Let’s suppose your company has a very robust paid-only business model. What would happen if another company came by and offered a similar product for free? The threat is very real and has happened to many companies already. That’s why you might consider taking your company into a freemium business model for your games, apps, software, and other products and services. It is widely known that freemium can bring in major revenue, even though it seems like you are giving away a product or service for free.  A free download will get 10 times the users as a paid app as 95% of users will never pay.  It also provides the opportunity for different business models like in-app advertising or offer walls.

The first thing to think about when changing to a freemium business model is cost. It should cost you very little to distribute your game or app over the web or through email. If you’ve already got a solid and loyal customer base, you can cross-promote new products. Your product will benefit from going viral if possible. It also helps to have strong social media following on sites like Facebook and Twitter so you can get the word out about your freemium products.

It may be difficult to differentiate your paid offering from your free one. That is where a company like W3i comes in. They can help you transition from a paid to freemium business model, and handle the marketing side of the business while you work on developing your app or game. Your customers have to love your product or they will not use it—so having a freemium model marketing company on your side can only help matters.

Changing to a freemium model or adding freemium products to your already-successful business model isn’t easy, but it can be well worth it. Let your loyal customer base try something new from you and protect your company from competitors who might offer similar products for free. Allow W3i to help; they can be reached at W3i.com.