If you want game monetization to work for you, you basically have to do all the things. Here are some critical best practices to know as you begin building your game monetization strategy, from basic design principles to advanced tricks of the trade.
Use Space Creatively
In gaming, visual real estate is tough to come by. Unlike websites, which offer plenty of built-in space for banners and video ads, every game is unique in its design and use of space. That individuality is what makes game development special — but it can make ad creation and placement a challenge.
The best in-game advertising experiences use space creatively to display ads that are both highly visible, which advertisers love, and unobtrusive, which users appreciate. Using load screens and transitional periods are both effective ways to do so.
Another option we implement with large-scale games is a custom solution that appears in the world of the game itself. Imagine game characters gathered around a pool table with an advertiser’s logo printed on the felt. These types of custom integrations become possible — and scalable — with games that attract large audiences.
Quality Over Quantity
On average, users might spend just a few seconds on a web page before navigating to another page on the site.
But in web-based games especially, players may spend 45 minutes or more per session during a single visit. That means that game monetization requires aquality-over-quantity approach.
For example, you might display two ads on a page for thirty minutes as opposed to ten or more ads for just a few seconds each. The quality of those ads — including their design, viewability, placement, and relevance — is absolutely essential.
Embrace A/B Testing
When it comes to ad timing, placement, and design, testing is your friend. Don’t leave anything to chance. Conduct A/B testing that compares factors like how many ads to show per session and for how long. Then refine your ad strategy based on the results.
At Playwire, we build this kind of testing into the initial integration as well as the ongoing management of your game monetization strategy using our proprietaryRevenue Intelligence {RI} model.
Manage Load Speed
Core Web Vitals (if you are in a web environment) are a series of metrics that measure user experience on your website, particularly as it relates to your on-page ads. Understanding your core web vitals can help optimize overall ad load speed and the way your ads load relative to the rest of your content. Ad load speed is vital for game monetization because it directly impacts game playability and the overall user experience.
If there’s one thing we know about serious gamers, it’s that they won’t spend one minute longer on a game that fails to provide a quality, virtually uninterrupted user experience. For this reason, ad load speed is absolutely vital for game monetization as it directly impacts game playability.
Don’t Interrupt or Disrupt
Your in-game ads should never feel as though they’re keeping players from the best game experience. Fortunately, games offer plenty of opportunities for you to place ads in natural ‘transitional’ spaces such as loading screens, game lobbies, and menus., These types of in-game spaces offer great opportunities to present ads in a non-disruptive way.
Not to mention, fully immersive ads can be featured within the world of the game itself. These are not only unobtrusive but can actually enhance the game experience when done right. Take a look at an example of just such an experience, from one of our partners:
Reward Players for Unblocking
Gamers are savvy. Many know how to quickly and easily block ads from displaying inside the games they love. So how do you get around those ad blockers? It’s simple. You incentivize players to turn them off themselves.
We’ve seen plenty of successful cases of game developers simply leveling with their players. “If you turn off your ad blocker, we’ll reward you with X, Y, and Z.” You can fill in the blanks with whatever makes sense for your game — additional skins, an improved experience, or even access to exclusive playable content.
If seeing ads in their game means accessing rewards they really care about, many players will happily turn off their ad blockers.
Another strategy is to clearly articulate that revenue from ads is what makes it possible to fund the game. Some players don’t even realize they are blocking ads and would happily disable these settings to support the growth of their favorite game. Pulling at the heartstrings of players, and making it clear that the game would go under without ad revenue, can incentivize gamers to leave ads in the experience.
