Creating a new kind of subscription based product is challenging and entrepreneurs should be aware of the business complexities that can be created through digital subscription services. Customers have a high level of expectation and expect to receive consistent content quality, delivery, and enhanced functionalities. People pay for the experience and access, not content. When content is involved people are paying to access it, not for the content itself. It’s vital to understand that they are subscribing to an experiential service, not to content.

Multi-platform access is a big deal – and TLM think’s it is a must have for those of us creating subscription services today. It’s important that designers create experiences that are ubiquitous and integrate into natural behavior in a way a user can’t imagine living without. Winning strategies will also have a form of exclusivity and provide an experience that it is hard to get anywhere else at the price that is being offered. When created intelligently your service should let users get something for far less cash than they would have to pay through more traditional outlets. To keep people subscribed you must have an above average customer experience and and ubiquity in your market or be a much cheaper option. The best entrepreneurs will figure out how to accomplish all three.

The pricing used for subscription based media products is almost as important as their design. Product developers and platform designers must design systems that make recurring payment as effortless as possible. It’s important to the characteristics of your brand and the success of your business to think through and then test things like activation date’s, duration of service, tiered pricing, and tier fluidity, recurrence and dunning.

TLM has found that each platform must have easy to use customer service systems and customer service should be clear and responsive. It should be easy to see adjust billing, renewal, and cancellation options. With certain systems, it’s important that the account management system make it easy to gift friends with subscriptions or to purchase additional services.

Your pricing strategy should not only take into account comparable services, but should focus on how to retain and serve users after they have signed up. Pricing strategy should start with the product design and entrepreneurs should be familiar with the risks and benefits of various billing structures and the ease of use their systems provide to customers.

Apple iOS has 160MM+ users have opened the market. The iPhone and now iPad have a very active community that provides an unmatched lead funnel for new customers and Apple provides an instant platform for content owners. Apple users have been conditioned to download new experiences and the Apple iOS makes charging these customers virtually effortless.

However, Apple take 30% of all revenue. That is 20% higher than google charges for their Android platform and 26% more expensive than traditional online fulfillment services. Entrepreneurs are equally challenged by Apples limiting terms of agreement and the limit on what a developer can do with each customers individual data.

Google recently launched a service called Google One Pass that only takes 10% and works with every platform with the exception of Apple iOS. Google has easier rules in their terms of service and very permissive customer data rules.

The Google system is still relatively new and is not as “plug and play” as the apple experience. They also have an unproved lead funnel for attracting new customers, and some consumers have had difficulty with the Google Checkout experience. However, many analysis have said that the android platform will far surpass the market share of every other platform in early 2011.

For those who would like to keep transaction fees at a minimum various SaaS models can be integrated into their payment systems. These are often more complex and the technology can be difficult to execute but the total cost is between 1-5% per transaction. This option is most viable for experiences that are rooted in a browser and able to extend into mobility devices. Services such as Zuora, Vindicia, Authorize, and PayPal each have service oriented API’s and low exchange costs. They let you own the customer data which can be very valuable to various types of business.

SaaS models are weakened because there is still a limited focus from these providers in the mobile space and they have not been specialized for content publishers. Businesses have faced issues with mobile market walled gardens and the cost-benefit needed is for very high volumes.

The most important thing is to get all the facts together and be sure to build your product roadmap in a way that will let your service grow naturally and evolve over time. Your development strategy should allow you to rapidly test your ideas and then expand into the larger marketplace. TLM also believes that it should let you get to sustaining profits within one year of launch. When you take these things into consideration, in some circumstances, it can make sense to focus on Android first, HTML5, then iOS.

The Talent We Look For

Learn More About TLM’s Collective

1-855-777-2281
reception@tlmagency.com

Mobility Places Key Features

The company’s goal is to help support the best entrepreneurs by connecting them with talented people who can help make their ideas real.  This arrangement helps to promote less overhead, faster time to market, and a dramatic increase in early revenue. In return, TLM is able to create new technology and foster next generation business while gaining better, faster, and less expensive insights into what works – and what doesn’t.

“TLM was founded to as a place where creative people could come together to dream, think big, and build experiences that helped consumers learn about and achieve the things they love.  The Collective is the expansion of our model.” said Jordan English Gross, CEO of TLM.

Early members of TLM’s collective include Brad Hasse, Lauren Perkins, Marc Sersky, Jeremey Stanley, and Edward Gemdjian. The company expects to invite over thity people into the TLM Collective by Q4 2011. Each member of the Collective is empowered to self select – and often create – the opportunities where they invest their time.  Everyone who participates in the group shares in the risk and the reward of the ideas they make real.

About TLM
TLM is a creative technology group that builds, finances, and develops digital consumer products and next generation business. We cast the best ideas with top talent and work hand in hand to make attractive, creative, and profitable companies that empower people to learn about and achieve the things they love. The company was founded in 2004 and has holdings in entertainment, mobile, social, search, creative development, and digital media. www.tlmagency.com

Essential Job Requirements:
The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities considered necessary to perform the essential job functions adequately.

• Strong programming experience in C / Objective-C / JavaScript
• Development skills with iPad and iPhone technology
• Approved Store App is required
• Experience development of client-server applications
• Experience in mobile dev for other platforms (Android, RIM, Symbian) preferred
• Ability to hit the ground running and be a self-starter who can take the initiative and drive development with a small but growing team
• Must have worked in a fast paced, start-up, or agile environment

About TLM
TLM is a creative technology group that builds, finances, and develops digital consumer products and next generation business. We cast the best ideas with top talent and work hand in hand to make attractive, creative, and profitable companies that empower people to learn about and achieve the things they love. The company was founded in 2004 and has holdings in entertainment, mobile, social, search, creative development, and digital media.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity please contact TLM’s recruitment manager.

TLM Recruitment
1-800-000-0000
reception@tlmagency.com

Essential job Requirements:
The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities considered necessary to perform the essential job functions adequately.

• Experience with REST as well as XML and Java
• 12-18mths experience with Android SDK’
• Familiarity with Google and OEM Android submission processes
• Experience development of client-server applications
• Experience in mobile dev for other platforms (iPhone/iPad, RIM, Symbian) preferred
• Solid background working with Android device features such as GPS, accelerometer, media player, tab views, list views and other layouts. Must also know how to overload views to create custom layouts and media controls
• Works closely with all stakeholders to ensure that projects are completed on time/budget
Experience with SVN/Subversion, JSON, Web services, and Object-Oriented Programming design and analysis.
• Ability to hit the ground running and be a self-starter who can take the initiative and drive development with a small but growing team
• Must have worked in a fast paced, start-up, or agile environment

About TLM
TLM is a creative technology group that builds, finances, and develops digital consumer products and next generation business. We cast the best ideas with top talent and work hand in hand to make attractive, creative, and profitable companies that empower people to learn about and achieve the things they love. The company was founded in 2004 and has holdings in entertainment, mobile, social, search, creative development, and digital media.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity please contact TLM’s recruitment manager.

TLM Recruitment
1-800-000-0000
reception@tlmagency.com