At that time, apps were introduced as key to this revolution. And now, ten years and billions upon billions of downloads later, that couldn’t be more true.

The impact of apps is plainly obvious: brands and businesses use apps to reach and interact with users like never before. This results in opportunities that have the potential to scale massively on a global scale — no matter if you’re Coca-Cola or a two-person team working out of a garage.

This is why translating your app is absolutely essential. With a paltry 6-7% of the global population categorized as native English speakers, there are massive swaths of people who never interact with English apps. Keeping yours as one of these apps is an opportunity your business can’t afford to miss.

There are a wide array of game-changing benefits for businesses that translate their apps. However, here are five of the most completing reasons on why you need to make translating your app a top priority:

1. Take Advantage of Economic Growth

Think about it: the most significant economic growth and increases in purchasing power are happening in parts of the world where English is either not spoken, or isn’t the preferred language.

Ensuring your app is fluent in languages like Chinese, Hindi, and Spanish opens the door to massive portions of the global population. With China and India currently experiencing booms in their economy with the help of their smartphone-wielding citizens, and the Spanish languages connected to swaths of smartphone users in Latin America, your app will no doubt experience accelerated sales.

2. More Effective Marketing

While simply translating your app instantly allows your business to penetrate a brand new market, it doesn’t automatically mean it will perform well. Marketing must also play a role in your app’s rollout to different countries too!

For instance, the translation of your app should go hand-in-hand with a translated home website as well. This will result in a more cohesive business offering that makes a far better impression to potential users, which ultimately means a more loyal userbase who understands their importance.

3. Better App Store Optimization (ASO)

There’s no better, nor more cost-effective, app store marketing technique than simply translating your app and localizing keywords and metadata.

Why?

This allows your business to enhance the visibility of your app and brand based on specific keyword phrase searches in app stores.

In other words, more downloads overall — never a bad thing!

4. Get Increased Engagement

Angling for the best methods to increase downloads of your app is just the first step. There also has to be the longer-term goal of enticing users to keep using the app itself!

Here, engagement is the name of the game: the ultimate standard of whether or not an app is successful. And translating an app is a great step to help in this regard. Not only does a translated app instantly improve its usability, it more crucially increases the comfort level of someone using it.

Both of these traits have a drastic impact on whether or not a user comes back to it — or deletes it within five minutes!

5. Getting the Maximum Value from Localization

Translating your app instantly opens the door to entire populations of people you didn’t have access to before.

That’s just step one, though.

While all these people may now be able to read, understand, and enjoy your app, localization — or tailoring every aspect of business offering to a certain people or culture — should be your end goal. It involves assessing every single aspect of your business, from what types of phrases the app uses, to the colors it displays, to even what icons it uses for navigation.

The danger here? Low-quality translation providers. They’re a huge risk for your business and can result in huge marketing fails, which can end up hurting your business big time.

Because of this, translation and localization should be considered investments of the highest importance. Using services like Worders guarantees experts familiar with both the topic of your app and the market for the very best results every time!

With benefits like gaining access to rapidly growing markets, more cost-effective marketing, better app store optimization, and more sustained engagement, translating your app with a service like Worders should be a top priority for your business.

The post The Top 5 Reasons to Translate Your App ASAP appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

Giving users the power to easily earn rewards through watching engaging videos like cooking demos and movie reviews, EngageMe.TV has quickly become a huge hit with Adscend publishers and users since we debuted it last June (it really doesn’t get much easier to earn rewards). This innovative monetization solution can be integrated into a publisher’s rewards site or app via the Adscend Offer Wall, stand alone offer promotion, or via direct integration on the EngageMe.TV website–as part of the EngageMe.TV Linked Partner Program.

Launched only just a few months ago, the EngageMe.TV Linked Partner Program has been providing huge returns for our desktop and mobile rewards publishers. The EngageMe.TV Linked Partner Program allows publishers to benefit directly from the massive influx of traffic that the EngageMe.TV site receives daily (over 12,500 user video views per day average–May 2017). This huge benefit is a major reason why major rewards platforms like instaGC, PrizeRebel, and Grindabuck have chosen to become Linked Partners.

