Information Zalo application officially launched a paid service package for businesses. This is considered a step to seek profit and improve the experience, but if they go one step further to charge users, what will the story be?
Service packages for authentic Zalo Official Account.
Specifically: Zalo has deployed a Paid Service Package with Zalo OA Enterprise (Official Account). In addition to the basic (free) package as mentioned, Zalo will have 3 more paid packages including a trial package (VND 10,000), an advanced package (VND 59,000) and a Premium package (VND 399,000) per month.
Following in the footsteps of WhatsApp?
There are very few people who don’t know WhatsApp, the most popular instant messaging application in the world right now. While it is currently free to use, it has not always been the case.
Back in 2009, when WhatsApp first launched, the company charged iOS users a $1 premium to use the service. This plan was later replaced by a fremium model in 2013, where all users had to pay an annual fee of $0.99 to use the service and the company made more than $1 billion USD in just 9 months. However, shortly after Facebook acquired WhatsApp, the messaging service continued to follow the free software route allowing all users. And WhatsApp has remained free ever since.
Recently, WhatsApp found a new way to earn extra money exploring subscription plans for business accounts.
With Zalo too, they are also having very similar plans and steps to WhatsApp to earn revenue, reinvest as well as generate profits.
But, “benefit has disadvantage”?
In fact, Zalo is currently considered a messaging and calling application at the “national” level in Vietnam. This application has become familiar to the majority of the population in keeping in touch, exchanging work on a regular basis. Giving it up for another chat service can mean leaving behind friends and family who don’t want to switch to a new app or find it difficult to adapt to a chat environment. other.
But, if this application goes a step further like WhatsApp before, charging users, it may face many challenges. The days when users were charged for sending text messages are long gone, most of us prefer to use free services. With a series of free and popular applications in the current context such as Skype, WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage or Viber, is it sure that when charging, Zalo can not lose users?
User retention and development will likely be a core issue in order to develop payment gateways, interact with banks, and develop financial services. Maybe this new move of Zalo is just a “user response survey”. Because it will not be easy for someone to dare to go against the current, even though successful people always have their own way…
Source: CafeBiz
Source: Vietnam Insider