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Monetizing Firefox extensions

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Daniel Glazman

Daniel Glazman presented on monetizing Firefox extensions. There are over 7,000 extensions but only a handful generate revenue. Glazman outlined three models for monetization: free extensions supporting a business model, selling add-ons, and linking add-ons to extra software sales. However, the Mozilla Add-ons site is not currently set up as a sales platform. Glazman argued that the site needs to evolve to better support monetization through the addition of sales, donations, and improved discoverability of extensions. With millions of Firefox users, even a small percentage purchasing an extension could generate meaningful revenue for developers.

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Monetizing Firefox Extensions Daniel Glazman Disruptive Innovations MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Numbers ~ 900 million downloads of Firefox > 7,000 Firefox extensions on addons.mozilla.org (~4,000 experimental) all free, 600 million downloads in 2007... only a handful generating revenue example: PageSaverPro, $15 per copy MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 2
Monetizing Firefox Extensions iNumbers ~15 million iPhones ? more than 15,000 apps on App Store in 8 months more than 500 million downloads in 8 months a lot of commercial apps MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 3
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Geeks Most of extension authors do that on spare time, have an unrelated job otherwise Firefox extensions should attract more authors given the downloads metrics Coolness factor is here but too hard to monetize MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 4
Monetizing Firefox Extensions QOTD There are times where I wish I could turn Adblock Plus at least into a part-time job rather than struggling with 鍖nding time to do everything necessary. I know that some other extension developers have their extension as a full-time job and that makes them dependent on money sources. Given the market value of their user base, it is hard not to sell out. -- Vladimir Palant MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 5
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Three models 1. free extension that serves a business model not based on software sales 2. add-on sales 3. add-on linking to extra software sales MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 6
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Issues AMO is not a sales platform no PayPal button or equivalent Open Source philosophy (we do like it but it 鍖lls too rarely an individuals wallet) Firefoxs extension manager (if I look for zoom, I dont even 鍖nd my glazoom ext) MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 7
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Sell Key factor: AMO should evolve at least a bit sales platform or links to commercial web sites possibly donation buttons in AMO and/or extension manager better home page, a bit less visibility for recommended extensions, email subscriptions for new extension announcements, etc. in short: way better than App Store... MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 8
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Numbers again, sorry... One million people download Firefox every 22 hours... How many of these do you need as customers to make a decent living with a $2 extension ? 0.00006 % !!!! MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 9
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Protect ? Should you protect your extension? Very dif鍖cult to protect readable chrome JS Complexity of c++ code but, hey, youre a geek, arent you? No, unless... MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 10
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Example: FullerScreen 310,000 downloads free version and a pro one for $2 (i.e. nothing...) ~$1.7 in authors pocket (before taxes) expectation is 3,000 sales = $5,100 for a month of fun work... Not that bad, eh? MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 11
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Appz & widgets Use 鍖refox as xulrunner... AMO should host/link-to app packages too Games (Khronos),Video effects (Paul...), 鍖lezilla, etc. MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 12
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Appz & widgets #2 Crucial need for a license ID veri鍖cation system Must be c++-based Could be used for extensions too MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 13
Monetizing Firefox Extensions In the meantime Ads, keywords and paid links in your add- on Donation button in your add-on (average $7) MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 14
Monetizing Firefox Extensions Tentative summary Nothing will ever replace time-to-market Coolness factor does matter AMO and Firefox extension manager not tailored for that at this time But the browser becomes the global platform so the question is not if this will happen but when it will happen MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 15
Monetizing Firefox Extensions QUESTIONS ? MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 16

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Monetizing Firefox extensions

  • 1. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Daniel Glazman Disruptive Innovations MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009
  • 2. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Numbers ~ 900 million downloads of Firefox > 7,000 Firefox extensions on addons.mozilla.org (~4,000 experimental) all free, 600 million downloads in 2007... only a handful generating revenue example: PageSaverPro, $15 per copy MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 2
  • 3. Monetizing Firefox Extensions iNumbers ~15 million iPhones ? more than 15,000 apps on App Store in 8 months more than 500 million downloads in 8 months a lot of commercial apps MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 3
  • 4. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Geeks Most of extension authors do that on spare time, have an unrelated job otherwise Firefox extensions should attract more authors given the downloads metrics Coolness factor is here but too hard to monetize MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 4
  • 5. Monetizing Firefox Extensions QOTD There are times where I wish I could turn Adblock Plus at least into a part-time job rather than struggling with 鍖nding time to do everything necessary. I know that some other extension developers have their extension as a full-time job and that makes them dependent on money sources. Given the market value of their user base, it is hard not to sell out. -- Vladimir Palant MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 5
  • 6. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Three models 1. free extension that serves a business model not based on software sales 2. add-on sales 3. add-on linking to extra software sales MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 6
  • 7. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Issues AMO is not a sales platform no PayPal button or equivalent Open Source philosophy (we do like it but it 鍖lls too rarely an individuals wallet) Firefoxs extension manager (if I look for zoom, I dont even 鍖nd my glazoom ext) MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 7
  • 8. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Sell Key factor: AMO should evolve at least a bit sales platform or links to commercial web sites possibly donation buttons in AMO and/or extension manager better home page, a bit less visibility for recommended extensions, email subscriptions for new extension announcements, etc. in short: way better than App Store... MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 8
  • 9. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Numbers again, sorry... One million people download Firefox every 22 hours... How many of these do you need as customers to make a decent living with a $2 extension ? 0.00006 % !!!! MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 9
  • 10. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Protect ? Should you protect your extension? Very dif鍖cult to protect readable chrome JS Complexity of c++ code but, hey, youre a geek, arent you? No, unless... MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 10
  • 11. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Example: FullerScreen 310,000 downloads free version and a pro one for $2 (i.e. nothing...) ~$1.7 in authors pocket (before taxes) expectation is 3,000 sales = $5,100 for a month of fun work... Not that bad, eh? MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 11
  • 12. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Appz & widgets Use 鍖refox as xulrunner... AMO should host/link-to app packages too Games (Khronos),Video effects (Paul...), 鍖lezilla, etc. MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 12
  • 13. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Appz & widgets #2 Crucial need for a license ID veri鍖cation system Must be c++-based Could be used for extensions too MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 13
  • 14. Monetizing Firefox Extensions In the meantime Ads, keywords and paid links in your add- on Donation button in your add-on (average $7) MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 14
  • 15. Monetizing Firefox Extensions Tentative summary Nothing will ever replace time-to-market Coolness factor does matter AMO and Firefox extension manager not tailored for that at this time But the browser becomes the global platform so the question is not if this will happen but when it will happen MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 15
  • 16. Monetizing Firefox Extensions QUESTIONS ? MAOW Berlin 28-mar-2009 -- Daniel Glazman 16