There’s no charge for publishers to become an EngageMe.TV Linked Partner, and simply requires the publisher to integrate their app or site with our Offer Wall, and then complete the EngageMe.TV Linked Partner Form. Once these steps are completed, the publisher’s rewards platform will then become an available option for logged-in users seeking to earn rewards on the EngageMe.TV platform, which can be a difference-maker for a rewards app or site. For example, one Linked Partner recently reported that the EngageMe.TV site has sent over 450 new users their way, resulting in over 30,000 offer completions! Holy free new revenue source, Batman!

Expected to launch very soon, the EngageMe.TV app brings the power of the EngageMe.TV platform to Android users this month (iOS app coming soon) . Though the benefits of becoming an EngageMe.TV Linked Partner have been substantial so far, these benefits have been strictly tied to the EngageMe.TV site only. We’re expecting a further increase in benefits for our Linked Partners with the upcoming release of the EngageMe.TV app, which makes earning rewards even more convenient for users on the go. Thus, without further adieu, here’s:

5 Reasons Why Linked Partners Will Earn Even More with the EngageMe.TV App:

Easier Earning (View Only!): For a limited time only on the EngageMe.TV Android app, we’re making it even easier for users to earn rewards (and for Linked Partners to generate revenue). Instead of a user having to watch videos and ads to earn credits, the user simply has to watch six videos to earn. Eliminating the ad requirement will not only help users complete more offers in your platform, it will also generate a ton of buzz in the rewards community, sending more users to the EngageMe.TV platform (and your site or app– if you’re a Linked Partner).

Even More New Users Via Advertising and Promotion: Having a successful network of 35,000+ publishers definitely has its perks, with one being the ability to launch targeted user acquisition campaigns in over 180 countries. Along with promotion via company social channels, we plan to launch Cost Per Install (CPI) campaigns across the Adscend publisher network, resulting in an influx of new users to the EngageMe.TV app and to our Linked Partners.

More Chances to Earn: As we have seen the last couple of years, ad budgets are going mobile. The EngageMe.TV app allows us to tap into the large supply of advertisers who are shifting their budgets to mobile, resulting in more ads for users to view to earn (and more opportunities for Linked Partners to generate revenue).

Better Mobile User Experience: Users will be able to log in easily and move quickly throughout the EngageMe.TV app, swiftly moving between channels and earning credits faster from their favorite Linked Partners.

Reaching New Rewards Users: Releasing the EngageMe.TV app on Google Play and the App Store allows us to start working on a foothold in the major app marketplaces, introducing a completely new segment of rewards users to our innovative rewards platform (driving more new users to our Linked Partners).

We’re expecting the EngageMe.TV Android app to be available this month, with the iOS version coming shortly there after. Therefore, if you’re looking to cash in on even more free users, now is the ideal time to become an EngageMe.TV Linked Partner.

Ready to Become an EngageMe.TV Linked Partner?

Adscend Publishers: Complete the EngageMe.TV Linked Partner Form.

Not Yet an Adscend Publisher? Join Adscend Media today and let your account manager know that you would like to be a part of the EngageMe.TV Linked Partner Program!

The post Linked Partners: 5 Reasons Why You’ll Earn Even More with the New EngageMe.TV App appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

Living the sweet life of an app developer doesn’t happen overnight, however. In fact, the hardest part about becoming a full-time, independent app developer is having the courage to leave the company that your work for behind, and take your dev talents on the road as a solo act. Here are a few quick tips on how you can make that possible:

Wait for the Right Moment
Being an independent app developer is no “bed of roses,” especially at the beginning. This is why you shouldn’t leave your steady job right away. You’ll be aware that you can work on your own once your personal product becomes widely appraised and used. For instance, try to make a simple app in your free time and place it on one of the app markets. If people show admiration for your work and start downloading your app, it’s high time you set off for an independent career.

