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Business

The Faces of Fragmentation: Musings on Versions and Installed Base

fragmentation

How do various forms of fragmentation of the potential audience impact the development economics? The answers will vary significantly depending on the specifics of each app but some general issues are worthy of consideration by everyone.As we pointed out recently, Android is now way ahead of iOS in terms of share of new device sales and installed base but also rapidly catching up on total revenues. The important questions for developers interested in that trend are what fractions of those markets can easily be targeted and how much will it cost to target more? 

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Tools

Mobile App Testing – advanced tips and tricks

App Testing

An issue on mobile app testing has published on”Testing Experience”, one of the world’s leading magazines for software testers and test managers. The magazine is full of in-depth insights on app testing, from context-dependent techniques to mobile network variability testing. A great resource for anyone who’s serious about how to test their apps!

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Business Tips

Crowdfunding: Leanest Way to Launch?

crowdfunding

One question that divides opinion among developers is when to start marketing your app. Some say if you start marketing too soon, the early interest you create will dissipate before you actually have something to sell. Others argue that you can’t start talking about your app soon enough, build a following of early adopters and you have great word of mouth marketing and an initial sales boost to climb the store charts. What if you can have the benefits without any of the downside? It might just be possible with crowdfunding.

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Business Tools

Tradable vs Non-tradable Apps

Tradable apps

We’ve previously discussed the major opportunities that are emerging for developers globally, fueled by rising demand from BRIC countries and other emerging app economies, representing at least half of the world’s mobile subscribers. In order to capture these opportunities, developers can focus on two broad strategies: to “reach-out” or to “search within”. Developers that “reach-out” will address international app-demand by supplying apps that appeal to users across borders and continents (tradable apps). These apps can reach far and wide but in order to do so requires a moderate level of localisation. Those developers that “search within” will look at gaps and opportunities in local markets. These apps have local reach and require a high level of localisation.

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Business Platforms

Mobile Advertising from MoPub & Opera

mobile advertising

MoPub, a real-time bidding exchange for mobile advertising, recently published a report on their marketplace for the third quarter which shows some strong trends. The effective cost per thousand impressions (eCPM) was steady or rising across platforms through the last quarter. Android eCPM was rising much faster than for iOS. This is in sharp contrast to the rather dramatic decline in eCPM for smartphones between Q2 and Q3 evident in Opera’s reports, with Android falling faster than iOS.

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Business Tips

10 Million Apps: the emerging world app demand opportunity

app demand

In a recent post on the app localization opportunity we highlighted the potential for targeting growth markets in the emerging world. Not all apps are equally suited to doing so though. For some high-profile apps such as Facebook, Google Maps or Angry Birds the demand is  global and these apps easily penetrate local markets. For other apps — like a taxi booking, cinema schedules or restaurant reservation apps — what works with US consumers will not work in the local business environment or culture in a European or Asian city. Different language, culture, business environment, promotional channels, regulations, brands and local consumer behaviour will mean that many apps will need adaptation to penetrate local markets. It also means that much local app demand is currently undersupplied. China, Brazil and Russia are good examples of major markets that are hard to penetrate, yet present major opportunities for mobile app developers globally. We believe that in the app economy, global demand for top-seller apps will dominate downloads in most regions. At the same time, regional demand for localised apps will drive the production of the next 10 million apps.

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Business Platforms

App Revenue – Android gaining on iOS fast!

app revenues

App revenues for iOS

Android has long since passed iOS in terms of sales, installed base and even app downloads, while total number of apps available is now about level. Despite this app revenues for iOS developers have remained consistently higher. Is that about to change?

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Business Platforms Tips

Freemium beats Premium, says App Annie

freemium

App Annie Intelligence, which tracks more than 700,000 apps, reports that freemium apps – free apps that have in-app purchases – are experiencing impressive revenue growth worldwide, far outpacing premium apps in both iOS and Google Play stores. Over the last 24 months, worldwide revenues for freemium apps on iOS have more than quadrupled. In 2012, worldwide  revenues on Google Play have grown 3.5X. Now, apps generate 69 percent of the worldwide iOS app revenue and 75 percent of global Android app revenues. Meanwhile, premium revenues for both app stores remained relatively flat in these time periods.

This confirms earlier reports of this trend by Distimo, IHS iSuppli and others.

 

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Business Platforms

Flurry’s AppSpot reports average eCPM of $5.80 across interstitial, video and banner ad formats

ad revenue

From TechCrunch:

App measurement and ad company Flurry has revealed significant traction for its iOS and Android app advertising and targeting platform, AppSpot. The platform was made publicly available in October 2012 and has attracted more than 1,000 app publishers to sign up in just over three weeks, according to the company. Flurry described revenue performance of the first 500 applications already live as “very strong”, with an average eCPM of $5.80 across interstitial, video and banner ad formats.

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Business Platforms Tips

Methods for Monetizing a Mobile User Base (or Are Mobile Apps the New Internet?)

mobile developers

Mobile apps are a huge and rapidly growing business. Mobile developers have access to a greater number of users and more simple ways of monetizing their creations than any software developers before them. However, selling digital content and services directly, or advertising to users of those services are only two of many, many ways of generating revenue through mobile apps. Which methods are likely to dominate in the future?

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