March 2023 Summaries

Applica, a growth agency specializing in product management, design, and marketing, helps app businesses boost revenue, conversions, and retention through a personalized approach that emphasizes testing and experimentation. They have successfully integrated RevenueCat, a tool that simplifies subscription handling and enhances experimentation capabilities, to overcome the limitations of clients' existing in-house solutions. By enabling rapid experimentation and providing comprehensive analytics, RevenueCat allows Applica to conduct multiple A/B tests per month, improving metrics like customer lifetime value and average revenue per user. The tool's ease of integration and strong industry reputation make it an attractive choice for Applica's clients, such as Slumber Group, who have experienced significant improvements in analytics and monetization strategies. This partnership has proven instrumental in meeting the speed and efficiency demands of Applica and its clients.

RevenueCat is set to participate in the AndroidMakers conference in Paris on April 27 and 28, 2023, where they will engage with over 800 Android developers through talks and networking opportunities. As a Gold sponsor, they will offer insights into their work with the Google Play Billing Library 5 (PBL5), particularly focusing on paywall configurations and functionality. Prior to the conference, on April 25 and 26, they plan to visit offices of mobile subscription app developers in Paris, providing technical expertise and exclusive merchandise. They aim to connect with developers, discuss the role of RevenueCat in app development, and gather feedback. This visit to Paris is part of a broader plan to engage with global tech communities, with future stops planned in cities like Chicago, San Francisco, and Tokyo.

In an episode of the Sub Club podcast, Strava's Director of Growth Engineering, Jason van der Merwe, discusses the importance of growth engineering in connecting users with a product's value and expanding that value continuously. He emphasizes the need for growth engineers to adopt a product manager mindset, which involves focusing on user and business impact rather than just executing tasks. Central to Strava's growth strategy is extensive testing, which Jason argues is crucial for achieving significant growth wins, as demonstrated by Strava's early success in increasing user retention through reduced friction. As Strava's growth team expanded, the focus shifted from large-scale experiments to solving specific problems, yet it remains essential to retain insights and maintain a broader perspective. Jason highlights the importance of feature education using multiple communication channels and the need for teams to view themselves as platforms to optimize user experience despite inherent challenges within app companies.

Pok Pok, a children's app, achieves over 30,000 downloads monthly on iOS, with significant success attributed to its strategic localization efforts from the onset, particularly in non-English-speaking markets. The app's language-free experience for kids facilitated global availability, with the US being the largest market, followed by China. Localization plays a pivotal role in building trust with parents, who ultimately decide on app downloads for their children, and aids in establishing a presence in local App Store storefronts. Decisions on which countries to localize into are based on potential market impact, considering social and economic factors, and the importance of language variants, such as different dialects of Spanish and Portuguese. Pok Pok emphasizes finding reliable localization partners who understand cultural nuances, and suggests careful consideration of design implications and customer support in native languages to enhance user experience.

RevenueCat provides a comprehensive platform for tracking in-app purchase data, serving as a central source of truth with its Charts feature that automates reporting on crucial metrics such as monthly recurring revenue, subscriber retention, and conversions. The platform has introduced new features to enhance data analysis accuracy over time, including Incomplete Period Styling and Conversion Timeframe selection. Incomplete Period Styling visually distinguishes periods where data is not yet fully matured, using dashed lines and semi-transparent areas, which helps in assessing performance accurately. Conversion Timeframe selection allows users to specify the period within which conversions are considered, facilitating accurate cohort comparisons by equalizing the time allowed for different cohorts to mature. These enhancements aim to provide clear insights into business performance, enabling users to identify key drivers of success and optimize strategies accordingly.

onXmaps, Inc., a leader in the outdoor navigation app space, demonstrates effective user acquisition strategies through a multi-faceted approach, focusing on influencer partnerships and a robust retargeting structure. Ryan Watson, the Director of Growth Marketing, highlights the importance of using SEO to understand niche audiences, as well as the role of retargeting funnels fed by SEO-driven direct conversions. The company leverages the "TikTokification" of content to iterate successful strategies across multiple channels, acknowledging the ongoing relevance of long-form content like podcasts for different audiences. onX prioritizes retention by offering special deals to elite-tier users, enhancing user loyalty and potentially boosting acquisition. A constant flow of video content, whether in-house or influencer-generated, is vital for maintaining engagement. Marketing is viewed as an end-to-end process, with creative strategy and team composition tailored to the specific product being marketed.

RevenueCat is seeking new contributors for their blog, which targets individuals involved in building and growing subscription apps. Writing for the RevenueCat blog provides the opportunity to reach over 25,000 monthly readers and 45,000 newsletter subscribers, making it an effective platform for establishing oneself as an expert or thought leader. The blog features content under two main categories: Engineering and Growth, with popular topics ranging from subscription metrics and testing guides to in-app purchase tutorials. Potential contributors are encouraged to submit a pitch with a suggested title, summary, and outline before drafting to ensure alignment with the blog's interests. Submissions are preferably made via Google Docs for ease of review, and contributors receive feedback within two weeks. Once a piece is accepted, it undergoes editorial review and is prepped for publication, giving contributors a chance to be featured on a prominent industry platform.

The State of Mobile 2023 report by Data.ai highlights a 2% decline in consumer spending on apps in 2022, largely attributed to a drop in gaming spend due to reduced disposable incomes amid global economic challenges. Despite this, non-gaming app spending, particularly driven by subscription models, has shown resilience as consumers view these subscriptions as essential services, akin to utility bills. The report suggests that significant growth opportunities exist in emerging markets, with countries like Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea experiencing substantial increases in non-gaming app expenditure. The article emphasizes the potential of app localization as a strategic move for developers, particularly in high-growth regions, and recommends using analytics and advertising to test market demand before full localization efforts. The subscription model's resilience and the promising prospects in untapped markets present a new "golden age of app store growth" for those ready to capitalize on these opportunities.