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Find success on Google Play What app developers can learn from games

Posted by Matteo Vallone, Business Development Manager at Google Play

There is much common ground between freemium apps and games businesses when it comes to achieving success. Users are, however, more used to paying for games than apps, stemming from the history of traditional gaming consoles. Moreover, mobile games are also able to easily offer ‘virtual goods’ across a range of price points to suit every pocket. This means that game developers have had plenty of opportunity to learn about how to improve onboarding, conversion, and ultimately the user Lifetime Value (LTV). So what can app developers learn from game developers? Here are some best practice tips and insights from successful game developers that can be applied to many apps, today.

Drive app success the game developer way:

Retention is king, and retention drives conversion. For games developers, retention is the key measure of game quality and whether it appeals to players.

Most game developers will “soft launch” to beta testing communities or test markets. During this phase, the game is tweaked to optimize retention by looking into specific areas, such as tutorial completion, level difficulty and conversion. Developers can then track retention using the Cohorts reports in Google Analytics. Once retention is satisfactory, the developer can go to full launch and start investing in user acquisition.

The first seven days after install are the most critical for retention: users install several apps to try them, and decide in the first few days which ones they want to keep using. If you can retain for that time span, your app is more likely to become part of the user’s daily routine.

There are some simple ways to progressively build user engagement. It’s important to present a strong story that explains why that app is relevant to the user, while introducing them to key features. Then place features that offer the user value early, so they can be found without much effort.

This is a not a one-size-fit-all. To find the right solution, a developer needs to first make assumptions on what user flows can improve retention and then run A/B tests to validate or correct them. For example, a developer could think that introducing sign-in later in the user flow might improve retention. Also, the developer needs to keep in mind what the key long term engagement metrics are for the individual app (such as photos uploaded or the number of articles read) and measure the impact of the different onboarding flows on those metrics as well.

In general, these principles are good places to start optimizing your onboarding:

• Look for ways to let the users experience the app straight away, rather than taking them through a long, complex setup.
• Present “activation moments” — such as registering an account, uploading a video, or finding friend — gradually
• Start by requiring minimal investment by the user, then ask them for more details as they are needed to use the apps features.
• Treat permissions as a service for the user. For example, if you want users to register, show them in advance that, by making their experience more personal, they’ll get more value from the app.

Finally, ensure the user can understand the value of your app before you start asking them to pay. Game developers are particularly good at letting their users try most or all product features for free in in a set number of days or sessions.

A great tool to help analyze how users are engaging (or not) with the app is through the Flow Report in Google Analytics. Using this report, a developer can see how users navigate through the app and where they leave to identify potential roadblocks.

Understanding different groups of users in-app purchase behavior is the key to devising strategies to encourage them to spend.

Start by identifying groups of users by how they spend and much they are likely to spend. It may be by age group, the channel that brought the install, or in-app behaviour. Use the Segment builder in Google Analytics to identify and define these groups of users. Then, tailor in-app purchase offers to match the segments spending behavior. For example, for segments where multiple users tend to spend more in one go, but spend infrequently, offer them in-app features bundled together.

Users are also more likely to spend, if the purchasing experience is frictionless, and even more so when they can see how the expenditure will add value. So:

• Present purchase opportunities to users when they’re most likely to need or want it — and explain to the user why it’s relevant.
• Make purchasing accessible easily from within the app with a minimum number of taps. For example, offer an upgrade button on the footer of relevant screens.

Like all good game developers, they focus on building good experiences that retain and engage users through constant testing and analytics. First impressions are important, so users need to be able to quickly understand the importance of the app and easily navigate through the onboarding experience. And to start generating revenue, it is important to be thoughtful about how to make in-app purchases actionable.

Watch Matteo’s Playtime 2015 session ‘The rules of games, for apps’ to hear more in-depth insights which app developers can learn from games with best practices and developer examples:

You can also watch the other sessions from Google Playtime 2015 to learn more about tools and best practices which can help you find success with business on Google Play.

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IFA 2016 what to expect from Europe’s largest tech show

IFA is Europes largest consumer electronics trade show and is held in Berlin each year around September. IFA stands for Internationale Funkaustellung (hence the abbreviation) and began its life back in 1924 as a radio exhibition.