Build an Awe-Inspiring Portfolio
Some developers start out as skillful coders who make their own apps from scratch. Others don’t possess coding knowledge, but use ready-made app builders. Either way, your initial goal should be creating a professional portfolio. Therefore, don’t spend too much time on one app, be efficient. That way, you’ll manage to build your portfolio quicker and move closer to going independent.

Team Up with Another Pro
Teaming up with another developer will improve your mobile app development experience, since now you can divide your tasks and arrange your work schedule in a more efficient way. Additionally, the number of business options will rise, as well. For instance, you and your partner can start working as app outsourcers and accept a larger number of projects. As a result, your revenues will grow, and so will your experience. However, make sure you create a detailed agreement at the beginning of your collaboration. That way, you’ll avoid any professional and personal misunderstandings regarding the finances.

Work with App Giants

In order to get on the radar of some of the industry giants, you might want to think about getting certified as an app developer. If you become a member of the App Store developer crew, you can count on cutting-edge tools and support from their experienced developers. As for the income, developers get 70% of the sales their apps reach. Read more about it here.

On the other hand, Google Play offers similar conditions, with some differences between freemium apps, premium apps and subscriptions. Still, bear in mind that the Android market is much bigger than the iOS market, which means a larger audience for your creative work.

Stay with What You Know
The essential dilemma of every app developer is whether or not to try your luck in a new environment in order to earn more. In line with that, if a math teacher is also an app-developing hobbyist, it might be wiser for him or her to create apps that will enhance learning math, rather than making apps for other niches. The main problem here is that stepping into unknown territory might take too much time and yield no benefits. For an aspiring, full-time independent app developer like yourself, that could be too costly.

Though you will face challenges getting started, including stiff competition from an overcrowded marketplace, the dream of becoming a full-time independent app developer is definitely worth pursuing (who doesn’t love getting paid to create meaningful apps?!). Therefore, use the guidelines listed above to take those first crucial steps to going independent. Good luck!

The post 5 Tips to Jumpstart Your Career as an Independent App Developer appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

We’d love to buy you a beer (most likely it will be an Estrella), have a quick chat, and see if Adscend can help grow the revenue of your app, network, or brand. Free beer not enticing enough? No problem, here’s…

5 Reasons to Meet with Adscend at Mobile World Congress:

We Can Increase Your In-App Revenue & Retention: 

Did you know that 95% of users don’t make in-app purchases? Our Rewarding Ad solutions can help you monetize those passive app users by giving them a new way to earn your premium in-app rewards (virtual currency, character upgrades, bonus levels, etc.). Users simply need to perform quick actions to earn your rewards, such as watching short videos, completing quick surveys, or downloading apps. For each offer completed, you’ll earn a commission. In short, rewarding ads are a win-win for everyone!

Our Rewarding Ads can help you generate eCPMs up to $90:

• Offer Wall: Users choose from a wide variety of easy-to-complete offers to earn your rewards. We’re also the only Offer Wall provider to offer direct user support!
• EngageMe.TV: Users watch engaging videos like cooking demos or movie reviews to earn your rewards, and can watch an unlimited amount of videos per day!
• Rewarded Video lets users earn your rewards just by watching short app trailers
• Market Research Surveys allow users to complete higher-credit surveys, based on their interests, to earn your rewards.

We’ll Help You Get In-App Engagement and Acquire Quality Users:

Through our network of 30,000 publishers, we’ll help you reach your target audience in over 180 countries. Whether you’re interested in increasing in-app engagement via our Cost Per Engagement campaigns (CPE), or acquiring targeted users through a Cost Per Install (CPI) campaign, we’ll help you scale your campaigns at pay for performance rates. We can also execute a burst campaign for your app if you need users ASAP. If you’re looking to get started in Q1, we’re also offering up to $1,000 in free ad credits.

