Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 30, 2011–W3i® (www.W3i.com), a leader in monetization and user acquisition services for mobile apps, announced today the launch of the $10 Million AppX Game Developer Marketing Fund.  The goal of the marketing fund is to accelerate user growth for up-and- coming mobile social game developers by aiding in their user acquisition financing.

W3i's AppX - Resources to Accelerate Game Profitability

iOS™ and Android™ game developers’ goal is to drive user acquisition of mobile games accelerating the growth of active users.

This fund reinforces W3i’s commitment to iOS and Android game developers to help them compete with AAA competitors thus accelerating their path to profitability.

W3i is known for its extensive experience in partnering with mobile and desktop app developers to grow their app  businesses.  All developers who qualify for the AppX Game Developer Marketing Fund receive adept production support, actionable insight to optimize their game business and profitable user acquisition with funding to speed up growth.  The AppX suite of services is provided without charge and with no, long-term revenue share.
Using AppX does not require the developer to give up their IP rights allowing them to focus on actual game design and development.

“W3i has proven to be a valued partner in marketing our game, My Pet Zombie. Not only did we quickly become  profitable with our app, W3i helped increase the lifetime value of our users by three times. We would highly recommend using W3i to market your mobile game,” comments Brian Robbins, Founder of Riptide Games.

“We continue to develop tools that add value for mobile game developer partners,” said Andy Johnson, CEO. “Our road map continues to focus on improving monetization and user acquisition tools to optimize ROI using a decade of experience doing the same for our desktop app partners.  The rollout continues with AppX.”  For more information contact W3i AppX.

About W3i: W3i is a leader in monetization and user acquisition services for mobile and desktop apps.  Utilize an experienced team of app-savvy marketers with deep technical know-how and many years of industry experience to grow your app business. We are ready to collaborate with app developers to execute programs that quickly deliver revenue and quality users. To learn more, visit www.W3i.com with offices in San Francisco, Minneapolis and Sartell, MN. 

Press Contact:

Deborah Manthei

Director of Marketing Communications

320-257-7571 (office)

deborah.manthei@W3i.com

The names of companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

W3i is now recommending that its affiliates use the new Ad Sitelink feature in Google Adwords to improve return on ad spends.

Ad Sitelinks allow you to include relevant links to content on your site which is not featured on your main landing page. You can also change the sitelinks whenever appropriate, for example for new marketing campaigns or seasonal products. We found that Ad Sitelinks created a lot of value for our users since they can now quickly find what they’re searching for using the relevant links that we added to our search ads. And let’s not forget the added benefit for you–using Ad Sitelinks gives you more real estate in your search ads.  A surefire way to improve your site’s click-through-rate and improve your quality score! It did for us!

Here is an example of Google’s search results with Ad Sitelinks,

Users Find Content Quicker with Google Ad Sitelinks

What are you waiting for?  Create a new campaign using Ad Sitelinks today!  What results did you get from Ad Sitelinks  Let me know in the comment section.

http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=164778

Joan Jones, Account Executive, W3i, LLC
Joan is the guardian of Affiliate relationships at W3i, providing resources and solutions to strategic accounts.

Good day, App Marketers, we previously wrote about how to improve your ranking in the App Store.  I just listened to a 30+ minute podcast by a couple app developers with a few more tips that boiled down to the following:

1.  Be realistic and follow the money.  It is tough to get started marketing apps these days.  If you find a niche, it is all-out war to conquer the space.  The title of your app is very important; try to capture a key search term. Colin from Spreadsong mentioned that his success was due to recognizing that “free books” should be in the title to capture the searches for free books.  He then tweaked the title to Free Books – Classics to capture the audience of the competitive app.  Rishi & Anirudh from Fliplab mentioned that they created one of their first apps around a “hot trend” in the UK—Barclay bikes (a new start-up business) and received a tremendous amount of  press.  They also mentioned that the app was high quality and offered the user value.

2.  Their second tip was focusing on the icons.
You MUST have an icon that stands out and gets attention.  The first icon for Free Books used loud  colors—red and yellow but was of fairly low quality so they felt it did the job initially but also turned off some of the audience.  In order to succeed in the current app stores you need pop, quality and brand.  Colin recommends comparing the app to the top ranking apps in the app store charts to see if it pops out so it catches potential new users eyes.  Think  outside the box and do something different—what do you have to lose?

London Cycle App Icon

Talking Gremlin App Icon-Make sure it POPS!

Free Books App-Quality images draw quality app users.

To listen to the entire podcast: http://www.appteardown.com/

Do you have any additional tips on getting better ranking in the app stores?  If so, please respond in comments.  Contact W3i to consult on monetization models for your app.  We would love to share what we’ve learned in monetization, distribution and optimization; and will work with you to grow your app business.

