Web Shop feature focus: How harnessing regional pricing boosts revenue and engagement
December 11, 2024
When selling your mobile game items and currencies to global audiences via web shops, don't settle for a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Instead, consider web shop regional pricing—a nuanced payment strategy that optimizes your prices for each player, no matter where they are.In this article, we'll explore the benefits of regional pricing and examine the results of successfully implemented regional prices in mobile game web shops. If you're ready to learn how to optimize conversion rates and maximize your mobile game's global revenue, let's dive right in!
The argument for web shop regional pricing
In mobile games, localized in-app prices are the norm. However, regional pricing is often overlooked on the web front. In their web shops, many developers set one universal price for all players, regardless of their geographical location, spending habits, or economic factors. This approach can have consequences that impact player experience and lead to revenue loss, especially in emerging markets.Let's take a closer look at some of the problems with non-local pricing in web shops.
Inconsistency. Inconsistency between your game’s in-app pricing and web shop pricing can cause confusion and cost you sales. Players who use your web shop to make a purchase and then discover they could have paid less in-app may feel frustrated and criticize or leave your game.
Unconventional prices. If your web shop's prices are far outside the norm of what players are used to in their region, your game may lose its audience to games with competitively priced web shop offerings.
Reduced trust. Players may become weary due to a perceived lack of localization if your web shop prices are non-local. If players in your web shop perceive your pricing as "unfriendly" or "unfair," it may convince them that your game is not for them.
What results could you expect if you enabled regional pricing in your web shop? Let's examine a popular mobile game that adopted regional pricing on the web to see the effects of this strategy in action.Web shop regional pricing in action: Case studyIn this test, we compared key metrics for a popular social simulation mobile game before and after adopting web shop regional pricing to assess causal impact.The game has launched a web shop for users worldwide. For the first couple of months, prices for all countries were set in USD, but later, partners adjusted the prices to reflect regional pricing in local currencies.Defining key metricsThe metrics we'll be discussing and examining are:
Overall revenue: The total revenue earned from purchases of virtual currencies.
Average revenue per paying user (ARPPU): The average revenue generated from each paying customer.
Number of paying users: The total number of players who made a purchase.
Conversion into payment: The rate at which players who visit the game’s web shop complete transactions.
With these metrics defined and fresh in mind, let's check out the impact of web shop regional pricing for the game in our case study.Case study resultsWithout further ado, here are the key results found by the study:
Overall revenue grew 12.8%: With regional pricing enabled on the web, the game saw a +12.8% increase in overall revenue thanks to localized web shop prices that complemented local in-app pricing.
Conversion into payment increased by 18.7%: +18.7% more visits resulted in payments, demonstrating the impact of regionally tailored prices within the web shop.
Paying users grew 12.7%: With the web shop’s regional pricing creating a better alignment with local market dynamics, the game saw a +12.7% increase in its paying user base.
Considering these test results, let's dissect the findings to learn why regional pricing in web shops works.The advantages of web shop regional pricing for developersWhy are regional pricing and web shops a perfect match? With our case study, we saw nearly all key metrics increase, but the real benefits of web shop regional pricing go deeper than the numbers.Here are the top advantages of regional pricing over non-local pricing on the web.
Increased Revenue: More revenue allows developers more opportunities to create games their players love. By aligning web shops with users' local pricing expectations, developers can increase their revenue by around 10%. Unlocking this increased revenue is simple; there’s no need to adjust the in-game economy or develop a new event for regional pricing to work in your web shop.
Improved User Experience: Don't limit your web shop to prices that give players pause. Depending on their region, players are more comfortable with prices similar to local pricing on platforms such as the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Regional pricing allows your web shop to achieve pricing consistency with these platforms, no matter where your players are.
Enhanced Trust and Localization: Players who feel valued and catered to are likely to engage with your game and join your community. Local currency pricing on the web to match your in-app economy fosters player loyalty and increases the likelihood of purchases.
Ready to equip your web shop for global success by enabling regional pricing? Next, we'll cover adjusting your price settings in Xsolla Web Shop.How to enable regional pricing in Xsolla Web ShopYou can set up regional pricing in Xsolla Web Shop using one of three methods: creating a virtual item through your Publisher Account, importing a CSV or JSON file, or integrating APIs.
Publisher Account: Creating items via your Publisher Account is ideal for small catalogs. See our detailed instructions for more info.
CSV or JSON file import: Importing regional prices from a CSV or JSON file is simple and recommended for most cases. Check out our instructions for more details.
API integration: API methods are great for automating your price updates to save time. For more info, see our API instructions.
Unlock greater global revenue with regional web shop pricing powered by Xsolla Web Shop
Regional web shop pricing can boost revenue and conversion rates while building trust and community with audiences across diverse regions. If you haven't unlocked the benefits of regional pricing for your web shop yet, now is the time—you could earn 10% more revenue after implementing the regional pricing strategy and see growth in paying users similar to our case study.Sign up for the #1 web shop in mobile gaming and harness the flexibility of regional web shop pricing to enhance your game’s global sales today.
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