If you’ve been searching for a way to make extra money, you’ve probably come across the term “side-hustles”. These are small businesses or activities that you can do in your spare time that will provide you with some (or even a lot of) the necessary funds to sustain yourself and/or your family.
One side-hustle that’s quickly becoming a popular option (at least among those who want to make some extra cash) is app developing. The opportunities for this are endless – from creating a basic calculator to making a survey tool that connects to the leading survey platforms (like Survey Junkie or Swagbucks).
But what if you don’t want to get into the ‘full-fledged’ app game? Can you still make money online through an Android app? The answer is yes, but it requires a bit of flexibility and some extra effort. Let’s take a look.
The Two Types Of Income
When someone decides to go into the app game, they usually have two main goals in mind: 1) find a niche that they can specialize in, and 2) find a way to make money quickly and easily. In most cases, they want to do both of these things at the same time. And that’s great because there are numerous ways to make money online with an Android app.
What if, though, you already have a successful business that you’ve built up over the years? You can use your existing skills and knowledge to land yourself a side-hustle that will actually allow you to make some quick money. For example, I have a friend who is a massage therapist and makes a little bit of extra cash giving massages to friends and family. Or, you could look into becoming a transcriptionist and entering some audio files into a transcription program like Rev.com’s GoTranscript.
The Two Main Challenges
Once you’ve decided to take the plunge and dive into the world of Android app development, you’ll quickly realize that it’s not as easy as making a simple calculator or a survey tool. There are a few main challenges that you’ll need to overcome.
- Firstly, if you want to make any money online with an Android app, you’ll need to focus on the international market. Since Google Play isn’t available in all countries, your app will need to be either International Google Play Stores or else be available through a specific app store that focuses on international users.
- Secondly, you’ll need to find a way to monetize your app. There are numerous options, including displaying ads, offering premium content (like news articles or videos), and selling your app’s services (like calculating mortgage payments for investors or businesses).
- Thirdly, you’ll need to decide on what type of app you want to develop. There are numerous options including a simple calculator, a survey tool, a word processor, etc. You’ll need to pick which one you think will be the best fit for your skills and knowledge.
- Fourthly, you’ll need to get familiar with the Google Play Console. Once again, since this is a bit of an ‘adventure’, you’ll need to dive in and learn as you go. There are plenty of tutorials out there that can help get you started.
- Finally, you’ll need to build an audience. Luckily for you, I’ve got a short (but sweet) tutorial on exactly how to do this.
The Extra Challenge
With all of that being said, creating an Android app that can make you some money isn’t quite as easy as it seems. If you want to turn your hobby into a source of income, you’ll need to add one more element: skill. Unfortunately, not everyone is cut out for this. It takes a special kind of person to be able to develop an app that can make money. Here’s how you can find out if you’re the kind of person who can succeed in this side-hustle.
To start, you’ll need to make a list of all of the apps that you currently use. If you’ve ever opened up the Android App Store, you’ll know that there are numerous apps that you can use to make quick cash. It would be a good idea to make a note of these apps and think of ways that you can monetize them. If you can’t immediately come up with ideas for monetizing your list, make a note of these apps and think of ways that you can earn money with your hobby.
The Two-Pronged Approach
So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and develop an app that can make you some cash. Congrats! But, now that you’re in this app development world, where do you start? First things first: you’ll need to find a way to make some extra cash. It might be easier to start small and tackle one gig at a time. Develop a quick and simple app that does something fairly specific (like calculating tips for a certain restaurant or creating a to-do list app). Focus on building up a small audience (but don’t expect to make a living from it).
Once you’ve got some traction, you can start looking for bigger fish to fry. There are numerous niches out there that you can delve into. For example, you could create an app that helps people find the cheapest gas or electric bills based on their needs. Or, you can create a health and fitness app where users can track their progress and stay motivated to workout. The options are endless!
No matter what option you choose, take your time and do your research. Be sure to find out what it takes to be successful in this side-hustle. You never know, you might just land on the sweet spot and be able to make some quick cash.