Why my apps failed?

Presented by VU KHAC TINSoICT, HUST

tinvukhac@gmail.com

My background

- Previous: Mobile developer (for 2 years)

- Current: Backend engineer (System & Storage, beginner).

- Future: Researcher, Entrepreneur.

My projects (game)

Fear ForestFunny Hexagon

Poker Viet NamEdu4Kid

My projects (app)

- Edu4Kid (Windows 8, Samsung SmartTV), Wala, iCompanion, Shoppie, Plus (all of them are available in app store).- Co-owner of 5 apps in Google Play Store.- Some private projects.- Future: project X.

This topic will talk about

- Popular mistakes in a mobile project.

- What should we do to realize a successful app?

- App Store Optimization.

Popular mistakes

Human resource management

Teammate, very talent but: - Undisciplined- Irresponsible.- Pride.Management: - Authority.- Responsibility.

Tech & engineering

- Complex system for small demand.- Bugs.- Crash.- Excessive resource.- Battery.- Very active: Facebook autopost, notification spam.- Many ads.

Tech & engineering

But...

Product development mindset

- “We are the best! Competitors are trivial”.- Build app for wrong target users. - Too many redundant features. Lose core value.- App flow too complicated.

Product development mindset

- Fall in minor problem. - Final goal is not clear: brand, users for ecosystem, money or ???- Focus to product, but forgot what user needs.

What should we do?

The goal: analyze and strategize

- Something like that: population, internet users, active Facebook user, smartphone users, blah blah… WTF! We don’t need the data that children know how.- We need: specific demand for a specific market, payment behavior, competitors, market share...

The goal: analyze and strategize

- A complete plan: from beginning to achieve the goal.Some popular problems:- Bussiness model (*)- Human resources.- Project management.- Marketing plan.

Who are our users?

- Not sit in office and imagine about your users.- Accurately determine the user set.- Choose niche maket to increase the likelihood of success.

Device and platform choices

- Paid, in-app purchase application: iOS, Windows Phone.- Advertising: all platforms.- If you are creating a game: choose a cross platform (Unity, Cocos 2d-x, Mono…)- Clone hot app from others: Windows Phone (guaranteed to hit in 2011-2012, but now the potential is still high).

In-house or outsource

- In-house: a long plan for team and products. - Outsource: in the contract, need a support for a long time (very important).- Normally, in-house products have higher quality.

Approach

- Start right now.- Keep moving.- Risk management.

App Store Optimization

Ranking factors

Developer side:- Keyword in title.- Keyword tag.- App updates: app with more refresh - cycles rank higher.User side:- Click through rate.- Usage.- Discard rate.- Ratings- Conversion rate.Others:- Social signals.- App age and speed.- Brand trust.

Search behaviors

- 5% specific function: crop photos, block call.- 5% specific brand: Angry Birds, Candy Crush.- 10% simple: game, app, fun, news…- 80% general interests: social networking, education.- Most of user search app in app store.

Stores: same and differences

- Google Play: indexing by description, show app by list view.- Apple Store: indexing by keyword tag, show only one app in screen.- Windows Phone Store: show app by list, feature app.

Optimize keyword for iTunes

Tips and tricks

- Clear name (brand).- Name is also a keyword.- Easy for read and remember it: Class of Clans, Hay Day, Gà Chiến, Đại Minh Chủ, Big Kool.- Visualization: Angry Birds, Bad Piggies.- Simple : Tap the Frog, Draw Somethings.- Don’t share your ideas (about name of your app) with anyone.- Short keyword.- Using tools: MobiledevHQ, Google keyword planner.

Thank you!

References

- Slideshare: http://goo.gl/OlG9Af- Bussines Insider: http://goo.gl/TxNlZH- http://lamgame.vn/ Many thanks to :- CTO of Dotoh Software Solutions ( http://www.dotohsoft.com/en/ )- Mr. T, Software Architect of Dotoh Software Solutions.- Mr. Cong Tran, iOS team leader of Wala JSC.

(*) This presentation is only my personal views.