We’ve Got Quality Traffic/Offers:

If you’re from an affiliate network, or are looking to monetize your app, site, or content, we’re your direct campaign source. Currently, we have over 1,000 offers that can be used to monetize via rewarded and incentive-based promotion. We specialize in offers that convert well for rewards-based traffic (such as offers to monetize an offer wall), thus we’re stocked with quick-converting campaigns like freebies, mobile apps, videos, and surveys. You can also get programmatic access to our offer inventory via our Offers API.

Need traffic? Our publishers can deliver traffic to your desktop and mobile campaigns in 180+ countries. We’re able to handle all of your campaign needs in a variety of formats, including CPI, CPE, Market Research, Rewarded Video, Cost Per Action (CPA), and Cost Per Sale (CPS).

You’ll Be Paid Handsomely to Refer Others: 

Our referral program will allow you to earn 5% commission on the lifetime earnings of anyone you refer to Adscend Media. With our average publisher earning thousands monthly, your referrals will quickly turn into a nice payday.

We’ll Refer Others to Your Business:

If your business is mobile-app related, we’d love send some business your way. Our publishers are always looking for solutions to help them generate more revenue, so we’d be more than happy to promote your solution in our social channels, guest blog posts, newsletter, and other mutually beneficially areas.

Ready to Grab that Beer? Let’s Meet at MWC!

To schedule a chat with us during Mobile World Congress, simply use our automatic meeting scheduler. We’ll be more than happy to meet with you, and of course, get you a beer.

The post 5 Reasons Why You Should Let Adscend Buy You a Beer at Mobile World Congress appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

Mobile devices are indispensable in the lives of billions of people. Smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches enable us to listen to music, check our emails, or share updates with friends anywhere we want. With the use of mobile apps, we can do practically anything just by swiping our fingers. Or, as Apple put it, “There’s an app for that!” And yes, that’s correct: in 2015, Google Play and Apple’s App Store offered 3.1 million apps, accounting for no less than 150 billion downloads!

However, the constantly evolving mobile world doesn’t come without risks. Mobile apps have become more and more complex, leaving large gaps open for hackers to exploit. Not only do apps contain intellectual property and/or private information, they also generate sensitive user data. As an app developer, you should be aware that your app is vulnerable. Luckily, there are tools available to help you protect it.

Security Threats

It’s easier to hack an app than you think…

The two most common types of attacks that your app may be vulnerable to are static attacks and dynamic attacks. With static attacks, the hacker focuses on transforming the app’s code to a more human-readable format. An Android app is essentially nothing more than a Zip file containing your code, strings, assets and resources, and there are many click-and-play tools that let anyone reverse engineer it. This enables hackers to gain insight into the code, so that they can find and exploit vulnerabilities. They can also extract sensitive information, like access credentials to communicate with a public API, a security sensitive protocol, or a financial transaction engine. With dynamic attacks, the hacker tries to modify the app while it is running on the device itself. By taking over the application flow, someone gains full control on the execution environment and instructs the operating system to attack the app. Specifically on Android devices, the app has to deal with rooted devices, emulators, and debuggers.

The Consequences of App Hacking

Threats to your app’s security can’t be ignored…

App hacks can have severe consequences for you. If you do not sufficiently secure your app, it risks being pirated, which means that cybercriminals remove the license-checking mechanism to gain access to paid content. They can even steal your customers’ information, or hijack financial transactions. Worst of all, code you’ve invested a lot of time in can be extracted and reused by your competitors, creating devastating revenue loss and irrevocable damage to your reputation.

Ways to Develop a Protected Mobile App

Fear not, a little bit of code hardening can protect your app from hacks!

Like a “knight in shining armor,” code protection helps you defend your app against reverse engineering. Essentially, there are many simple techniques that you can use to secure sensitive information and the execution flow of your app. For example, you can encrypt code, strings, assets and resources to make sure that they are hidden when a hacker tries to reverse engineer your app. You can also obfuscate the execution flow, which breaks app decompilers during a reverse engineering attempt.

