In Tips on Game Mechanics Session 1, I discussed why your game should allow for the purchase and display of content to create envy between players.

This session I will focus on how to increase user retention that ultimately leads to more opportunities for monetization. One of the simplest mechanics to increase user retention is to add a daily reward to your freemium game. It is surprising how many games that use a currency do not contain a daily reward but many top games that previously did not have an award now have one (Gun Bros. is an example).

There are some variations you can place in your daily reward. In the recently released Recharge Studios game Dolphin Play with Friends, we implemented a daily reward that awards players an increasing amount of standard currency for the first four consecutive days and one unit of premium currency for the fifth consecutive day. Once the player gets to five days the cycle starts over.

Some games have variations on the number of consecutive days you can come back to earn the maximum currency, and some games award the maximum currency as long as you come back on consecutive days indefinitely until you miss a day. Other applications award a variety of rewards other than currency such as consumables used in gameplay or crafting.

Daily rewards also offer a great opportunity to monetize the user indirectly by offering an ad for a daily free app as you can see in the example below.

Once the user closes the daily reward they are presented this custom interstitial advertisement from W3i’s Mobile App Advertising Platform that offers a new free app each day. Offering this interstitial after a daily reward is the perfect opportunity to present an ad to the user for two reasons. One, they just were given a reward so they must be in a good mood! Two, they will only see the ad once a day just as they see the daily reward once a day.

Does your app have a daily reward? There may be room to increase the retention of your app and possibly include an advertisement that is less intrusive than an ad shown more than once a day or directly on app launch. Retention is the biggest opportunity, I find myself scrambling for my iPhone if the end of the day rolls around and I had been too busy to collect my reward and feed my dolphins!

Jimi Van Guilder, Producer, Recharge Studios, W3i, LLC

Jimi is a mobile content expert with a decade of experience working with brands that include Nickelodeon, the NFL, NBC, Marvel, Snoop Dogg and LucasArts. Jimi heads up production at W3i’s wholly owned publishing arm and investment fund, Recharge Studios.

Localizing your iOS app can have a major impact on game revenue. Read on to find out how:

What is localization?
Localization is simply the process of translating your product into different languages for a specific country or region.

Why localize your app?
Localizing your app can make a huge difference in growing a loyal fan base in other countries.  The Apple App Store is available in over 120 countries with support for 40 languages.  Support for international payments, currency, and more, is already built in to the App Store.  So taking your app global is a great way to increase revenue and the process is probably more straight forward than you think.  Let’s take a look at how to bring your app to the global market place with localizations.

Getting started
The first step is to figure out which countries you are interested in marketing to.  Up to date sales data by country is difficult to come by.  That said, a good place to start is with populous countries with minimal english speaking people, who love technology.  Examples include, Japan, Korea, China, and France.  There are some sites on the web that show trends.  It pays to check this out periodically. My own research for a free ad-funded app (released earlier this year) yielded the top countries as  Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan,  Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and Russia.

Once you’ve figured out which countries you want to market to, the next step is to choose the languages for your app.  Usually country to language is 1 to 1 but that’s not always the case.  For example, there are 10 languages associated with China or Chinese.  So it pays to do some research on the country you will be targeting and figure out which language(s) make the most sense for your app.  In my case I focused on two languages for China, simplified script and traditional script.

Translating your copy
Probably the toughest aspect of localizing your app is to acquire the actual translated copy.  You can gather translations for common text items like Cancel, Ok, Continue, Back, Close, etc. by simply changing the language on your iOS device and take note of the translation for these common text items.   Using the same translation as iOS itself really helps the user and keeps your app consistent with the operating system.

For less common words and simple phrase translations, many developers use Google Translate or some other on-line translation service.  This can be problematic if you need more complex sentences or phrases translated.  Poorly translated phrases may actually hurt more than help by confusing or even insulting the user.

By far the best approach to translating your copy is to use a professional translation service.  There are a variety of translation services marketed on the web.  You probably want to focus on those that specialize in working with iOS apps.  Companies with a focus on iOS app translation often provide good documentation or tools that make the process of setting up your app for localization easier.  In most cases you can get an online estimate by pasting your copy into a form.

