Ecosystem overview
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The document discusses key strategies for acquiring users and monetizing mobile apps, emphasizing the importance of service quality over mere app development. It outlines the mobile ecosystem's players, including platform providers and app stores, and highlights effective distribution methods such as advertising, social sharing, and review sites. Additionally, it reviews monetization models like paid downloads, freemium upgrades, and partnerships while stressing the importance of analytics and user retention metrics.
Ecosystem overview
- 1. Overview of the Mobile Ecosystem Mike Rowehl http://thisismobility.com mikerowehl@gmail.com @miker
- 2. Two Questions to Answer 1. How to get users? - Distribution 2. How to make money? - Monetization (Questions aren’t mobile specific, but the answers can be)
- 3. Don’t think about how to build an app, think about how to build a great service. (see also: Mike Kuniavski)
- 4. However, I’m going to give some tips for building app store apps cause it’s the most accessible initial channel.
- 5. The Simple Model • platform provider • equipment manufacturer • carrier/operator • application/service provider • end user
- 6. The Not Simple Model • Developer Programs • HTML5 Toolsets Wireless • Paypal/Boku/Obopay/Zong • NFC/Short Range • AdMob/MobClix/Smaato • Ansca/Appcelerator/RhoMobile • Recommendations • App Inventor/SachManya • Review Sites • GetJar/AppstoreHQ • Incentive Offers • OpenAppMkt • SearchDistribution Optimization • Metrics/Analytics • Social Lobby • Sensor Browsers Networks • Game Promotions • Mobile Optimization • CarrierGoods • Networkand Antivirus • Virtualinstalls • SecurityBuying • OEM Stores • Group • Enterprise • Tablets • Location Services • User Experience • Messaging • SystemsManagement Integration • Paid Download • DeviceSource • Vehicle Systems • Open
- 7. Getting Users • App Store • Advertising Distribution • Social/Viral • Review Sites • Web Search Services • Recommendation • Carrier Promotion • Affiliate Programs • Preinstall Deals
- 8. WTF is an ‘App Store’? • • Distribution Payments • Notification • Moderation • Security
- 9. Users find new apps and services by poking around on their handset or through recommendations from friends. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_do_iphone_users_find_new_apps.php
- 10. An app store NEEDS to provide a large number of active users. Everything else is optional.
- 11. App Store Tuning • Price Sensitivity • Category/Section • Description/Keywords • Screenshots • Ranking Metrics • Featured/Promoted
- 12. Advertising • Don’t assume it’s the same as web • Cost, volume, and quality of traffic vary greatly based on the ad network, region, target devices, and offer • There is no inverse index in mobile apps • The best way to find users is to find existing behavior (find new game players in existing games)
- 13. Viral/Social Distribution • Fundamentally social - Instagram went on a tear cause they tuned the social aspects of their service to line up well with photo sharing • Coincidentally viral - Angry Birds went viral without the direct support of challenges or highscore publishing, initially all word of mouth and unsolicited press coverage
- 14. Monetization • Paid Download • Free w/ Premium Upgrade • Virtual Goods • Advertising • Lead Generation/Affiliate • Partnerships
- 15. I won’t call it Freemium • But it works particularly well in mobile • For the same reasons as online • Plus it provides lots of positive metrics that app stores like to see such as raw download numbers and comment counts • Since those are your major distribution channels, it’s an effective form of marketing • Soliciting comments also works very well ★ http://blog.flurry.com/bid/48418/Madison-Avenue-and-the-Land-of-Make-Believe
- 16. Advertising Publisher • High switching cost for swapping ad networks within an app, intermediaries exist for a reason • Demographics, it’s hard to live off general third party network impressions • You’ll want some extra analytics • User retention also becomes a key metric • The math is simple (impressions times eCPM), but a lot of influences on both
- 17. TMTOWTDI
- 18. iTeleport • http://blog.iteleportmobile.com/quality- over-quantity-how-we-built-iteleport • Never in the top 1000 rankings • High cost application • Consistently generating over $1000 in sales a day
- 19. Tap Tap Revenge • http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7751628.stm • A music based rhythem game, long running franchise (early onto the platform) • TTR3 was a low cost download (0.99) • Katy Perry Revenge, Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Linkin Park, etc (generally 4.99) • TTR4 is free
- 20. Storytime!!
- 22. Analytics • Localytics • Flurry • Distimo • Percent Mobile • appFigures • AdMob Analytics
- 23. Metrics • Distimo - monthly, and currently an overall summary for 2010, multiple app store stats • Flurry - http://blog.flurry.com/ • Opera State of the Mobile Web - http:// www.opera.com/smw/ • Chomp Charts - http:// chomp.typepad.com/chomp/chomp-charts/ • http://148apps.biz/app-store-metrics/ • There are always paid sources too if you really need a particular question answered
- 24. Notifications • Urban Airship • Facebook • Twitter • Twilio • Boxcar • Notifo
- 25. Location Services • Cloudmade • SimpleGeo • Navteq • Location Labs • Skyhook • xAd • Where Ads • Geodelic
- 26. Review Sites • http://www.148apps.com/ • http://www.appcraver.com/ • http://toucharcade.com/ • http://www.tuaw.com/apprequests • http://www.slidetoplay.com/ • http://www.appadvice.com/
- 27. Recommendation Services • Chomp • Chorus • Appolicious • Apptizr • AppBoy • Mobspot • StumbleUpon • AppsFire • AppBrain
- 28. Grab Bag • GetJar - independent app store • Carrier Services - all have featured apps • developer.sprint.com • developer.t-mobile.com • developer.att.com • Influencers and domain experts • Mob4hire - crowdsourced testing • User Testing • Multivariate Testing