Beef up security with Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP)…

RASP enables your app to scan its environment at runtime in order to monitor its own integrity and the integrity of the device on which it is running. You can also use RASP to let your application react adequately on an unsafe environment, e.g. instruct the app to stop running, or switch off its delicate features when it’s being executed on a rooted device.

Or, simply try GuardSquare’s Tools…

Applying the techniques listed above can be time-consuming. Luckily, there are tools available that can help you implement the necessary security measurements to protect your app from hacks. GuardSquare offers DexGuard, state-of-the-art security software tailor-made for your Android app. It hooks into your build process through a Gradle, Ant, or Maven plugin and produces a protected and optimized app at the end. DexGuard mitigates static and dynamic mobile security threats, by applying various code hardening and RASP techniques. While you focus on developing brilliant apps, DexGuard will take care of their protection.

Learn more about protecting your mobile applications at https://www.guardsquare.com/.

About GuardSquare

GuardSquare is the global reference in mobile application protection. We develop premium software for the protection of mobile applications against reverse engineering and hacking. Our products are used across the world in a broad range of industries, from financial services, e-commerce and the public sector to telecommunication, gaming and media. GuardSquare is based in Leuven (Belgium) and San Francisco (USA).

The post You Should Be Concerned About Someone Hacking Your Mobile App appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

Look at the question in the title. Very simple, very straightforward, you’d even say – superficial. A simple question, right? ‘They (users) have a problem, and they’re looking to an app to solve it.’ Simple question – simple answer.

Then again, scratching the surface, we can see that it’s not really that simple, and it requires a bigger, more thorough answer. There are countless apps for everything we’re doing nowadays. Numerous communications apps, a sea of productivity apps, a whole universe of entertainment and education apps. So, if they already have all that, what motivates users to *still* download new apps?

Again, you’d go for a simple answer – the new ones are better. That might be partially true, but we’ve been living in the era of the mobile app for long enough, competition is fierce and (pretty much) everyone knows what it takes to make a good app – so it can’t be just freshness/quality, can it?

It’s not just that users have a problem an app can solve. It’s also not just that a particular app is better. But it is both of those things, and then some. One download – one single action – is driven by a number of different factors, including the fact that an app helps someone get something out of their way, does it better than others. Also, they do it because someone told them to – either a friend or an advertisement, or simply because they have nothing else to do at the moment.

All of a sudden – ‘What motivates users to download apps?’ no longer has a simple answer.

The success of your mobile app is no longer defined *just* by the quality of your app. It is also defined by your target audience’s thought process, their needs and desires, problems in their life, their friends and family, and your marketing efforts. If you want to make a great app – just building one will not suffice.

The Little Things

Thanks to a comprehensive new study by Yahoo, the motivation behind users downloading new apps can be split into a couple of categories:

• They have a problem and they think an app can solve it
• They’re bored and looking for something new (mostly games)
• An app was recommended by a friend
• Their current app is lacking.

Contrary to popular belief, problem solving is not the number one motivator behind app downloads. Also, according to the Yahoo study, the number one driver for new downloads is boredom. Yes, boredom. Eight out of ten people are simply bored and are looking for something new, which leads them to the app store.

The second main driver behind downloads is personal recommendation. Sure, users can be motivated to download an app by need or through advertising, but a friend’s recommendation is (at least statistically) a bigger driver, according to Google. Word of mouth has a particular weight to it – Yahoo’s study says poor reviews are the number one reason why people decide to stay away from your app. Think about this the next time you decide to ignore a review on an app store, slamming some of your features. Interestingly enough, even though everyone seems to be attempting to get rid of ads, advertising is also a strong motivator.

“Among app users who were influenced by ads on a smartphone when downloading an app, 50 percent were prompted to download through search ads,” Google’s report states.

Advertising seems to be a strong driver and should definitely not be neglected. It is possible to significantly increase the number of app downloads through proper targeting (with respect to demographics, devices in use and other metrics) and a well-crafted ad.

