Here are the problems with only spending $30 on ads.
#1. Ads are experiments both is where they're located but also the text, target, etc. IE: you didn't spend nearly enough and try enough possible ads to get anywhere.
#2. You're only charging $.99 - This just flat out doesn't work as a model unless you're a novelty that goes viral. Even then though, the majority of apps that achieve this are running at a $.99 price point in order maximize downloads and not revenues because they capture an audience to their brand or via social networks and eventually market expansions, in app purchases, or other materials (the moron test is a great example of this).
Like another user said your purchase rate isn't going to drop horribly when doubling to $1.99. Once a user has made the decision to purchase an application, by which I mean spend any amount of money, the difference of a dollar in the mind is minimal. It's the hurdle between free and paid that creates a huge barrier in conversions.
Example: Currently you have ~4% conversion rate (with that demographic at least). This means that at $1 price point (and because of apple fees, $.70 profit) you'll need to spend less than $.027 per click to the page to break even.
Now under the assumption that you drop down to a 3% conversion rate when doubling your price. You'll make $1.39 per purchase, meaning you can spend $.042 per click to break even.
Lastly, while still on this note... you're unable to ever offer a 'sale' unless you'd like to go temporarily free. Sales, while not a huge deal for applications that no one has really heard of... they do still drive people to purchase through impulse if they were already thinking about it.
Warning: While I say this and it tends to be true... test it... always test it! Play with different prices and see what happens.
#3. Offer upgrades/in app purchases. If someone has already come to pay $1 for the application, they're likely to invest more into the game.
Hacker News is not ALWAYS about tech and programming. It's a means of sharing stories with people of a similar interest. It just so happens this became a big deal and everyone found it important to make sure everyone was aware.
Additionally, this does actually reference technology and programming and the web. "Online freedom" is a big deal for everyone here. Major websites like Facebook and Twitter being used to track what we are doing by one or many Nation's governments is something to discuss.
It appears as though the author is unaware that this feature has been here the entire time. This 'leaderboard' has always been accessible to anyone and everyone. In the past it was an out of app mechanism, I would have to go to the site and go to made up example url: snapchat/user/Mitchella to find the information but it would still show my 'score' and my 'most snapchatted to list.
The Yahoo inbox has been broken for years. It's one of the main reasons I switched over to google. Honestly I'm impartial to the idea of them using it for targeted advertising, the majority of sites I visit have a retargeting system or something else.... plus, I'm a facebook users.
This new email targeting change is making me believe more and more that the purchase of tumblr was in fact related to yahoo's shift towards improving revenues from advertising.
I have used yahoo mail for something like 15 years. Mail comes in, mail goes out. It is stored, and very easily manageable. On top of that, I have never ever been let down by it.
So, what are talking about? How is it broken.
And you switched to gmail? I have one of those too. Cant stand it. Yeah, it works perfectly well, but I personally cant get on with its design and interface at all.
You should not be 'angel investing'. Here is why: you don't have pre-established terms and contracts that state the exact terms.
If you gave me money with the only requirement being that I 'pay you back', all that means to me is. Give me $XX... I'll give you EXACTLY that amount back later on. No more, no less.
The beer online is the part that's most likely to be illegal. Even if legal it's risky. If someone underage faked their ID and you sold to them anyways and something were to happen that could come back very negatively in many different ways (IE: lose of licenses, lawsuits, potential criminal charges).
This is a legal/finance question. Go talk to legal/finance guys about this issue. Why am I passing your question off onto someone else. 1. Getting it wrong by listening to a random forum poster could bankrupt you. 2. Answering questions like this can get people into trouble if "1." happens. 3. Each company needs something different and is unique in structure so your case needs to be looked at due to unique factors you may be subject to that we do not know about from a 4 line message.
#1. Ads are experiments both is where they're located but also the text, target, etc. IE: you didn't spend nearly enough and try enough possible ads to get anywhere.
#2. You're only charging $.99 - This just flat out doesn't work as a model unless you're a novelty that goes viral. Even then though, the majority of apps that achieve this are running at a $.99 price point in order maximize downloads and not revenues because they capture an audience to their brand or via social networks and eventually market expansions, in app purchases, or other materials (the moron test is a great example of this).
Like another user said your purchase rate isn't going to drop horribly when doubling to $1.99. Once a user has made the decision to purchase an application, by which I mean spend any amount of money, the difference of a dollar in the mind is minimal. It's the hurdle between free and paid that creates a huge barrier in conversions.
Example: Currently you have ~4% conversion rate (with that demographic at least). This means that at $1 price point (and because of apple fees, $.70 profit) you'll need to spend less than $.027 per click to the page to break even.
Now under the assumption that you drop down to a 3% conversion rate when doubling your price. You'll make $1.39 per purchase, meaning you can spend $.042 per click to break even.
Lastly, while still on this note... you're unable to ever offer a 'sale' unless you'd like to go temporarily free. Sales, while not a huge deal for applications that no one has really heard of... they do still drive people to purchase through impulse if they were already thinking about it.
Warning: While I say this and it tends to be true... test it... always test it! Play with different prices and see what happens.
#3. Offer upgrades/in app purchases. If someone has already come to pay $1 for the application, they're likely to invest more into the game.