How To Make Money With Browser Add-Ons
By Anna Johnson on December 22nd, 2008The opening keynote address at the recent Add-on-Con conference (December 11, 2008, Mountain View, California) focused on how to make money producing and/or distributing browser add-ons.
You know, those cool little add-ons or ‘plugins’ such as the Alexa toolbar or SEO for Firefox.
The consensus was that, in general, the same monetization methods available for websites are available for browser add-ons. The models cited included selling ad space (i.e within the add-on), promoting affiliate products, and building and selling add-ons to other companies.
Another model more familiar to Internet marketers is monetizing the add-on on the ‘back end’. Mike Filsaime, for example, monetizes his Instant Buzz add-on (love it or hate it) by offering paid offers to everyone who downloads the Instant Buzz toolbar.
The key to earning any kind of income, however, begins with having add-ons that excite webmasters. Webmasters, after all, are the ones likely to give you distribution. On that basis, you need to show ‘what’s in it for them’ as well as offer an add-on that benefits your ultimate users.
For his part, Mike Filsaime encourages Instant Buzz users to recruit other members in return for Instant Buzz credits. He also enlists Instant Buzz users to become affiliates. As such, they get paid commissions on sales made through their affiliate link.
Which webmasters to target? Those who have your target audience.
In other words, you want your add-ons available where your prospects are most likely to gather online.
Again, Mike Filsaime targets those in the Internet marketing niche who, in turn, are most likely to have Internet marketers as their main audience.
Apparently, Add-on-Con was sold-out, indicating a high level of interest in “add on” marketing. I can certainly see the appeal. However, what should not be overlooked is the need to develop add-ons that offer a substantial benefit to users. Otherwise, that initial burst of interest (if any) may be for naught.
Source: Lidija Davis, “The Business of Browser Add-ons,” ReadWriteWeb, December 11, 2008
