPROPRIATE use of ads.

All of the ad networks that I have seen working with Corona deliver ads for games but it is neither appropriate nor relevant for the app to display ads for games.

Are there any ad networks that work with Corona that are more business orientated and in particular geared to delivering relevant ads for the Hospitality Industry?

All help on this matter will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

#2

Vungle:

  • Books & Reference
  • Business
  • Catalogs
  • Comics
  • Communication
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Finance
  • Food & Drink
  • Games
  • … and many more

I’m sure other ad providers can be set up likewise.

#3

Hi Ed,

Thanks for the pointer to Vungle - I thought the Ad Networks weren’t just for Games but thought I’d ask the Community first.

I have signed up to Vungle and hopefully will post back with some positive feedback.

Thanks for your help (again!).

Anil

#4

Hi anil8,

I also need to develop an app with those requirements. Have you found a solution for the ‘Stamp my Card’ feature?

I’m not sure how to go about implementing this.

Thanks

#5

Hi ChunkyApps,

Both of our apps went live on the Apple Store, Google Store and Amazon Store in the last couple of days with the feature list in my original post.

We decided not to add the Monetization in this release as we just wanted to get the app out there but will definately be implementing Vungle ads in the next few weeks.

With regards to the ‘Stamp My Card’ feature - this has been successfully implemented in one of the apps. Please let me know what issues you are having in implementing this type of feature and  will try to point you in the right direction.

Anil

#6

Thanks Anil,

I am just not sure how to go about doing the ‘Stamp My Card’ feature.

I’ve seen some that require the cashier to type in a code.

Others that let the cashier take a picture of a barcode.

Any help you could provide on how you decided to implement the function would be greatly appreciated.

#7

@ChunkyApps,

I have successfully implemented the ‘Stamp My Card’ feature in the following app that was approved on all the stores about a week ago. The venue is currently producing the supporting marketing material (point of sale posters, menu insets, web site links) and are officially launching the app for 1st August.

Heres the app links :

Joe’s Chicken Feed

 

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/joes-chicken-feed/id992269908

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riverfine.chickenfeed

 

http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Kitchen-Chicken-Loyalty-Lovers/dp/B00Z4N5OTA

 

 

The app works as follows :-

 

 

  1. The customer comes to the venue and orders a Half Bird

 

  1. He receives a stamp on his digital card.

 

  1. After receiving 6 stamps and completing his card, the next time he comes to the venue he can redeem his card for a free Half Bird.

 

  1. The card is redeemed by the Cashier who inputs a code (which is changed on a regular basis). I don’t use Barcodes or QR Codes as these libraries are not really available for Corona (at the moment). Sergei I believe is working on a QR Code library.

 

 

The implementation is as follows :-

 

  1. There is an SQLite table on the local device that records the number of stamps that have been collected.

 

  1. There are 6 different images of the card in various states (unstamped, 1 stamp, 2 stamps … 6 stamps) and depending on the current ‘stamped counter’ the appropriate image is displayed.

 

  1. Every time the card is stamped, it is validated against the latest stamp/redemption code and if successful the counter is incremented and saved back to the SQLite table and the next image is displayed.

 

Hope this helps - please let me know if there is anything in particular you need more help or advice on.

 

 

 

#8

Thanks Anil,

I appreciate the insight. I’ve downloaded your apps to see the process. Nice job!

I wish the process of manually entering the redemption code could be streamlined but it seems an acceptable process by the bar/restaurant owners. I have researched many apps in that category and found most using that process. Although some do provide an option of scanning a code.

I assume you have a database sitting online where the bar owner can change the code whenever they wish?

Thanks for all of your help. It is much appreciated. I would love to discuss other topics (not necessarily Corona related) such as how willing are the bar owners to buy an app over a website, how much are they willing to pay,  etc?

I have been researching over the last few weeks and have some ideas of my own. If you’re interested in talking more, you can email me at noah(at)chunkyapps(dot)com.

Thanks again!

#9

Hi Noah,

The reason for most bars using a manual code is that it is very easy to implement and relatively secure in that the code can be changed instantly by using the back of house CMS. I use Parse on the back end and SQLite on the device but you could use any back end provider you like e.g. Coronium.

The other alternatives of bar codes/qr codes currently means having to use Enterprise and native code/plugins as there are no Corona libraries generally available and even then the app user would need to have installed a QR Code reader beforehand - I couldn’t justify the additional expense of an Enterprise licence and then either having to write the native code or paying someone to write the code it just wasn’t feasible (or any better than the manual code really).