Debby Manthei, Director of Marketing Communications, W3i, LLC

Debby’s focus is on app marketing—strategies for increasing user acquisition and monetization for mobile and desktop apps. 

The legal notice that users now see when they go to the LimeWire website sends a pretty strong message: “Downloading or sharing copyrighted content without authorization is illegal.” After a four year long battle, a New York judge finally put the kibosh on LimeWire’s lackadaisical methods for policing its peer-to-peer free music service. The industry has been in an uproar over the under-the-counter music that’s making its way into users’ headphones at the hands of LimeWire.  High profile labels are left to sit back and say, “Show me the money!” with multi-millions in damage claims. In the meantime, millions of users are left searching for a new source for free music.

The recent federal court order requiring LimeWire to cease distribution of its software is a boon to those who own the rights to many of the shared files.  While they did not receive a big check as back payment, they did get the satisfaction of seeing that their collective voices are being heard. Chalk up a small victory for copyright law.

The social media world is buzzing with news of the shut down as LimeWire users gradually become aware they no longer have access to their free music source. It has been suggested in numerous circles that people will discover a new means of getting the music they want for free. But, with this new crack down on piracy, it is wise to avoid sources that are less than reputable and dabble in the copyright infringement game.

The solution to LimeWire users’ dilemma is to utilize an alternative that takes a lawful approach to free music downloads. One legit player in the market is Music Oasis, owned and operated by W3i, who works directly with the artists and labels. These partnerships are legally defined through license agreement, thus making Music Oasis an exciting white hat option for discovering new artists and titles.  As the Music Oasis inventory of fresh, new music continues to grow, more users are finding it a refreshing change.  Moreover, Music Oasis is spyware and virus free since the download is done through InstallIQ, which is certified in the TRUSTe Trusted download program  which generates a level of security that file sharing companies like LimeWire have struggled to provide.

Is the free legal music download the wave of the future now that peer to peer file sharing has taken a mighty swat to the hand? Or, will we see more artists raising their collective fists in frustration as new players move in to take LimeWire’s place in the dark alley of infringement?

Randi Kucala, Marketing Specialist, W3i, LLC
A proponent for Internet users, Randi endeavors to make every interaction with W3i’s sites a positive one. She specializes in copy writing and on-page SEO.

Jackpot Rewards Selects W3i for Consumer App Distribution

St. Cloud, Minnesota, February 9, 2010 – W3i, provider of marketing solutions that increase distribution, revenue, and engagement for consumer applications, announced today that Jackpot Rewards is now part of the W3i Application Network.  Jackpot Rewards, a sweepstakes and shopping rewards program, is using the W3i Application Network as a new application distribution channel for its free Jackpot Rewards application.

“The W3i Application Network provides a mass distribution channel for companies with consumer applications that are seeking customer acquisition beyond paid search and social media,” said Rob Weber, VP of Business Development at W3i.  “Jackpot Rewards recognizes the opportunity the W3i Application Network offers to grow its membership by expediting the discovery of its free shopping and sweepstakes application to millions of new users.”

Jackpot Rewards has a new and unique shopping and sweepstakes product for consumers, called “Shop to Win”.  “Shop to Win” is free to consumers and gives them the chance to win $500 a day and a $100,000 Jackpot for every $5 they spend at over 2,000 leading online retailers. 

“W3i’s distribution capabilities give us the opportunity to dramatically increase our memberships with a trusted partner,” said Jim Miller, the CEO and Founder of Jackpot Rewards. “We are excited about the results to date and look forward to a long-term relationship with W3i.” 

 About W3i: 

W3i increases revenue, distribution and engagement for consumer applications and plug-ins. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free applications monetized by the distribution of relevant applications when the consumer is in the installation mindset.  The W3i Application Network uses Install IQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installation manager, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program.  Tested and optimized on over 350 million installs–currently 9.6 million installs monthly, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your consumer application business. To learn more, visit the W3i Application Network.

Press Contact:

Deborah Manthei

Director of Marketing Communications

320-257-7571

deborah.manthei@W3i.com

The names of companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

The blogosphere is covered with posts that would have us believe that desktop applications and software are already dead (cloud, mobile, SaaS); however, retail sales for desktop applications and software are a multi-billion dollar industry. In April 2009, the NPD Group reported that PC software retail sales were around $3.4B per year and holding steady. The major change, however, is the impact the web is having on how desktop applications and software are distributed.  According to NPD, web application and software distribution has increased from 11.5% to 17% in the last 4 years.

Following I explain how the web has influenced software bundling.  I start with a brief background of OEM software bundling.  Next I discuss a new type of software distribution that we call recommendation based distribution, and conclude with answers to frequently asked questions regarding recommendation based distribution.

