Monetization Overview
Updated: Aug 19, 2024
This is an overview of the monetization options, tools, and additional resources available to VR app developers who want to sell products on the Meta Horizon Store. Within this context, monetization is defined as the process of earning revenue from the sales of products on the Store.
As a developer, when you publish to the Store, you can choose from a variety of monetization models for your apps. Additionally, we’ve provided a set of self-serve tools to help you kickstart your marketing pre-launch and test into success post-launch.
Developing a monetization strategy
We’ve seen a variety of successful monetization models on the Meta Horizon platform. When deciding a model that makes sense for your app, it’s important to consider your content and audience.
The first consideration is whether to make your app free or paid. Consider a paid app if you plan to have infrequent updates to your game, and that the content is largely fixed at launch. This way, users know what to expect when they make the initial purchase.
For apps that require a larger concurrent user base to be successful, such as a competitive multiplayer game, consider the free model. Free to play apps acquire users easier, but require more effort to retain these users. Frequent app updates can help keep users engaged. Free apps require a secondary monetization model and continued experimentation to find the right target audience and business model.
The next consideration is a set of secondary monetization models that you can layer onto both paid and free apps through
Add-ons - Downloadable Content and In-App Purchases. Note that some add-on content, like consumable in-app purchases (IAP) will not be visible or purchasable for child users. For more information, see
Child user restrictions for the Platform SDK (
Unity,
Unreal,
Native).
You can enable downloadable content (DLC) and IAP to supplement your revenue. DLC can help keep your core audience engaged with large content releases and help fund future content. We recommend treating DLC like a new app launch and designing a marketing plan to build awareness.
You can enable users to purchase this content either within your app or on the Store, but it’s to your advantage to enable IAP to be shown in the Store on your app’s PDP page. To enable this, you must opt into this feature via the Developer Dashboard.
Use the following steps to show your add-ons in your PDP:
- Open your device’s browser and navigate to the Developer Dashboard.
- In the left-side navigation, select your app.
- In the left-side navigation, click Monetization > Add-ons.
- Choose your add-on from the list to see its details.
- Select Show in Store to create a store listing for this add-on with assets, descriptions, and more
- Click Publish.
Once approved, your new page will be discoverable in store search, viewable on PDP, and eligible for new promotional opportunities when we launch these merchandising features later in the year.
Subscriptions provide a way for users to purchase Store content by way of a recurring payment model. Offering subscriptions can be an attractive option for apps or games with frequent content updates or other service-like attributes. Note that optional subscriptions will not be visible or purchasable for child users. For more information, see
Child user restrictions for the Platform SDK (
Unity,
Unreal,
Native).
Optimize your monetization strategy: pre-launch
Pre-launch is the time to finalize your initial monetization model and kickstart your marketing efforts. We’ve created the following self-serve tools to help you during the pre-launch period.
Optimize your monetization strategy: post launch
It’s important to maintain an experimentation mindset post-launch by adapting to your audience and iterating your monetization and marketing strategy based on learnings. We’ve created the following self-serve tools to help you test into success during the post-launch period.
- A/B testing: Increase Store conversion by testing out different PDP variables (baseline price, key art, trailer, etc).
- Custom promo codes: Track the efficacy of marketing campaigns using promo codes.
- Try Before You Buy: Increase conversion rate and buyer confidence by enabling a trial for your app.
- Platform Sales and Promo Codes: Enroll in platform-wide sale and promo code events and test optimal prices to drive more purchase conversion and revenue.
- Bundles: Increase conversion by adding your apps into a bundle.
We’ve built a set of case studies to help you understand how other developers have used these engagement tools.