Any money to be made with this?
Discussion
I've built an augmented reality app to visualise alloy wheels on your car. It's not finished but it works pretty well. Just select the wheel, point camera at your car and see how they look. I'm wondering if it's something that could be turned into a profitable business venture. Perhaps it could be used to drive custom to retailers/manfacturers? Any alloy wheel retailers out there? 
Without blowing my own trumpet, I'm a good software developer but have come to realise that I lack business acumen to turn ideas into profitable business ventures, so would be happy to partner with someone who can take this forward or has a better idea.
Without blowing my own trumpet, I'm a good software developer but have come to realise that I lack business acumen to turn ideas into profitable business ventures, so would be happy to partner with someone who can take this forward or has a better idea.
I don't know if its going to have much uptake if I am honest. I worked for 15 years in parts and accessories retail and we had numerous programmes from wheel suppliers doing this in a fairly crude way.
The market is very different these days, I don't believe people need to see them on a car to make a car on purchasing wheels. Generally the internet has a picture that is 80% of the way there and Photoshop is easily used to create a render if people wanted.
Sounds like a great app, I just don't see it being more than an app store 99p toy.
The market is very different these days, I don't believe people need to see them on a car to make a car on purchasing wheels. Generally the internet has a picture that is 80% of the way there and Photoshop is easily used to create a render if people wanted.
Sounds like a great app, I just don't see it being more than an app store 99p toy.
The other way to monetise this is for your app to become an affiliate of alloy wheel retailers. Therefore the app displays a wide selection of alloy wheels from a number of different retailers. The user chooses the wheels they like using your augmented reality. Once they have chosen the alloys, they are taken to the retailers site and when they checkout you receive a cut.
The main challenges are firstly finding enough retailers who provide an affiliate scheme and secondly marketing your app to a wide enough audience.
The main challenges are firstly finding enough retailers who provide an affiliate scheme and secondly marketing your app to a wide enough audience.
CzechItOut said:
The other way to monetise this is for your app to become an affiliate of alloy wheel retailers. Therefore the app displays a wide selection of alloy wheels from a number of different retailers. The user chooses the wheels they like using your augmented reality. Once they have chosen the alloys, they are taken to the retailers site and when they checkout you receive a cut.
The main challenges are firstly finding enough retailers who provide an affiliate scheme and secondly marketing your app to a wide enough audience.
Get it in front of a couple of car YouTubers, someone like JamieFYD or similar.The main challenges are firstly finding enough retailers who provide an affiliate scheme and secondly marketing your app to a wide enough audience.
Tying into wheel retailers is a good idea - I'd expect you're better to make the revenue from them or ad support, rather than charging for the app itself.
Elite (or now Elite Direct) had a version of this about 10 years ago. It was rather clunky; but if you wanted to know what your Azev As or Antera 143s looked like on a SL; bob's your mothers brother..
Before that you could take you care down there and they would line up new wheels in a black polished surface to get an idea of what they looked like.
Anyway, whilst the idea isn't original (done in racing games also for years); execution is key (does augmented reality improve the buying experience?). You might have luck with the parts retailers (and to be fair most manufacturers new car builders are g*sh for wheels - can they use the code rather than the app itself a bit like how games developers now buy grass or trees for the latest COD).
Before that you could take you care down there and they would line up new wheels in a black polished surface to get an idea of what they looked like.
Anyway, whilst the idea isn't original (done in racing games also for years); execution is key (does augmented reality improve the buying experience?). You might have luck with the parts retailers (and to be fair most manufacturers new car builders are g*sh for wheels - can they use the code rather than the app itself a bit like how games developers now buy grass or trees for the latest COD).
Edited by stongle on Tuesday 28th August 08:35
CzechItOut said:
The other way to monetise this is for your app to become an affiliate of alloy wheel retailers. Therefore the app displays a wide selection of alloy wheels from a number of different retailers. The user chooses the wheels they like using your augmented reality. Once they have chosen the alloys, they are taken to the retailers site and when they checkout you receive a cut.
The main challenges are firstly finding enough retailers who provide an affiliate scheme and secondly marketing your app to a wide enough audience.
I'd agree with this approach, with affiliate links to supplier websites is probably the best way to go, App Stores should be able to give you the audience you need. Lots of Free/99p Apps that make their real revenue by supplying leads, but from what I can see there are none in this space. Recognise the value of subscribers usage data, what wheels are people looking at even when they buy something else, what are the types of cars of buyers, even colours, you won't know the value of the data until you start to collect and analyse it. Once you have the eyeballs, you can grow the functionality in to other aftermarket parts, start simple with say something like exhausts growing through wraps and even spoilers, skirts, etcThe main challenges are firstly finding enough retailers who provide an affiliate scheme and secondly marketing your app to a wide enough audience.
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=car%20parts...
Edited by 4x4Tyke on Tuesday 28th August 08:46
As said, when I have seen people, myself included, want to know what a specific wheel looks like on their car there is usually numerous pics on the web or from other owners. Your App only really works for people wanting to see what a new type of wheel would look like.
That said, if I was a manufacturer of wheels I'd be interested but I guess you'd need most types of car in all the various colours including the wheels which could be a lot of work initially.