Software Bundling

Software providers (OEM – original equipment manufacturer) for decades leveraged value-added resellers (VARs) for driving sales of their software as part of a hardware/software package.  These marketing partnerships result in what is often referred to as a “bundle” due to the fact that complementary services are bundled together.

A common example is a new computer that includes Microsoft Windows®.  A few other applications routinely bundled include Office®, security, internet browser, and toolbar applications. 

This type of distribution is big business.  Here are a few examples:

1. HP & WildTangent – WildTangent became an immediate force in the casual game world because of the huge bundle distribution agreements that they signed.
2. Storage devices bundled with back-up software such as Carbonite with Seagate and Memeo with Western Digital Technologies.

User acceptance over the practice varies based on the type of users a VAR sells to as well as the quality and quantity of applications that they bundle. The two primary concerns raised by consumers are system performance and the nuisance of removing unwanted software.

Recommendation Based Distribution

Is software bundling fundamentally flawed?  Do users want to receive a more affordable package by having additional software marketed to them?

Now that many users are connected to the web, software can be merchandised effectively without preloading on the users’ systems in advance.  W3i research showed that software bundling is not fundamentally flawed.  Users are however, most receptive to receiving software offers if they are involved in the application selection process.  Users can see recommendations for other applications when they first run a new computer, attach a new external device, or download an application from the web.  The recommendations can call out to the web to retrieve the files required for presenting the recommendations, downloading, and installing.

W3i to facilitate this process created its own proprietary technology, InstallIQ, which supports a fully web-capable solution allowing us to create a software distribution experience that resembles an online shopping experience. 

Here is an example of a website, Wallpapers.com, that runs InstallIQ during installation:

Note the consistency between the initial website and continued branding through the installation process.  We call this feature installer skinning.  By leveraging the website’s brand equity and style in the installer we create a transparent and consistent experience that enhances usability and increases conversions (see our post Creating Consistency to Increase Conversions).

The same flexible technology is used to improve the presentation of software to users:

Notice above that the user has a clear and consistent navigation experience.  This navigation style was influenced by a case study, published by TRUSTe, as well as improvements such as a shopping cart feature that was added based on user feedback.  The cart shows specifically what applications were accepted followed by a check-out process where the user can review all of their selected applications and change their selections before the process is completed. 

Some providers struggle with clear and consistent navigation because it is challenging working with their existing installation packaging technologies.  Their user navigation requires very different buttoning when a recommendation is presented. This is something I like to call “opt-irritating”.

In summary, the web is enabling an evolution in software distribution and software bundling.  It is so different from how VARs bundled in the past that we feel a more appropriate category descriptor, for this methodology is recommendation based distribution.

Frequently asked questions

• Is this business model right for my software?  How will my users respond?

Software with a low propensity for users to purchase have the most to gain. Frequently, developers are experimenting with multiple business models and a hybrid approach wins out. For example, a leading security application offers a free light version which gets heavy downloads, generates revenue from advertising using installer recommendations, and later pitches premium paid services to its users.

The response by users vary greatly from one implementation to another. A software or application provider’s reputation is highly influenced by the quality of software they provide. Distribute high quality software which is monetized through a high quality bundle experience and users can and will be very satisfied.

W3i has an experienced staff that works closely with software providers to define the solution which best suits their needs, including support on decisions such as the:  

• • Customizable look and feel
  • Select which, and how many, applications you want to recommend
  • Determine when you want to present the recommendations, whether it is with new installations or with special upgrades
  • Data-driven recommendations for optimization
• Who should I form a marketing partnership with?

Most consumers and developers are in agreement that security and trustworthiness are key when choosing a marketing partner.  Users’ trust is earned by providers who define, educate, and simplify the process so users can effectively take control.

There are a few techniques you might consider when selecting marketing partners.  How recognized are their brands? How useful is their software to your users? What comments, reviews, or ratings have been written about them? Ask your users what they think about the partner or think about how your user persona would most likely respond.  What commitment do they make in educating users about their practices and policies?  Do they have any third party validation and monitoring in place such as certification in the TRUSTe Trusted Download program?

Brands continue to play a key role.  Partners should stand behind their practices with full disclosure and branding.  They should proudly make visible who their marketing partners are instead of burying themselves in a privacy policy or by engineering their technology so it cannot be distinguished on its own.  Be cautious of providers with little or no reputation or experience.  If very few people say something positive or negative about them and they have significant distribution volumes, it says something about their commitment to creating awareness with their users.

• How many additional offers should I present in any single installation?

W3i conducted a test where 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 offers were tested.  The results showed that the quantity had a minimal impact and that the relevancy of the offers was more important.  Relevancy impacts whether the user will complete the installation of the software, keep and use the software, and whether they will accept offers.