Tips for Localizing your App
The process for localizing your app is fairly straight forward.  Apple’s developer documentation provides a complete set of programming topics that will guide you through the process.  There are a few common pitfalls to avoid.

Complete your app (especially the user interface) before localizing.  Once you begin creating localized versions of your windows, views menus, etc., if you change the arrangement of screen items, you will find yourself tweaking multiple files (one for each language).  Completing your app also ensures that you will have all the text you need translated. Remember to include any online help text that you link to from your app in your copy for translation.

Consider alerts and dynamic text for translation as well, not just the text you see when views first load.

If your app references any locale or region formatted information like time, date, currency, or other numerical values, remember to use the locale settings of the device in calculations and text you display dynamically.  For example, if you calculate and display miles per gallon in the United States,  be prepared to calculate and display Kilometers Per Gallon if the user’s locale is set as such.

Avoid having graphics that contain text.  For example, if you use a custom button background and the title for the button is included as part of the image, you will need a version of that graphic for each language.  You can save time by keeping text out of the graphic and use the title property for text instead.

Sound files that contain spoken text will need to be available for each supported language.

One key decision is whether you will also provide translated App Store meta data (app description, etc).  This is something you need to figure out before you go live because adding localized meta data requires you submit a new version to the App Store.

Consider starting with localizing your app for one or two countries and bringing more on later.   If your product roadmap includes expanding features in later versions,  you can move additional translation costs to those versions and justify the expense based on sales in additional markets.

Testing your App
It’s important to test your app with your test device setup for each supported language.  Compared to English, most other languages will result in more characters for any given word or phrase.  You may need to adjust the size of some of your UI controls to accommodate the increased length of a word or phrase.

If possible, add testers from your target countries.  Ask for feedback specifically as it relates to translations.

Hmmm, I’m not sure just yet
Even if your still on the fence about bringing your app to international markets by localizing your app you can still help yourself by taking some basic steps in your app development right now.  Start by reading through Apple’s developer documentation as it relates to localization and internationalization.   You’ll discover, when beginning the development of your app, that you can take some simple steps that will make localizing your app later much easier and cost less.

Patrick Brennan, Senior Software Developer

Everyone agrees that apps are great marketing tools for engaging consumers. Now the debate is whether to develop native or web apps. Which is better? Well, it depends.

What Are Native Apps, Web Apps, and Hybrid Apps?

Native apps are apps that are explicitly developed and stored on a device. Native apps require installation.

Web apps are written entirely with web technologies and the code is executed by the browser; installation is optional.

Hybrid apps are native apps with embedded HTML. They have most of the benefits of native apps. The web portions can be packed with the app or downloaded from the web.

Factor 1: How Will the Consumer Use the App?

If the app uses features of the device (microphone, speaker, camera, vibration, GPS, etc.), a native app is more appropriate. If the app relies on the Internet for content (i.e., a catalog of products), a web app is more appropriate. This chart demonstrates applications by Internet task – shopping and search apps being heavy browser users are more likely to be web apps while connecting and navigating apps use features of the device and are more likely to be native apps.

Factor 2: How Fast and How User Friendly Do You Want the App?

Since a native app is explicitly downloaded and stored on the device, generally the user experience is better. The user interface can be cleaner without multiple frames. As Matt Legend Gemmell said when speaking about native apps in his article “Apps vs the Web,” “…humans are designed to focus the majority of our attention on a single task at a time. Interfaces which permit and even encourage this separation of concerns reduce our stress level, and facilitate concentration.” Native apps tend to have better graphics and a smooth user experience due to the interface with the device.

Factor 3: How Will the App Be Distributed?

Native apps can be distributed for free through app stores using their payment system. However, a negative is the loss of control through the approval process, monetization, and promotion of the app. Web apps generally have less visibility and are usually marketed using search engines or on branded websites directly to the consumer.

Factor 4: What Do You Want to Spend?

Native apps are more expensive to develop, as they need to be developed for each specific operating system – iOS, Android (multiple devices), Windows, etc. Many web apps can be developed by in-house developers using existing skills. Therefore, native apps can also take longer to develop. Maintaining apps on multiple operating systems is also expensive and time consuming.

Of course, you can always use the hybrid model, which can combine the best of both worlds. Hybrid applications are increasingly rising in popularity as operating systems become more fragmented.

