How to Make Offerwalls Work for You in Your Free App

Whether you've been developing apps for a long time or are just starting, the world of app development is an appealing idea these days. There are millions of apps available for download, and the number is growing all the time.

We know that by 2020, people will spend around 80% of their online time on their phones rather than on a desktop or laptop computer. The use of mobile internet is the way of the future. And, when it comes to mobile users, app-centered activity accounts for around 85% of all phone activity. When you combine the two figures, you get a picture of the software landscape. Almost everyone uses the internet on their phones, and the vast majority of them use apps rather than a web browser.

The moral of the storey is that if you want to make it as a developer, apps are crucial.

Still, not everything in the app world is rainbows and sunshine (though there's certainly an app named "Sunshine and Rainbows" — or, if there isn't already, there will be). It's simply a question of statistical likelihood). What exactly do we mean? To put it bluntly, there are some really dismal statistics about how many apps are genuinely financially viable. According to some estimates, barely 5/100th of one percent of apps are "financially successful." This isn't a typo: we're talking about 0.05 percent.

So, while the app market offers a lot of opportunities, it also offers a lot of competition. You'll need a strong app monetization strategy if you want to make it as a developer. We've discussed numerous approaches to monetize your mobile app before at RapidoReach. We're going to concentrate on one method in particular today: offerwalls.

What are offerwalls, exactly?

Some of the more common methods of app monetization, such as in-app purchases and rewarded video, are probably recognisable to you. Mobile advertising, of course, continues to expand and affect the mobile monetization landscape in 2020. However, there is an often-overlooked method that can be beneficial to mobile developers. This is referred to as an offerwall.

Offerwalls can provide great eCPM (effective cost per mile) results. In other words, they can be an effective and efficient approach for an app developer to generate ad money.

What is an offerwall, and how does it work? It's a page in your app where consumers are presented with a special offer. They are rewarded with something once they fulfil the deal. This can manifest itself in a variety of ways. For example, after a user downloads another app, you might reward them with some currency in a game app. After seeing a video commercial, a user could be able to unlock a feature in your app.

What makes offerwalls so powerful?

There are a few reasons why offerwalls are so effective. First and foremost, the offer or advertisement is shown to the user directly in your app. Second, there's no way to turn down the offer. They won't be able to ignore it. It's not a banner flying around the corners of their screen; it's a pop-up or landing page of some sort that they must interact with before they can return to their previous activity. This has the potential to turn them into long-term revenue producers.

What are the drawbacks of using offerwalls?

Offerwalls, on the other hand, can be a turnoff for users for the same reasons they can be beneficial. When confronted with an offerwall, some users may become frustrated and abandon your app as a result. After all, no one likes being bombarded with advertisements, especially when they're in the middle of an app. Furthermore, a "effective" offerwall encounter frequently results in a user leaving your app to download another app or complete an external offer. You might not be able to reclaim a user's attention once they've moved on to another app or website. Offerwalls aren't the most widely used ad format. They've even been dubbed "infamous" and "outdated" by some.

Nonetheless, there are numerous reasons to employ them.

Offerwalls can be a lucrative revenue source. Certain game genres and economies benefit from them the most. Which ones are they? What are the best ways to make the most of them?

We've gathered all of the information in one spot.

In the case of mobile games, there are offerwalls.

There were offerwalls before there were rewarded video advertising. This ad style is the first in mobile gaming to use opt-in incentivized advertising. Despite the fact that they have created history, they are not yet extinct. Offerwalls are still used by many mobile publishers. This is how they function. Offerwalls resemble mini-stores within the game. They provide a list of actions that gamers can complete to earn a reward. Examples of these actions are:

• Completing a survey
• Registering for a free trial
• Obtaining a game download
• Getting to level 5 in a different game
• Purchasing something in another game's in-app store

Because offerwalls necessitate a high level of engagement, the reward must be sufficiently valuable. This is usually in-game money.This brings me to my next point: offerwalls are more effective in games with a hard currency. Hard currency is something that players always want but never have. Here's a scenario in which gamers might interact with an offerwall.

