Mobile Internet: Happy Rodeo, not talking about profitability

Unlike the rapid development of mobile Internet, profitability is at the stage of discussion. Now the mobile Internet may be similar to the 2000 PC Internet, "mobile internet how to earn money" is still a problem.

You're almost out of the window when you're still content with the Internet in front of a traditional desktop and laptop computer.

With the popularity of smartphones and tablets, the era of mobile internet has come quietly. Just as the Internet business started in China more than 10 years ago, another landmark change has made countless entrepreneurs and users crazy. China's internet bosses have spelled "happy enclosure" to occupy the high ground of the mobile internet era, but just as none of them can answer the question of "How to make money on the mobile web", no one can break out of this puzzle.

Happy Rodeo not talk about profit

Do you use Weibo? Do you have any micro-letters? Do you use your mobile phone to surf the Internet? In today's era, it seems that everyone is a mobile internet user, whether it is the iOS system bundled with Apple products or the relatively open Android system, countless applications will put users firmly in the network of mobile interconnection.

China's smartphone sales were close to 50 million in the third quarter of 2012, while Android smartphone ownership reached 130 million, accounting for One-fourth of global Android handsets, according to data from several market research institutions. In the global economic depression environment, the mobile Internet has become one of the few "promised land", whether it is a small company with entrepreneurial dreams, or Tencent, Baidu, such as the industry predators, are staring at the mobile internet this piece of "cake", one after another.

The number of Sina Weibo users has reached 424 million, with an average of 42.3 million active users per day, of which 72% use the mobile client Sina Weibo, according to Sina's quarterly bulletin last year. Weibo advertising revenue of about 20 million U.S. dollars, accounting for Sina's advertising revenue 16%. Tencent's micro-letter is more vigorous. According to Tencent's data, the micro-letter to the user over billion spent 433 days, from 100 million to 200 million users took 236 days, from 200 million to 300 million users, only 120 days. Here, Baidu also did not idle, they quietly launched their own mobile phone application software, integrated Baidu search, Sina News, Tianya, QQ space, a variety of Baidu application services and Web navigation functions, can easily and quickly enable customers to achieve all the content of the search.

It seems that every product wants to try desperately to attract more users in the early days of mobile interconnection, so each company is frantically investing, investing, and investing in its products. However, the ultimate goal of making products is to make money, or even if the adhesion of more users, can not bring profits, but also a waste of effort. However, in the current mobile interconnection situation, almost all companies have issued a consistent voice-"We now think of how to do the product, for the time being do not consider the profit issue." ”

Traditional mode, blocked

In fact, any company will not consider the issue of profitability, but no one can find the right "to make money." So far, China's two largest mobile internet products, Sina Weibo and Tencent Micro-letters, still do not find their own profit model. Experience has taught us that the traditional Internet profit model does not seem to work on the mobile internet.

Most of the traditional desktop Internet profit is from advertising, however, the traditional placement of advertising has long proved ineffective, the reason is that mobile phones, such as smartphones are relatively small screen, no users would like to see their application interface entrenched in the annoying advertising bar. In addition, push-type advertising is also the mobile internet commonly used means, but to reduce user experience, loss of user traffic is its unavoidable consequences, so the cost of damage to the user's interests is not the way developers are willing to see.

At the same time, paying for individual apps is also a popular way to make money on mobile internet, but it doesn't seem to be in China. Most Chinese users are accustomed to the free resources on the Internet, and it is difficult to cultivate payment habits. Apple's App Store, for example, believes every iphone and ipad user will be familiar with the mobile app market. In 2012, Chinese Apple users downloaded only 3 cents per download, while the U.S. consumer was 28 cents, nearly 10 times times the price.

The data show that Baidu's mobile business accounted for less than 10% of its total revenue, while Baidu invested 25% of its research and development money in the mobile internet sector. Baidu CEO Robin Li said: "Baidu has not found the best profit model for mobile internet, but also not anxious to find out, only know that the company's mobile business still has a lot of room for growth." ”

Touch the stone and cross the river

In this context, there are still some mobile internet practitioners have tasted the sweetness. The first to benefit from the game company, a rage game product, can bring the development company from advertising to the surrounding products of considerable revenue. One of the most famous, I'm afraid, is the game of Angry Birds.

At the end of last year, Peter Wistbacka, the owner of Angry Birds, announced that the fee version of "Angry Birds" brought the company 1.2 million of dollars a month, while the free version of the "Angry Birds" game built-in ads had a monthly operating income of $1 million. There are domestic professional analysis, "Angry Birds" day advertising display more than 300 million times, the month ads show more than 10 billion times, according to 0.2 yuan per click Calculation, monthly income of more than 30 million yuan, almost the equivalent of China Mobile application advertising market combined. In addition, "Angry Birds" in 2012 began from the online steering line, selling more than 2000 kinds of "Angry Birds" surrounding products.

Driven by this success story, some small and medium sized mobile internet companies in China are also starting to get more involved in gaming products and tasting the benefits. At the 2012 Guangdong Internet Conference, many people in the industry said that mobile phone games only do once, the team need not much money, do not make money immediately switch projects or close down, money to continue to finance, is likely to be the next few years mobile internet revenue growth is the fastest part.

In addition, O2O mode (online fusion conversion) is also the mobile internet industry is often mentioned in the profit trend. Innovative Workshop CEO Kai-Fu Lee at the 2012 Mobile Developers Conference, the mobile Internet will be integrated into mainstream life and business society, the tide of monetization is coming. Under the current offline business maturity is not high, reaction speed lag, once connected with the line, will produce a huge burst of energy.