Usage, user experience, control, distribution, and cost all come into play when developing an app; and then there is how to design the app itself so that it is engaging and retains the user to defray distribution costs.

To learn more, watch this great presentation entitled “HTML5, Hybrid or Native Mobile App Development Webinar.”

Rob Weber, Senior Vice President of Mobile Business Development and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Rob is an Internet marketing pioneer with over ten, profitable years evolving W3i in the consumer application industry.

Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet has all the makings of becoming the first successful Android based tablet. With it low price point, large volume of apps, ease of use and access to the Amazon service is it any wonder that developers are seriously looking at this new tablet as their platform of choice?

Appcelerator and IDC polled almost 2,200 developers this month, and the Kindle Fire edged out the Samsung Galaxy Tab as the most attractive Android tablet to target their efforts at. Here are 5 reasons why developers are already fueling the Kindle Fire Flame.

1- In a sprint to lead the pack, Songza, an Amazon-backed music startup, is launching a Kindle Fire app before any other mobile OS. The reason as Co-founder Elias Roman pointed out is their desire to be an early adopter on “the Android tablet that will matter more than any of the others.”

2 - Top tier publishers such as Netflix, Rhapsody, Pandora, Twitter, Comics by comiXology, Facebook, The Weather Channel and Zynga are already on board by being launch partners for the Kindle Fire; each looking for wider distribution channels for their content.

3 - In the US, 49% of developers are very interested in creating apps for Android apps, upsetting the Galaxy at 48%.  Worldwide, the Kindle Fire ranked second with 43% while Samsung ranked first with 56%.

4 - The Kindle Fire is coming in at a substantially lower price point.  Second, the Kindle Fire is backed by Amazon’s large content and e-commerce offerings that can be integrated into apps and the convenience of its app store.

5 - Development is proving to be fairly easy for developers who’ve previously developed for the Android OS. The Kindle Fire uses Android 2.3 instead of Android’s Honeycomb OS.

Is you organization looking towards the Kindle Fire for your upcoming app? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us via Twitter @W3i and @OrenTodoros.

Apps World Europe is returning to London Olympia on 29-30 November for two days of discussion and insight around multi-platform apps, with some of the leading brands and individuals from around the industry gathering to examine the latest industry trends, and the impact they will have on us.

This year’s event includes three separate conference tracks, covering a broad spectrum of the industry’s most burning issues; operator and developer revenue streams, publishing strategies, mobile and tablet app marketing, handset innovation, branding and the rise of the TV app.

Oren Todoros will be attending Apps World London on behalf of W3i.  If you’re developing a mobile app for either Android or iPhone, this is a perfect opportunity for you to talk to us and discuss your marketing strategy.

To put things in perspective, 16 of the top 25 grossing US iPhone apps have partnered with W3i to maximize their app’s reach and increase revenue.

Ian Johnson, Apps World founder, said: “We feel like this has been a real watershed year in terms of companies recognizing the value and scope of what apps represent to their future business activities. The interest in apps has broadened to include marketing professionals across all industries. The opportunity for talented developers to connect with large multinational brands is a facet of the show we take very seriously, that’s why we’re offering the developer streams for free.”

Attending Apps World London? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us via Twitter @W3i or @OrenTodoros – The drink’s on us!

I just returned from the GDC Online (Game Developers Conference) in Austin, TX, and found many of the sessions focused on data and how to use it to grow an app business. This is a subject dear to my heart, as it has helped my company grow our business over the years. For example, in 2004 we created our first business intelligence system and grew the business by more than 400 percent. (Making all the employees quite happy, as they won a trip to the Florida Keys.) Here are some examples of how you can use your data for actionable insights that will have a major impact on your app business.

Optimizing Images for Huge Performance Improvements

It is very important to test and optimize images. Our game investment company, Recharge Studios recently optimized an image in My Pet Zombie that increased the click-through rate (CTR) from 6.6 percent to 32 percent. Just by testing and optimizing the creative, 4.8 times more users clicked the image.

