Sanlo, a fintech startup that helps gaming companies manage their finances, on Wednesday announced the release of a closed beta of its webshop tool, giving some game developers and studios a plug-and-play tool that works alongside their existing technology stack. We provided play solutions. Gaming companies will be able to join the waiting list starting today.
With Google and Apple charging 30% fees on in-app purchases, it's harder than ever for small and medium-sized gaming companies to run a profitable business. Gaming giant Epic has complained in recent years about Apple's declining revenue and accused it of being predatory against small businesses.
As a result, many mobile game developers are no longer relying on app stores for monetization and are turning to external web shops. This is a growing trend in the gaming industry where companies can run stores on their websites for much lower fees (around 4-10%). . In addition, the web shop is believed to increase revenue as players buy directly from gaming companies, rather than through app stores, which receive a cut of sales. In fact, Sanro says developers can earn up to 25% more with web shops.
“The webshop is one of those super-tactical steps that has really proven that revenue can be realized,” Sanlo co-founder and CEO Olya Caliujnaia told TechCrunch. “The reason is that it is usually the most engaged and loyal players who visit the webshop, and they receive special offers that allow them to do better in the game.”
Image credit: Sanro
Sanlo's new web shop tools allow game developers to take advantage of a variety of promotional mechanisms such as exclusive digital items, bundle packs, discount offers, and loyalty programs to help more players try out their games. You can motivate them to get it. Developers can also access player data, monitor profiles and purchase activity, and target individual users with attractive offers.
Sanro said companies can test and set pricing with “no price cap.” Revenues from sales of the web shop will be credited to the developer's account once a week.
One downside to the web store is that Apple and Google don't allow mobile games to be advertised within their apps. Sanlo solves this problem by offering marketing tools such as in-game prompts to promote your webshop, sending emails to returning visitors, and ROAS (return on advertising spend) attribution tracking. Masu.
Sanlo has brought a number of privately held gaming companies onto its webshop platform, including Fusebox Games, which developed a mobile title inspired by the “Love Island” IP.
“The biggest draw for me was the plug-and-play nature of the Sanlo tools, in addition to the hands-on service provided,” says Terry Lee, COO of Fusebox. “We are a small company and do not have the in-house resources to cover all the bases to support a completely new technology capability.”
Sanro plans to officially launch the new product to all developers this summer.
Caliujnaia and William Liu (CTO) founded Sanlo in 2020. The company's team touts previous experience at Capital One, Earnest, Electronic Arts, Facebook, SigFig, Sony PlayStation, Visa, and more.
To date, the company has raised a total of $13.5 million in funding and is backed by Initial Capital, Index Ventures, Portage Ventures, XYZ Venture Capital, London Venture Partners, and Konvoy.
Webstore solutions have been around for years, from established companies like Xsolla to new entrants like Appcharge. Popular games that utilize the web shop include Clash of Clans, Game of Thrones: Conquest, Marvel Strike Force, and Star Trek Fleet Command.