Your players are approaching a critical point in the game. They discover, however, that they are out of hard cash, such as guns. A pop-up that says "Earn guns" shows instead of making a purchase or waiting for in-game incentives. Players are not compelled to participate in it; rather, they choose to do so. Furthermore, consumers have the option of selecting from a variety of offers including varying amounts of gems. They make a decision based on the amount of time they have available, their interests, and their requirements.

The Benefits of Offerwalls

Offerwalls, like other types of in-app advertisements, assist developers in monetizing more players. If your game is built on in-app purchases, the majority of your gamers are already non-payers. As a result, even if only a few of them use offerwalls, you've already won.

Some developers are concerned that in-app adverts may eat into IAP revenue.

They aren't supposed to be. The eCPMs of offerwalls are another "pro." It's not easy to get players to finish actions. They are time-consuming, but they may provide advertisers with engaged, high-quality users. As a result, advertisers are willing to spend more for offerwalls, resulting in high eCPMs for publishers. Opt-in advertising is often tolerated by players. Offerwalls do not detract from the user experience because users choose to interact with them. Even better if they're tailored to a game's user interface.

Finally, offerwalls can help players stick around longer. The problem is that they only function with people who are already deeply invested in the game. They are desperate for hard currency, so they go out and get it. They don't churn once the game interrupts their progress.

According to ironSource, users who engage with their offerwall have a 5 to 7 times higher retention rate than those who do not. This is true for retention on days 7, 14, and 30. Offerwalls are popular among loyal users, as evidenced by this.

The Bad News About Offerwalls

Now, let me point out some less-than-favorable aspects of offerwalls.

To begin with, offerwalls as an ad format are not supported by many ad networks. As a result, the creators' options are constrained. Furthermore, they are restricted on iOS. Apple's policy prohibits these adverts from incentivizing users to download another game or app.

As a result, cost per engagement (CPE) offers are no longer allowed on iOS offerwalls. As a result, iOS publishers are limited in the amount of offers they may make to their users. On iOS, cost per action (CPA) offerings are the major focus. Most of the time, these are various surveys or actions on the mobile web. This is a significant problem. The problem is, CPE deals are really popular among gamers. CPE offers account for 84.5 percent of offerwall revenues for Android publishers, according to RapidoReach.

We've put together a list of six best practises for incorporating offerwalls into mobile games.

1. It's Never a Bad Idea to Have a offerwall

Use these "walls" to offer more from time to time. Increase the value of offerwall prizes to give players additional motivation to interact with them.

When your traffic is at its peak, run promotions. Identify and capitalise on those peaks (e.g., weekends). Promotions should be run on a regular basis, at least once a month. Also, take advantage of important sale seasons such as Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day, and so on.

If your offerwall has a promotion, don't be bashful about letting your players know about it.

You can accomplish this by using alerts, pop-ups, or push notifications. It's up to you which ones to utilise, but make sure your participants are aware of the situation.

Those who have previously interacted with offerwalls are very likely to do so again. It's also a fantastic opportunity to reach out to some fresh offerwall users. Hopefully, after the transaction, they will continue to communicate with them.

Make the promotion's advantages evident. Make it clear that gamers will receive enhanced prizes for a limited time. Create a short sale period if you want to create a strong sense of urgency.

2. Determine the Best Reward Value

Okay, so you already know that your offerwall rewards should be valuable. But just how valuable is it? There is no other way to discover this than to do an A/B test. The incentive should be substantial enough to entice the user to participate, but not excessively so that it becomes a one-time event. The main concern is: how many rewards should users receive for every dollar they spend?

If your game is built on in-app purchases, the answer is in your in-game store. For example, if a player spends $1 at the shop for 100 points, the offerwall should return the same amount.