Alongside Mobile World Congress in February-March, IFA is one of the main events on the trade show calendar for new device announcements, although more and more manufacturers have been opting for earlier release cycles and standalone events in recent years.

When is IFA and how do I get tickets?

IFA 2016 will be held this year between September 2 – 7 with press events held a couple of days before. That means you should keep your eyes peeled for new device announcements on August 31 and September 1.

IFA 2016 will, as always, be held at the Messe Berlin exhibition grounds in the west end of the city. This year, another venue will be added at IFA Global Markets at Station Berlin in Gleisdreieck between September 4 – 7.

Entry to IFA is open to the public, with one-day tickets available from €39 and two-day tickets from €56 if you pre-book, with prices rising to €49 and €72, respectively, if you buy at the event itself. Early bird tickets are available until July 15.

Samsung at IFA 2016

Samsung may have decided to announce the Galaxy Note 7 a month earlier than the Note series traditional unveiling time at IFA, but that doesnt mean Samsung wont have anything to show.

We will likely see a successor to the super-impressive Gear S2 smartwatch named the Gear S3 (which has recently had an IFA launch re-"confirmed" by Korean media) which was previously leaked under the codename Solaris. Well hopefully also get some exciting new announcements for the wearable version of Tizen OS – perhaps standalone apps like on Android Wear?

We may also see new tablets and mid-range phones from Samsung, one of which is likely to be the 4:3 aspect ratio Galaxy Tab S3. The updated USB Type-C version of the Gear VR will launch alongside the Note 7 in August but it will also be at IFA for everyone that cant make the NYC launch event.

LG at IFA 2016

Last year LG dropped the LG Watch Urbane Luxe – a 23-karat gold version of its standard Watch Urbane wearable. Its possible that LG will have a new wearable at IFA, but weve heard nothing indicating it as a certainty. More LG Friends for the G5 would be good, especially if we get a speaker or game controller.

The reason LG had no major smartphone announcements at IFA 2015 was because the company was quietly preparing to announce the LG V10 which arrived in October. With that in mind, we can hope to see the LG V10 successor (the LG V11? the LG V20?) at IFA 2016 and potentially a new smartwatch as well. The V20 at IFA has been rumored yet again, but an unnamed LG exec has told Android Authority that date is not definite yet.

Huawei at IFA 2016

At last years IFA, Huawei quietly delivered the Huawei Watch, a slim, stylish and highly underrated smartwatch. Its designer confirmed there was a follow-up in the works, so its possible well see the Huawei Watch 2 at this years IFA.

Of course, the general downturn in the wearable market might mean the project has been scrapped – as the OnePlus smartwatch was – but Huaweis fortunes are a lot more established than those of OnePlus, so you never know. Its highly likely well see a successor to the popular Mate 8 unveiled at Huaweis September 1 event, undoubtedly called the Huawei Mate 9.

Huawei announced the Mate S last year at IFA, which arrived with a fingerprint scanner you could use to scroll through menus and galleries as well as a Force Touch display on the 128 GB version. While that particular variant ended up being rarer than hens teeth, the Mate S was generally well received. So much so that we may well see a Mate S2 at IFA 2016 as well.

Xiaomi at IFA 2016

Xiaomi has already begun teasing its Mi Note 2 which will presumably be unveiled at IFA. Furthermore, Xiaomis co-founder Li Wanqiang has apparently confirmed that Xiaomi will announce a new $600 smartphone this year, and all bets are on it being the high-end version of the Mi Note 2. Having said all this, we dont have anything concrete to go on right now, but well update you as soon as we do.

Sony at IFA 2016

Sony will hold a Playstation Experience event in December 2016, so its Playstation VR is unlikely to see the spotlight at IFA. Sony may have new phones planned for IFA though – it released the Xperia Z5 range at last years IFA after all. But considering the Xperia X series has replaced the Xperia Z series and that new product line only just arrived at MWC 2016, Sonys activities for IFA are a bit of a mystery.