I’ll drop you a line at your personal email and we can discuss offline.

Cheers

#10

Vungle:

  • Books & Reference
  • Business
  • Catalogs
  • Comics
  • Communication
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Finance
  • Food & Drink
  • Games
  • … and many more

I’m sure other ad providers can be set up likewise.

#11

Hi Ed,

Thanks for the pointer to Vungle - I thought the Ad Networks weren’t just for Games but thought I’d ask the Community first.

I have signed up to Vungle and hopefully will post back with some positive feedback.

Thanks for your help (again!).

Anil

#12

Hi anil8,

I also need to develop an app with those requirements. Have you found a solution for the ‘Stamp my Card’ feature?

I’m not sure how to go about implementing this.

Thanks

#13

Hi ChunkyApps,

Both of our apps went live on the Apple Store, Google Store and Amazon Store in the last couple of days with the feature list in my original post.

We decided not to add the Monetization in this release as we just wanted to get the app out there but will definately be implementing Vungle ads in the next few weeks.

With regards to the ‘Stamp My Card’ feature - this has been successfully implemented in one of the apps. Please let me know what issues you are having in implementing this type of feature and  will try to point you in the right direction.

Anil

#14

Thanks Anil,

I am just not sure how to go about doing the ‘Stamp My Card’ feature.

I’ve seen some that require the cashier to type in a code.

Others that let the cashier take a picture of a barcode.

Any help you could provide on how you decided to implement the function would be greatly appreciated.

#15

@ChunkyApps,

I have successfully implemented the ‘Stamp My Card’ feature in the following app that was approved on all the stores about a week ago. The venue is currently producing the supporting marketing material (point of sale posters, menu insets, web site links) and are officially launching the app for 1st August.

Heres the app links :

Joe’s Chicken Feed

 

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/joes-chicken-feed/id992269908

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riverfine.chickenfeed

 

http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Kitchen-Chicken-Loyalty-Lovers/dp/B00Z4N5OTA

 

 

The app works as follows :-

 

 

  1. The customer comes to the venue and orders a Half Bird

 

  1. He receives a stamp on his digital card.

 

  1. After receiving 6 stamps and completing his card, the next time he comes to the venue he can redeem his card for a free Half Bird.

 

  1. The card is redeemed by the Cashier who inputs a code (which is changed on a regular basis). I don’t use Barcodes or QR Codes as these libraries are not really available for Corona (at the moment). Sergei I believe is working on a QR Code library.

 

 

The implementation is as follows :-

 

  1. There is an SQLite table on the local device that records the number of stamps that have been collected.

 

  1. There are 6 different images of the card in various states (unstamped, 1 stamp, 2 stamps … 6 stamps) and depending on the current ‘stamped counter’ the appropriate image is displayed.

 

  1. Every time the card is stamped, it is validated against the latest stamp/redemption code and if successful the counter is incremented and saved back to the SQLite table and the next image is displayed.

 

Hope this helps - please let me know if there is anything in particular you need more help or advice on.

 

 

 

#16

Thanks Anil,

I appreciate the insight. I’ve downloaded your apps to see the process. Nice job!

I wish the process of manually entering the redemption code could be streamlined but it seems an acceptable process by the bar/restaurant owners. I have researched many apps in that category and found most using that process. Although some do provide an option of scanning a code.

I assume you have a database sitting online where the bar owner can change the code whenever they wish?

Thanks for all of your help. It is much appreciated. I would love to discuss other topics (not necessarily Corona related) such as how willing are the bar owners to buy an app over a website, how much are they willing to pay,  etc?

I have been researching over the last few weeks and have some ideas of my own. If you’re interested in talking more, you can email me at noah(at)chunkyapps(dot)com.

Thanks again!

#17

Hi Noah,

The reason for most bars using a manual code is that it is very easy to implement and relatively secure in that the code can be changed instantly by using the back of house CMS. I use Parse on the back end and SQLite on the device but you could use any back end provider you like e.g. Coronium.

The other alternatives of bar codes/qr codes currently means having to use Enterprise and native code/plugins as there are no Corona libraries generally available and even then the app user would need to have installed a QR Code reader beforehand - I couldn’t justify the additional expense of an Enterprise licence and then either having to write the native code or paying someone to write the code it just wasn’t feasible (or any better than the manual code really).

I’ll drop you a line at your personal email and we can discuss offline.

Cheers