25% of Developers account for 50% of App Revenue on Apple App Store and Google Play
Yeah – 25% for 50% of App Revenue
On Apple App Store and Google Play !
As if we didn’t already realize that the competition was fierce. But, who would have thought it was this fierce?
According to surveys by Canalys these 25 developers accrued $60 million from paid-for downloads and in-app purchases over this period.
Needless to say, the majority of the top grossing apps are in-fact games, and of those – the majority are Freemiums.
Canalys noted:
During the same period, games accounted for 145 on average of the top 300 paid apps in the Apple App Store and 116 of Google Play’s top 300 paid apps. Games also accounted for 94 of the top 300 listed free apps for Apple and 110 for Google Play.
According to their analysis: Developers who are not making games have an upward battle in getting noticed, and monetizing their app. We all konw discoverability is a huge issue.
Canalys Senior Analyst Tim Shepherd went on to say,
“With top game developers’ content so prevalent in the stores, it can be hard for other good quality apps to get the attention they deserve. Developers of other kinds of apps need to consider how to promote them. Depending on the type of app, they should consider how best they can exploit social media and social recommendations, tactical sales promotions and discounts, branding tie-ups and targeted in-app advertising.”
Funny, those are JUST the types of things we consult our clients on here at MobileMinute.
The secret, as I’ve mentioned in the past is consistency. For instance, Rovio (creator of Angry birds) had 53 apps before they had their Angry Birds debut (which the continue to build franchise games off of: i.e. angry birds space, seasons, star wars, etc..)
Zynga as another example, the analyst notes: had 15 titles in the list of top 300 grossing iPhone apps “on average” in Apple’s App Store every day, and nine titles in the equivalent list in Google Play.
More bad news..
If you’re not within the Top Grossing apps list for November Canalys expects:
Many of the top 25 developers to consolidate their dominant position over the holiday season by “employing discounts and special offers, taking advantage of their ability to cross-promote within their app portfolios.”
Canalys VP and Principal Analyst, Chris Jones, also added:
“This is expected to ensure that over the Christmas period in the US, the dominance of key game developers will only increase,”
If you’re not in the top 25, and You know You NEED to get your App SEEN, then inquire for a consult today about the different marketing strategies mentioned above.
Best,
Kevin
Kevin is an Online and Mobile Marketing Strategist who has worked with companies of all sizes over the last 6 years. You can follow Kevin on any of the social platforms below.