Apps are Problem Solvers

Only after these drivers (boredom, word of mouth, etc.) are depleted, others get their turn, at least statistically. Yahoo’s study says that while boredom and word of mouth are the primary motivators in 80 and 74 percent of cases, respectively, a poor app (one currently in use, which does not solve the user’s problem properly, or creates more in the process), or a lacking browser experience, are the main drivers in 65 and 68 percent of cases.

Also, many apps are downloaded on the go, when people encounter a unique problem. In a blog post here, the CMO of Appsee, John Sela, calls this group ‘hungry audiences’ – hungry for something the market isn’t currently offering. That could be anything, from a problem that needs solving, to a biological urge. These apps might not be used all the time – they might even get deleted soon after use (or after the problem is solved?) – but problem solving is one of the reasons why people turn to the app stores in the first place.

Understanding the Reasons

Building user loyalty, increasing conversions, and boosting engagement are all necessary and daunting tasks – but if you can’t grasp the reasons why people come to your app in the first place, everything else is irrelevant.

Apps are an irreplaceable part of our days – on average we spend 30 hours every month using them, according to Nielsen. Every sentence that starts with ‘I want to,’ can end with the user opening an app and getting that thing they want. It is up to us to understand what it is that they want and the thought process behind it. If we want to have successful mobile apps, we need to know why people choose to download them in the first place.

The post What Motivates Users to Download Apps? appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

Since we launched our Offer Wall in October 2014, we made sure to pack it with features that can’t be found anywhere else, including direct user support, market research surveys, and the industry’s easiest integration options. The results have been incredible, with our Offer Wall producing higher eCPMs (up to $90!) and massive boosts in retention for our mobile app, website, and gaming publishers. However, there’s always room to earn more, don’t you think?

Our Offer Wall, like our other monetization and advertising solutions, will never be finished. We’re proud to say that because we’re always looking for new ways to increase your revenue. We’re constantly tinkering, testing, and innovating to make sure our solutions continue to produce impactful results for you. It’s our job, and we’re happy to do it! Thus, we’re proud to announce that we just released some major new additions to our Offer Wall that can easily increase your earnings from your website, mobile app, or game. Best of all, if you’re an Adscend Media publisher, you can start generating more revenue today with as these new additions, as they’re already included in your Offer Wall! 

(Not yet part of our family? Apply to become an Adscend publisher today!)

New Offer Wall Enhancements:

EngageMe.TV (Desktop Only, Coming Soon for Mobile Web, Apps): Our exclusive EngageMe.TV offers arm your Offer Wall with your users’ favorite way to earn rewards–video. For each video your users watch, they’ll earn your rewards and you’ll generate revenue. EngageMe.TV videos aren’t your standard, boring offer wall videos however, as these short videos feature topics users normally check out daily anyway–such as cooking demos and movie reviews. Your users will love watching EngageMe.TV videos to earn your rewards, as not only are the videos quick and engaging, users can watch as many as they would like each day. We would say EngageMe.TV is the easiest way to create a new revenue stream and boost user retention from your Offer Wall users, but then there’s Rewarded Video for Offer Wall…

Rewarded Video for Offer Wall: Rewarded Video for Offer Wall lets mobile users watch short app trailers in your Offer Wall to earn your rewards. After a user views a trailer, they can choose to download the app, or simply proceed to earn your rewards. Best of all, you’ll generate revenue directly from us after each app trailer view, regardless of whether a download occurs. It’s that easy for users to earn your rewards and for you to start generating more user revenue and return visits. We’re also the first company to pay our publishers solely for app trailer views on an offer wall, a practice that dramatically increases conversion rates of rewarded video ads, making conversion as simple as watching a 15-30 second app trailer. BTW, your users will dig the quality of apps served by Rewarded Video for Offer Wall, as they’re some of the biggest apps in the industry, including blockbusters like Pokémon Go and Words With Friends.

