'How SwiftKey got to no.1 on Google Play' - Anne-Catherine Goulby at App Promotion Summit Berlin
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Transcript of 'How SwiftKey got to no.1 on Google Play' - Anne-Catherine Goulby at App Promotion Summit Berlin
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
www.swiftkey.net
How SwiftKey got to no.1 in Google Play: Using Alternative Approaches
Anne-Catherine Goulby
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
We make typing faster, easier, more personalised
• SwiftKey is the highest-selling paid Android app in the world
• It’s been No 1 in 58 countries without any advertising
• How did we achieve that?
About us
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
Play the Google Ranking algorithm game
And get to no.1 with organic downloads:
• The quality of the app as perceived by users (numbers of stars)
• Sustainable amount of downloads over past weeks
• Downloads growth over the last 30 days
• Frequency with which your app is used
• Swiftkey ticks all this boxes
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
An happy community equals outstanding ratings and reviews
• Membership of our VIP community surged from fewer than 30,000 in 2012 100,000.
• Good reviews on Google Play: an average of 4.6 stars
• Our network won us a Webby Award
Build a loyal community around your product
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
We build very close relationships with top tech writers and personalities:
• We take the time to connect with them and to initiate a conversation with them about our products
• We invite them for closed beta
• We listen to their feedback
• Stephen Fry’s tweet was worth thousands of organic downloads
Spread the word with Key Influencers
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
Autumn sales screenshot here
App platforms and stores are looking for inspiring apps they can use as ambassador of their ecosystem
• Build an app that solves a problem in the platform ecosystem
• Be creative using the technology of the platform
• Speak constantly with App Store Product managers and let them know your needs
• Featuring increase organic downloads by 10% to 15%
Get fully global: getting featured by Google
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
Once at the top…
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
Android is a great platform because of its flexibility but it’s also a daily and costly challenge to run on it
• An app fitting every device, screen size and ram, which requires a costly backend
• Google Play is the main distribution channel, but other app stores to consider, esp. in emerging markets
• Rigorous analytics required to optimize at a very precise level
Deal with Android fragmentation
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
• No.1 doesn’t mean monietization
SwiftKey has been one of the fortunate ones, growing big enough to make significant revenue from Google Play, but:
• Some country app stores are very small (e.g. Belgium, Switzerland); you only need 30 sales a day to be no.1
• With a paid app you only make money once; finding the right price is crucial
• Sales are an interesting tool but need to be profitable: the number of downloads should make for the loss
Monetization is not a given
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
Next steps
SwiftKey keeps evolving at the same path as the whole Android ecosystem
• Master data collection and analytics
• Experiment with app marketing (launch, sales, featuring)
• New distribution channels
• Smart advertising based on analytics
SwiftKey is a trademark of TouchType Ltd. Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute
If you’re trying to make it big...
• Find advocates for your product: blogs and reviews matter
• Listen, chat, make it easy for your customers to talk about you
• Capitalize on the free ASO tools to get as many organic downloads as possible
• Measure, measure, measure!
• Experiment, run A/B testing and iterate, iterate, iterate
Take away
TouchType Confidential – Do Not Copy/Distribute