Pages Menu
TwitterRssFacebook
Categories Menu

Posted by on Mar 30, 2013 in Apps, Marketing, Mobile | 1 comment

Android vs iOS Monetization Secrets

Android vs iOS Monetization Secrets

No point in pre-facing as to why I’m writing this, fact of the matter is: time is our enemy, and if you’re a developer for every second, or minute you spending reading this you could be missing out on potentially more downloads than what you’re getting with your currently implemented tactics.  So let’s jump right in.   User Acquisition There are some major differences between iOS and Android, the biggest being – iOS doesn’t allow for incentivized installs within the in-app environment.  In fact, they’re so strict they’ve barred several developers from the App Store because of what they considered ‘questionable distribution tactics’.   Android is a lot more flexible and friendly when it comes to distribution and monetization strategies. Developers are actually able to incentivize their installs in order to move up in the app rankings.  iOS however, does have a distinct advantage being; it only has one piece of hardware.   Android is on several different devices from several OEM’s. Because of this, it’s not easy to...

Read More

Posted by on Mar 30, 2013 in Apps, Mobile | 0 comments

How to Build a Great Mobile App

How to Build a Great Mobile App

It goes without saying that Smartphones and Tablets are ubiquitous in the world we live in today.  According to a recent eMarketer report, nearly 80% of people of people will reach for their phone within 15minutes of waking, 62% will do so immediately, and 44% also use their device as an alarm clock.   Today however, we’re not going to talk about why people do these things, (while it is likely to get our morning fix of the internet) we’re going to discuss how you can BE one of those things ON their device that they’re so eagerly awaiting to ‘check’.  With more than 1 Billion smartphones around the globe, and more Android devices being activated than babies being born, it just goes to show how fast this market is growing.   As a mobile developer, (a smart one at least) you’re aware of the many challenges presented in getting your app into the market, the decisions you need to make prior to even getting started, and what to...

Read More

Posted by on Mar 29, 2013 in Apps, Mobile | 0 comments

In-App Purchases (IAP)’s Generating Record Revenues

In-App Purchases (IAP)’s Generating Record Revenues

According to app analytics company Distimo, in-app purchases generated a record 76% of total App Store revenue in the U.S. in February.  The report only tracks revenue generated through the app store, so this does not include ad revenue. In Asia, at least 90% of all revenue came from in-app purchases according to Distimo.  Interestingly, freemium apps were found to generate the least amount of revenue per download, with just 93cents per download (based on the top 250 apps in the U.S.’s) Apple App Store.   Meanwhile, paid iPhone apps w/o in-app purchases generated on average, $2.25 per download.  Paid apps with in-app purchases generate even more revenue. iPad paid apps averaged $4.04 in revenue per...

Read More

Posted by on Mar 28, 2013 in Apps, Mobile | 1 comment

Puzzle & Dragons Publisher GungHo Online Made $106 million in February

Puzzle & Dragons Publisher GungHo Online Made $106 million in February

Puzzle & Dragons publisher GungHo Online has just announced that it’s generated 10 billion yen in sales last month, in February.  This amounts to a little over $106 million.  Mobile gaming consultant Dr Serkan Toto (who resides in Tokyo) estimates that Puzzle & Dragons alone likely accounts for between 59 and 81% of GungHo’s total sales.  With this in mind, he assumes that Puzzle & Dragons grossed somewhere between $62 million and $86 million in February.   Toto also expects this figure to increase.  With the $106 million figure last month,  GungHo has substantially surpassed its $92 million it grossed in January by about $12 million. Given Puzzle & Dragons passed the 10 million download mark in early March, (only 19 days after passing the 9 million milestone) things are  looking good for GungHo’s sales for this month.   In an interview with PocketGamer.biz, when asked “How did the company achieve such remarkable success?” CEO Kazuki Morishita said,  “It had a lot to do with luck.”  Gungo is also in the processes...

Read More

Posted by on Mar 28, 2013 in Apps, Marketing, Mobile | 0 comments

February App Downloads and Marketing Costs Drop | Fiksu Index

February App Downloads and Marketing Costs Drop | Fiksu Index

Fiksu has released their ‘Cost per Loyal User Index‘ concluding that February had a decline in in marketing costs at $1.29 (down 17%) from January’s $1.56.  This clearly represented a bargain period for mobile marketers who may have held back on holiday advertising, and instead chose to spread their spending across the several month to follow to maximize impact.   Additionally, Fiksu’s App Store Competitive Index showed a decrease of 13%, or 810,000 downloads each day, to 5.2 million daily downloads, from January’s 6.01 million.  It’s important to note that much of the downloads that came in January were a result of spill-over from Power Week, with the Holiday season in the last month of December.  This 1 week period saw over 1.2 billion app downloads.   With no major events or device launches occurring last month the Indexes provide early indications of what we can expect the “new normal” to be for marketers this year. That is  until, the next big splash (event, product release, major OS update) which will...

Read More

Posted by on Mar 27, 2013 in Apps, Marketing, Mobile | 0 comments

Facebook updates Mobile Ads to Allow Developers to target Wi-Fi Users and Specific OS Version

Facebook updates Mobile Ads to Allow Developers to target Wi-Fi Users and Specific OS Version

Pretty cool if  you ask me. Most of us who are ‘up to speed’ with things know that FB CPI campaigns have proven to be extremely effective.  Maybe not as effective as a CPE (Cost Per Engagement) campaign, but still very effective nonetheless.  In Facebook’s most recently update the company is allowing Developers to specifiy whether or not they want their ads only showing up when the users are on Wi-Fi (increasing the probablility of them installing the app).  Facebook has said to have seen a 3x increase in ROI compared to “other advertising channels”.  On top of that, its user acquisition (CPA) cost has gone down 30%.   Great job Facebook.  I may consider buying some of your stock if  you keep stuff like this up.  Facebook notes in their blogpost that this could be, “a particularly good fit for apps that require significant data usage.” In addition, Developers can now target based on operating system as well (not just iOS vs Android, which wasn’t previously possible).  This...

Read More

Posted by on Mar 27, 2013 in Apps, Marketing, Mobile | 0 comments

Mobile Marketing No Longer an Option

Mobile Marketing No Longer an Option

For those of you thinking that the “Mobile Revolution” is coming, sorry, but –  it’s already here.  The thing people seem to forget is, the early adopters in this space aren’t the ones that got started earlier this year, or even last year – but instead back in 2008. They’re also the same ones who now have the know-how to disrupt a market place, steal market share, and optimize mobile monetization.  Many large brands have already invested in their mobile presence. Coca-Cola for instance, invested $10M in Spotify and Starbucks $25M in Square. There’s no time to waste.  Needless to say, mobile apps have become the go-to source for news and entertainment.  Along the way replacing TV, radio, and the ‘traditional web’.  According to Apigee, 82% of smartphone users say they couldn’t go a day without their apps.  With that being said, Mobile Apps should be centric to your business strategy, more so – not just a box to be checked as having ‘completed’ or ‘obtained’.  CEO of Starbucks...

Read More