^This. While I know Inno is not headquartered in the USA, the sales team needs to understand USA pricing metrics. There is a reason that all the infomercial/home shopping networks/as seen on TV prices here are set around the $19.99 price point. The purchase options discussed by the OP are the ones that are now in my account: $9.99 then $49.99. Here's how the thinking goes when I see that: The $10 option is not a good value. Even buying 2 of them is just 2 of sub-par value. Well, sami, you can afford $50, and that is a fairly good value. Yeah, but now we're getting into real money: what else can I buy with $50? So, I click and look, but I also want to spend some of my disposable $$ on stuff for the new grandbaby, mani-pedis, and there's a real cute pair of shoes I saw on Amazon. So I go look at the research tree and my world map provinces and see if I can devise a strategy for getting expansions without spending diamonds. $20 is not looked at the same. When you go to the ATM for cash, it doles it out in $20 bills. When you get 'cash back' at the store, if you don't want it in all $20's, you ask for 'big bills' meaning $50's and $100's. See, right there you moved away from the 'throwaway' money and into the 'big bills' by removing the $19.99 and moving to the $49.99. Yes, it's a cultural and psychological thing, but, really? You seem to get the psychological benefit of $19.99 instead of $20.00. You're marketing and selling pictures on a screen for goodness' sakes! Now, factor in the older population playing this particular game. Not a bunch of kids playing and spending as the mood hits them. Mature adults who are managing households, budgets, careers, families, etc. They have the funds, but they're looking to spend them on things they perceive as having value. Work with that $19.99 price point, not against it! Make it a good value as it is, then pop in with offers from time to time making it a great value. Do those more often if you need to and you'll get folks spending that $20 more often. Yes, it adds up to more than the one $49.99 purchase made less frequently, but isn't that what you're after? And, it's not like the goods you are producing are costing you more to offer those deals. Goods that require actual factories to produce (such as items offered for sale on TV) have figured out how to be profitable at the $19.99 price point and I'm sure you can, too. Here, you even see products in infomercials that are much higher priced, but they ALWAYS have the option to split it into X number of automatic monthly credit/debit card payments of...you guessed it...$19.99! There's an idea: figure out a way to offer 'subscriptions' to diamond purchases. $9.99/mo gets X, $19.99 gets 2X+%. Make those a better value than the 'regular' in-game purchases. Then, market great value deals to your subscribers, having 'sales' if you will. We're suckers for sales over here! There is a story (somewhat sexist) I've heard with several variations here: Man complains about his wife spending $500 on clothes in one shopping trip. Wife patiently explains that due to the sale prices at the outlet mall, she saved $700. And she can show those savings item by item on the receipt, therefore, she actually made $200. Do not try to argue with that logic...unless you LIKE sleeping on the couch...
Thank you for your consideration.
Another Granny Lady
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