I removed the ads from Selah Chords. As I developed Selah Chords, I knew I needed to try something new with the purchase strategy. Where Web Tools is a pro app for iPad, Selah Chords is targeted at a crowd with many free— albeit not great— options. So I baked in ads and a “Remove Ads” in-app purchase.
And it bombed. In a month and a half of availability, I have made 75 cents on ads and had just 2% of users pay to remove ads.
Here’s the thing. You must annoy the shit out of your users to get them to see the value of removing ads. Think of any game you have played recently. You are mid-game and POPPPPP! A full-screen, full-volume, full-video ad. For 30 seconds you must wait to play again. And after the umpteenth time, you buy the in-app purchase to stop that shit.
That’s called a “dark pattern” in the UX world. And I hate it. So I just had a simple ad at the bottom of the app. And it didn’t annoy anyone. So why pay to remove it.
So I have removed the ads from Selah Chords.
GDPR
Don’t get me started on the small-government train here, but GDPR prevented me from launching in Europe. Why? Because the laws are unclear and very threatening for an indie shop. If I screw up even a little, I could be fined for potentially millions. So instead of trying and failing to follow a new law in Europe, I blocked Europe.
Europe
Selah Chords is now available for Europe! Because I removed ads. So now— as I have no server-side API use, no tracking, no privacy-invading anything— I don’t have to worry about GDPR.
Free, but an IAP
Selah Chords is still free to download and use, but beyond the launch features— the best, most easy to use chord finder, with guitar, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, and dulcimer support— you will need to pay to unlock the full app. Right now, that means Custom Tunings. Next up is additional chords. And other features are in the pipeline.
If you wish to support further development, please buy the IAP for $5. That’s a coffee.