How can I monetize something thing that people expect for free?
David Edwards
4 replies
I've created a lot of small tools, Chrome extensions and such. However it seems many people are not willing to pay for these. So I added a donation button into the extensions and offered them for free. I spent many months finessing and refining them and feel a little deflated that it seems i wont get any ROI of time.
For example this: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/tab-wrangler/ibjhngfdgokfjmknokdahjhihdmhgiho?hl=en-GB&authuser=0
Replies
Gurkaran Singh@thestarkster
Monetizing free tools can be tricky, but adding a donation button is a great start! Have you considered offering premium features or a subscription model for advanced users? It takes time to see returns, so hang in there - your hard work will pay off!
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Tab Wrangler
@thestarkster In this existing extensions, i instinctively don't feel people would pay for the tools. They are useful, but it takes a lot for someone to consider paying even 1-2$ for a useful tool these days.
Monetization ≠ ONLY Subscription fee
There are many ways you can monetize: ads, partnership with businesses, etc.
There could be SaaS companies interested in your extension - have you explored that option? They could be interested in buying the tech to integrate in their product to improve user experience and retention.
Tab Wrangler