The latest rumors have Sony announcing not one, but two, new phones at IFA 2016. With model numbers F8331 and F8332, the details are a little murky (and the credibility equally so). Will Sony stick with its "two flagships a year" strategy and deliver an Xperia X2 range? Or will the Xperia Z6 rise from the ashes after all?

HTC at IFA 2016

With its storied financial troubles and new focus on VR, HTC will probably not have anything major to show off at IFA. We may get a couple of new Desire or Butterfly devices and maybe even another wacky collaboration like the Re Camera or Under Armor Health Box. With the HTC 10 fresh out of the gates, we certainly wont get a new flagship phone.

The perennial HTC smartwatch saga continues with repeated launch dates bandied about before the whole project gets delayed once again. Considering how long it has taken and how unexciting most smartwatches have turned out to be, HTC might be better off leaving this one on the drawing board.

Motorola/Lenovo at IFA 2016

Considering Motorola announced devices ahead of IFA last year, we may not see any official announcements this year either. Of course, we also just saw the Lenovo Moto Z and Moto Z Force announced too, not long after the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus arrived. So it seems unlikely that Motorola would have any 2016 products left for an IFA showcase.

However, considering it is now glaringly obvious that the Lenovo transition has fully occurred, who knows what Lenovorola will do? Maybe well see a Moto 360 (2016) or Moto Sport smartwatch successor? Or more Moto Mods perhaps?

Lenovo also just announced a whole batch of new phones at its TechWorld event as well as the worlds first Project Tango smartphone, the PHAB 2 Pro. Lenovo has a bunch of other fun products up its sleeve though, like the Yoga tablet range, a funky folding tablet and mid-range devices in the Vibe series, so we might see some of those. Lenovo has already sent out invites for a press event on August 31.

Asus at IFA 2016

Asus had a decent product lineup at last years IFA, including the ZenWatch 2, Zenfone Zoom and Zenfone Max. In the past, Asus has announced its new Zenfones at CES in Las Vegas in January (as it did in 2015), or at Computex in May (as it did this year). At IFA then we will potentially only be looking at new variants of the Zenfone 3 or an updated ZenWatch 3.

ZTE at IFA 2016

ZTE has a handy habit of announcing its trade show lineup in advance of the actual show. For IFA, that doesnt typically happen until August sometime, but last year ZTE dropped the global version of its Axon device, the Axon Elite. There was also a new Nubia, Spro projector and the Blade V6. Whether we can expect successors to all of these is still a mystery, but it wont be long before ZTE tells us exactly what is coming.

Alcatel at IFA 2016

Alcatel will have a whole host of new OneTouch devices in its IFA schedule. The company may also have a successor to its OneTouch Go Smartwatch which debuted at last years IFA, assuming the budget wearable gamble paid off for the company. If you were paying attention last year you might also remember the insane Xess tablet (pictured above), the massive 17.3-inch stainless steel tablet which felt more like a portable cinema monitor than a regular tablet.

Acer at IFA 2016

Acer has already sent out invitations to its unveiling at IFA 2016 to be held on August 31. No details are yet forthcoming, but Acer just released a smartphone called the Liquid Zest Plus a couple months ago, so it might be too soon for a new flagship. With Acer collaborating with StarVR on their virtual reality headset its certainly possible we could see some related announcements to this VR collab at IFA. Well likely see at least one new Chromebook too.

Fitbit at IFA 2016

Fitbit is also rumored to have two new products ready for the spotlight at IFA in September. The team at Wareable has it on good authority that two new devices – codenamed Laryon and Fermion – are currently being field tested for an IFA launch. They will most likely be unveiled as the Fitbit Flex 2 and Fitbit Charge 2, as both names were recently trademarked by the company.

NVIDIA at IFA 2016

This one is far from confirmed for IFA, but NVIDIA reportedly has a new SHIELD tablet in the works for 2016. IFA would be the obvious venue for an unveiling, but well just have to wait and see. The new SHIELD is rumored to be an 8-inch tablet with the usual gaming powerhouse specs sheet and near-stock Android.

Thats it for now, but well update this post with all the latest news and rumors, so be sure to check back in closer to the date.

Up next: Heres what you missed at Google I/O 2016

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