Incentivized Market Research Survey Profiles: Paying an average of $2.50 per completion, our market research surveys are great revenue generators. However, we’ll further increase your earnings by rewarding your users to complete profiles to receive these surveys! That’s right, you’ll generate revenue directly from us each time one of your users creates a Market Research Survey Profile, leading the way for you to receive more higher-payout survey completions each day!

New Customization Options: Looking for a better user experience? You can now customize the colors of your Offer Wall, as well as add a background image, to match your app or website. Got a sweepstakes website? Perhaps you have an endless runner, casino, or shooter game? No matter your niche, these new appearance customization options allow you to create awesome custom Offer Walls like this one for CSGO websites. If you have already created an Offer Wall, visit the Offer Wall customization page to customize the appearance of your Offer Wall today!

Getting Started:

Here’s how you can start earning more with our new Offer Wall enhancements:

• Got a live Offer Wall? You’re all set!
• Want to customize your Offer Wall? Click here!
• Need to create an Offer Wall? Log in to the Offer Wall Profiles Page.
• Not yet an Adscend publisher? Join Adscend today!
• Questions? Reach out to your account manager, or feel free to contact us via our website!

The post Adscend Enhances Industry’s Best Offer Wall with Powerful New Features appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

We’re proud to announce that you can now integrate our Market Research survey solution into your mobile app or website using the industry’s easiest API. The Market Research API is built to help you generate more revenue, allowing your users to complete custom-tailored surveys in order to earn more of your in-app or in-site items.

Integrating Adscend’s Market Research API allows you to:

• • • Get Higher Payouts: With our custom-tailored surveys, you’ll earn up to $30 each time one of your users completes a survey!

• • • Increase Daily Earnings and Retention: Your users will love completing surveys that relate directly to them, keeping them engaged while they earn more credits towards your in-app or in-site items. Best of all, our Market Research solution allows your users to complete an average of 15 surveys per day!
      

• • • Add a Powerful Survey Profiling System: Our Market Research API allows your users to complete custom user profiles, enabling them to receive higher-credit surveys directly based on their interests, behaviors, and demographic makeup. This engaging profiling system has shown incredible results for our publishers, as more than 100,000 users typically create profiles each month!

• • • Supplement Your Existing Monetization Efforts: The Market Research API gives you the flexibility to slide our high-payout surveys and engaging survey profiling system right into your current monetization mix.
    • Start Generating Revenue Faster: As we mentioned above, our Market Research API is the industry’s easiest to integrate, requiring only five calls. Designed with your time in mind, this REST API is built for quick turnaround.

Ready to Integrate the Market Research API?

View the Market Research API documentation to get started today!

Need More Info on Our Market Research Survey Solution?

Visit the Adscend Media Developers page for more information on our Market Research surveys.

The post Adscend’s Market Research Survey Solution Now Available Via API appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

The Struggle is Real…

You’ve just launched your app. However, besides your friends, family, and that random LinkedIn Android Studio group, your app isn’t exactly a household name. To make matters worse, if your app is like most, you’ve probably already lost almost 80% of your users. Sure, there are quick fixes like large user acquisition buys or paying thousands for trade show booth space, but these methods can be costly. Without “breaking the bank,” you’re basically stuck waiting around for new users to hear about your app. Will they show up? Let’s hope so.

If the above scenario seems familiar, fear not. Adscend has your back.

We’ve spent years researching user behavior in order to help developers from around the globe maximize revenue from their mobile games and apps. We found that it doesn’t take a ton of cash to get people to take note of your app or game, it only takes the little bit of digital “elbow grease” that is listed in the ten strategies below.

10 Free Ways to Promote Your App

Take Your Business Elsewhere: There are more places to promote your app than just the Google Play store or the App Store. Listing your app on alternative app stores (most of them are free!) allows you to reach new audiences in app stores that generally feature less competition. Business of Apps has a great list of alternative app stores to help you get started.