Be sure to consider not only how many offers you distribute but whether or not you will allow the offers to include other offers in their updates or a subsequent run process.  W3i’s policy, which it enforces, prohibits advertisers from promoting additional offers.  Some companies say they only distribute one offer but they do not have policies against what their advertisers distribute and so in reality, users that accept a single offer actually end up getting pitched more than one offer, often within moments of downloading and installing.

As you can see online recommendation based distribution borrows from but also significantly enhances software bundling to make it more appealing to users. The solution continues to evolve but the basics laid out above are the foundation for successful online software distribution.

By mastering recommendation based distribution, your applications can leverage a proven model that enables you to be relevant through effective distribution and monetization.

Get more in-depth information about software or application distribution through W3i’s blog, newsletter, or reaching out to us directly.

Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet marketing focusing on increasing revenue and distribution for digital downloads.

To continue with my Add-on-Con buzz for marketers and developers of browser add-ons.  My last two postings recapped how browsers plan to lead all application platforms and the buzz on browser add-on business models.  In this post, I will cover the Add-On-Con buzz on add-on distribution channels. 

Add-On Distribution Channels

Browser galleries  

• Firefox’s gallery (AMO) is the leading source of distribution for most add-on developers.
• Firefox announced they do not have plans to have sponsored ads on AMO right now.
• Firefox revealed AMO’s install referrals come from these three primary sources – top ranked, recommended, and searched for
• Add-ons are by default sorted by popularity (cumulative installs) but will be updated to use # of active users.
• Alex Jeung, from Cooliris, mentioned that as a developer you can help your chances of getting recommended within the galleries by establishing your add-on’s popularity outside of the gallery and thereby proving that there is demand for your add-on.

Other distribution channels

• Check-out my earlier post to learn more about other add-on distribution channels including how the W3i Application Network is driving 850% more installs per application than AMO.

A special thanks to AdaptiveBlue, Yoono, and OneRiot for organizing Add-On-Con.  The excitement and anticipation I had leading up to the event were not let down.  I would invite others to participate in next year’s conference and follow their soon to be released blog. 

Please consider following W3i to stay up to date with other market information about add-ons as well as related services provided by W3i. (Twitter, LinkedIn,  Newsletter, Blog).

Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet marketing focusing on increasing revenue and distribution for digital downloads.

When looking to distribute free consumer software, there are many different methods of distribution.  Some of the more successful distribution methods are:

• Online marketing promotions
• Affiliate programs
• Physical distribution through retail
• Word of mouth

If you can get all the software distribution you need from the latter, then this blog post probably isn’t for you. But for the rest of us who can’t ever get enough, here’s a tactic that tends to get overlooked -software aggregators. 

There are many benefits to hosting your free software or trial software on sites like Download.com, Tucows.com and Softonic.com.  One of the most important things to look for when researching software aggregators is reputation, look for companies like Softonic.com that are a trusted source of downloads. If it’s not a trusted site don’t use it!  Many software aggregators  offer multiple benefits such as:

• Free listing programs
• Pay per download (PPD) programs at very reasonable rates
• Scalable bandwidth  

Listing your downloads with software aggregators can free up bandwidth.  If your product has a large file size or high traffic influxes, these sites have the ability to provide unlimited downloads to potential users without the worry of servers crashing and bandwidth overage charges.

Working with software aggregators does come with a couple of caveats.  The first is turnaround time.  This problem is mostly caused by us–marketers, developers, etc.  Due to the high volume of requests for listings on these popular aggregators, turnaround times can be days or weeks.  It can also take the same amount of time when you’re trying to remove a product from the site.  Be sure to plan ahead.

The second is the lack of reporting.  You don’t get much visibility into reporting, so before adding this method of distribution to your marketing strategy, be sure to know your Key Performance Indicators (KPI) so you have the ability to optimize.

And now the W3i plug! Apart from software aggregators there is another tool available to you to increase distribution; it’s advertising in the installer.  W3i has created a proprietary Application Network where the advertiser’s popular consumer applications are offered during the installation process.  This distribution method is performance-based and user generated.      

Just like when football coaches tell their players to keep their heads on a swivel, the same can be said for marketers of this generation.  There are many different vehicles of software distribution that you can use to get your software in front of consumers. Just make sure the vehicle you choose fits your marketing strategy and instead of telling you to think outside the box, because I hate that cliché, I will suggest that you work smarter, not harder, when trying to find new vehicles of distribution.

Mitch Bain, Marketing Manager; W3i, LLC
Mitch has 4 years experience focusing on Display Advertising, Search Engine Marketing, and Mobile Marketing, in the Integrated Interactive Media industry.