Optimizing the Tutorial Reduced Churn

Not many developers think of optimizing their tutorial. The new iOS game called My Pet Zombie from Riptide Games had a huge churn rate during the game tutorial prior to optimization. By optimizing the tutorial and improving the user interface, My Pet Zombie reduced the churn from 41 percent completion rate to 81 percent completion rate – a 98 percent improvement.

Improving just one particular image in the tutorial saw the churn rate go from 25 percent to 4 percent. The developer focused on the elements circled in pink.

Distribute Through Multiple Channels and Measure the Results

Not all app developers believe in paying for distribution. However, buying the right traffic and knowing the return can have a major impact on scaling your business. By knowing the return on investment (ROI) for each source of distribution, you can make smart buying decisions, but you need to experiment and understand the data. Also, some of the more expensive channels may have the most qualified users and can prove to be your best source of traffic, but you will never know unless you look at the data.

On the left side are various sources of traffic, and on the right side are the user retention rates after 30 days. As you can see, there was a lot of variance in the traffic sources. Once you know what traffic has the best ROI, it is a pretty easy business decision to buy more of that traffic. If you are interested in more information, check out my blog article.

Offer Users More Than One Revenue Stream

Only around 5 percent of users are willing to pay for an app or make an in-app purchase. By adopting an incented purchase model – offering users virtual currency for installing another app, for example – app revenue can more than double.

In this game, Dolphin Play, the user is offered Dolphin Bucks for installing Tap Fish 2.

In a recent case study using the incented, offerwall system, My Pet Zombie’s average revenue per user (ARPU) increased by 131 percent.

Do I have you convinced that to grow your app business, testing and optimization is important? (It’s almost as fun as playing the game itself.) Getting actionable insight from your app stats can turn an unprofitable app into a profitable app. Are there other tests you performed that made a major impact on your revenue? If so, please share the data in the comment section.

Rob Weber, Senior Vice President of Mobile Business Development and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Rob is an Internet marketing pioneer with over ten, profitable years evolving W3i in the consumer application industry.

A great opportunity for add-on partners is to ensure compatibility on all browsers/browser versions. In addition to providing new opportunities, expanding into all browsers presents new challenges.  Being proactive about browser releases and ensuring compatibility is essential for remaining competitive in the browser add-on marketplace.  This is no easy task when looking at the release schedule for the leading browsers:

Chrome-
Automatically releases updates every 6 weeks.

Firefox-
Increased releases to every 4-6 weeks, now Firefox 8 is believed to automatically upgrade the user to this latest version once the user opens their (more…)

Minneapolis, Minn. September 19, 2011- W3i, a leading network for app distribution and monetization for personal computers and mobile devices, is very pleased to announce the following promotions:

• Jeff Bollinger was promoted to Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President.  Jeff joined W3i eight years ago as a Software Developer.  Today, he leads the Information Systems Group, which includes Software Development, Business Intelligence, and the Information Technology teams.  
• Lisa Nistler was promoted to Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.  Lisa joined W3i four years ago and has increasingly taken on additional responsibilities.  Today, she leads Business Development, Account Development, and Creative Services.
• Ryan Ranweiler was promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President.  Ryan joined W3i six years ago and has progressed through his career at W3i.  Today, he leads the Finance team and the company’s Owned and Operated team.
• Ryan Weber was promoted to Senior Vice President of Product Management and Co-Founder.  Ryan Weber co-founded the company in 2000 and leads product management.
• Rob Weber was promoted to Senior Vice President and Co-Founder.  Rob Weber co-founded W3i in 2000 and leads business development for mobile.

“W3i is experiencing outstanding growth in 2011, surpassing all financial expectations.  In addition to outstanding company performance, these promotions recognize the increasing demands of a growing organization and creates a framework to further expand our organization to meet the demands of a high growth company.  I would like to congratulate my senior management team and the W3i team as a whole.  We look forward to an exciting future at W3i as we strive for leadership in the consumer app industry.”  comments Andy Johnson, CEO.  

About W3i: W3i is an application network that increases revenue and distribution for consumer applications. W3i’s solutions use InstallIQ technology for recommending PC and mobile apps that users value.  InstallIQ was optimized on more than 600 million app installs, that’s 6 apps per second. W3i is an experienced team of app-savvy marketers with deep technical know-how and many years of industry experience. To learn more, visit www.W3i.com.

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