This, however, is not the final solution. For example, you might discover that your offerwalls are generating a lot of interest. This could be due to the high value of the offerwall prizes. In-app purchases might be a concern if you give away too much information. Testing different quantities is the only way to determine the appropriate incentive value.

Finally, make sure the award value corresponds to the adventures of your participants. If you notice a lot of players are stuck on the same levels, for example, here is a fantastic area to put an offerwall. As a result, you'll need to keep track of their in-game progress and change your offers accordingly.

3. Divide your players into groups

Never treat every single one of your players the same way. This is one of the most important monetization guidelines for mobile games. This principle also applies to this ad format: different gamers should see different offerwalls. You can segment your gamers in a variety of ways. Here are a few examples:

• Non-spenders vs. spenders
• Returning players vs. newcomers
• Players who are active vs. those who are passive
• Location Here's how having spenders and non-spenders in separate areas might help you.

You segregated your players and discovered that tier three regions have a large number of non-spending players. IAPs are unlikely to be purchased by these players.

Try to encourage them to engage with offerwalls so you can make some money off of them.

When dealing with this type of audience, you can be more aggressive than when dealing with other players. You can, for example, show offerwalls as soon as players start the game.

With these players, your goal is to increase offerwall engagement by displaying them more frequently. Just be careful not to overdo it.

4. It's All About the Positioning and Messaging

What's the best spot to put your offers? What type of call to action should you use?

First and foremost, keep in mind that players are unaware of the value of your offerwalls. It's your job to get people to want to interact with you. As a result, you must make them attractive and desirable. Offerwalls should be simply visible and accessible. They should be easy to find for any player.

The home screen and the in-game store are two typical offerwall locations. Another option is to place them at natural gameplay breaks, such as when players run out of money.

It's even possible to employ numerous positions. If you think your non-spenders won't go to the in-game store, make sure you put them wherever they'll notice them. It's also crucial to have a strong call to action. A/B testing can help you figure out which option is ideal for you.

Also Read: https://www.rapidoreach.com/blogs/b/The-Best-Strategies-for-Monetizing-Your-Game-in-2022

5. Make Them Feel Like They're Involved in the Game

Most ad networks let you customise offerwalls to match your game's user experience.

As a result, players will not regard it as an advertisement, but rather as an integral element of the game. Here are some options for customising your game:

• Color palette
• Icons in the header image (e.g., hard currency)
• Name of the currency
• In-game experiences will improve if the offerwall mixes in with the game. It makes the transition from the game to the offerwall easier for the player. As a result, there's a better likelihood they'll choose to engage with the offerwall.

6. Make Use of the Winning Ad Combination

Do you want to hear about a wonderful love storey? Offerwalls and rewarded video advertising are two types of offerwalls. This power duo can coexist, but they are most effective when they work together. Publishers who use both offerwalls and rewarded video ads earn more than those who solely use rewarded video ads. Isn't that good? In games with a dual-currency system, this combination works well. Both of these ad forms are opt-in and offer free incentives. As a result, their objectives must be distinct. Rewarded videos should result in lower-value rewards, i.e. soft cash. Offerwalls necessitate a higher level of participation from players. As a result, they ought to be more rewarding. As a result, offerwalls should always have hard currency on hand. If both of them bring hard currency, the in-game economy could collapse. The value of currency can fall if there is too much of it distributed. In a real-world economy, this would be the same as if a country printed too much money.

Offerwalls alternatives

We strive to connect app developers with incentivized survey possibilities for their apps at RapidoReach. Rewarded surveys are a great alternative to offerwalls because they allow users to earn in-app cash or unlock features without feeling bombarded with advertisements. In addition, incentivized surveys can be far more profitable for developers than in-app advertising, which often sends the majority of ad money to the ad intermediary (Google, Facebook, Amazon) rather than the developer.

The Last Word

That's all; that's all there is to know about offerwalls in mobile games.

This article should have helped you figure out if they're a good fit for your game. If you answered yes, make sure you follow industry best practises!