Well worth an initial call to one of the manufacturers.
That said, if I was a manufacturer of wheels I'd be interested but I guess you'd need most types of car in all the various colours including the wheels which could be a lot of work initially.
Well worth an initial call to one of the manufacturers.
Agree with what others have said.
Key here is to keep your expectations in check. The big revenue in Apps comes from mass and repeated usage and linked to upgrades and reciprocal, commercial arrangements.
Alloy wheels are not regular purchases and purchased by a relatively small number of people.
If you have something that is genuinely better than what's out there, consider going down the white-label, licensing route selling to retailers and manufacturers.
Can you expand to include stripes, body kit, etc?
Key here is to keep your expectations in check. The big revenue in Apps comes from mass and repeated usage and linked to upgrades and reciprocal, commercial arrangements.
Alloy wheels are not regular purchases and purchased by a relatively small number of people.
If you have something that is genuinely better than what's out there, consider going down the white-label, licensing route selling to retailers and manufacturers.
Can you expand to include stripes, body kit, etc?
Just to note, I used a similar free app on my iPhone a few years ago. The app had a range of wheels pre-loaded and you selected a side picture of your car and dragged the wheels onto the picture. You could resize the wheels to suit and it gave you the image of your car with how they would look. I can't remember what the app was called as I've long since deleted it but here's a picture of my old car (from about 5 or 6 years ago) with a sample wheel design.
Again this was a few years back and free.
Again this was a few years back and free.
Frimley111R said:
As said, when I have seen people, myself included, want to know what a specific wheel looks like on their car there is usually numerous pics on the web or from other owners. Your App only really works for people wanting to see what a new type of wheel would look like.
That said, if I was a manufacturer of wheels I'd be interested but I guess you'd need most types of car in all the various colours including the wheels which could be a lot of work initially.
Well worth an initial call to one of the manufacturers.
That isn't how his App is working, he is using Augmented reality, that is taking a still of your car or even live video and augmenting the image with an overlay of the wheels. It is the users actual car complete with colour, mods and background with the possible new wheels. Think Face changer app but for cars. Very Gen Z and Millennials.That said, if I was a manufacturer of wheels I'd be interested but I guess you'd need most types of car in all the various colours including the wheels which could be a lot of work initially.
Well worth an initial call to one of the manufacturers.
Thanks for the feedback everyone, much appreciated. I never thought about the affiliate idea so that concept is something to keep in mind. Having said that, and as I suspected, this particular idea is unlikely to make much money. I wrote it as part of a learning exercise, I wanted to take live video feed from the phone’s camera and augment it somehow as a proof-of-concept and the wheel idea was just something that came into my head as I was developing the code. I haven’t wasted any time as such, so probably won’t take it any further.
boony said:
Thanks for the feedback everyone, much appreciated. I never thought about the affiliate idea so that concept is something to keep in mind. Having said that, and as I suspected, this particular idea is unlikely to make much money. I wrote it as part of a learning exercise, I wanted to take live video feed from the phone’s camera and augment it somehow as a proof-of-concept and the wheel idea was just something that came into my head as I was developing the code. I haven’t wasted any time as such, so probably won’t take it any further.
Would it work with Hair Styles? Sell it Toni & Guy?boony said:
Thanks for the feedback everyone, much appreciated. I never thought about the affiliate idea so that concept is something to keep in mind. Having said that, and as I suspected, this particular idea is unlikely to make much money. I wrote it as part of a learning exercise, I wanted to take live video feed from the phone’s camera and augment it somehow as a proof-of-concept and the wheel idea was just something that came into my head as I was developing the code. I haven’t wasted any time as such, so probably won’t take it any further.
It still sounds like a cool thing. Taking the idea from a simple 2d picture and adding wheels to having augmented reality but again, I'm just not sure it would make any money. Then again, I'm not exactly a business tycoon so what do I know?!Why would you limit yourself to the alloy wheel market?
I could see this working in a number of e-commerce contexts.
Imagine being able to point the camera at a room and visualise how a piece of furniture would look in it?
Or pointing the camera at a mirror you are facing, and see how a jacket would look against the outfit you're wearing?
You could license the technology to any number of large e-commerce players like Asos, Yoox/Net-a-Porter, MADE, IKEA etc.
This of course would depend on the App's ability to scale objects up/down, alter the angle, lighting etc.
I claim ownership of the idea LOL
And would be happy to help take it forward
I could see this working in a number of e-commerce contexts.
Imagine being able to point the camera at a room and visualise how a piece of furniture would look in it?
Or pointing the camera at a mirror you are facing, and see how a jacket would look against the outfit you're wearing?
You could license the technology to any number of large e-commerce players like Asos, Yoox/Net-a-Porter, MADE, IKEA etc.
This of course would depend on the App's ability to scale objects up/down, alter the angle, lighting etc.
I claim ownership of the idea LOL
And would be happy to help take it forward
4x4Tyke said:
That isn't how his App is working, he is using Augmented reality, that is taking a still of your car or even live video and augmenting the image with an overlay of the wheels. It is the users actual car complete with colour, mods and background with the possible new wheels. Think Face changer app but for cars. Very Gen Z and Millennials.
Ah yes, fair point but also a positive one for the clientGassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff