Apple has unveiled a new way to market your iphone apps by allowing you to provide a free app and then charge to enable additional functionality. This is known as their “In App Purchase” program. I have always been a big proponent of this approach. Try before you buy has worked since the beginning of time to sell products and the iphone app is no different. Amazon, for example, let’s you read a few pages of most books with their “Look Inside” approach. There’s a lot less risk to a customer if they can try out some of the functionality of your app first then make a buying decision. Now, you don’t have to create a separate free app for download. You can use the same app.
As I’ve said before in my classes you still have to do a very careful job of delineation on how much functionality you provide up front. You want to provide enough to catch a buyer’s attention but not so much that they don’t have to purchase your app to gain the full value. this is still the tricky part.
To learn more about how you can add In App Purchases to your free app visit the App Store Resource Center.