Network with Your Mom/Boss/Friend’s Cat: Whether you prefer Twitter, Facebook, Ravelry (we love crocheting!), or another social site, promoting your app on your fan pages and in relevant groups is the easiest way to spread the word. Check out Tech.co’s article for some ideas.

Speak Up: Whatever your comfort level is, there’s a free event near you that lets you show people why they can’t live without your app. From attending local developer mixers, to grabbing free expo passes at shows like Apps World or AnDevCon, to even creating a small Meetup with fellow developers, the interwebs are full of free places to connect with people about your app.

Get Noticed: App Store Optimization (ASO) is the practice of creating a search-optimized listing for your app to increase the chances of appearing in app store user searches. Essentially, the more often your app is seen in a search, the more downloads you will get. Though each app store has a different algorithm to determine which search results will appear, there are some common free methods that you can use to improve your ASO across most stores. Check out our interview with Todd Dunham from the ASO Project to learn more about these practices.

Ask for an Email: Collecting email addresses (always get permission first) and emailing news/promotions about your app can be easily done in your spare time. In fact, building an email list is actually easier than it sounds with the help of sources like this HubSpot article.

Become BFF’s with Google: Creating a site structure that is built for search engines, link building, and continually adding useful content is a great way to gain more visits to your app store listing or website. The best part? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) only costs you time. Learn the basics with The Beginners Guide to SEO from Moz.

Get Some Press: An excellent way to promote your app when you’ve just launched (or have new features) is to reach out to app review sites and blogs. Often it only takes a small, free gesture like an email to an editor, a social media message, or the promise of a case of Butter Beer to get your app reviewed. Other times it takes a media kit and extensive documentation. Apptamin has a great article about how to pitch to the app press.

Tighten Things Up: Your app’s website needs to have a logical flow in terms of content and links, proper on-page elements (e.g. header tags, active links, robots.txt file) and tons of great content to show up for relevant key terms. Sounds like we’re speaking Ewokese? No worries. An easy-to-follow guide to on-site SEO is included in Onsite SEO Basics for Small and Medium Businesses.

Drop Some Links: Adding a link to your app’s site or app store URL on relevant forums, blogs, and other sites is a simple (and free) way to gain more traffic. You can get the basics of link building with Word Stream’s guide.

Write About Yourself: Consistently adding quality content can help bring in more search engine traffic to your app’s site, as fresh content shows search engines that you care about your niche and are striving to provide value to it. Some ways that you can add more content to your site include adding a blog, news section, or guides.

And here’s one more…

Let Us Help You: Though we’re extremely biased, we recommend Adscend’s user acquisition solutions. With our solutions, you only pay for quality users delivered. Our ad campaigns allow you to grow your user base at a scale that you’re comfortable with (without having to spend too much cash). Whether you need to bring in tens of thousands of new users in a weekend, or are looking for a steady influx of new users, we can easily help you create a campaign to meet your goals.

Did We Miss Any Free App Promotion Methods?
Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post 10 Free Ways to Promote Your App appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.

Welcome to our club on mobile user onboarding- where you learn the basics for how you can dramatically boost your user retention and engagement!

To start, we will cover some overarching rules that you must grasp in order to proceed successfully and make the best first impression with your users possible. Fail to make a stellar first impression and your critical users will drop your app as fast as a hot potato!

Let’s get started with the mandatory guidelines:

The first rule of user onboarding: You do not underestimate user onboarding.

The second rule of user onboarding: You DO NOT underestimate user onboarding!

The third rule of user onboarding: If a new user never returns to your app, it could be because of your onboarding process.

The fourth rule of user onboarding: There is no such thing as a universal onboarding method for all apps. You must customize your onboarding method to your app.

Got it? Great. Let’s get started.

User Onboarding 101

Pretty much every app in today’s massive mobile app ecosystem utilizes some form of user onboarding. Whether it be a slide tutorial or coach marks, user onboarding has become a known “best practice” when it comes to owning an app, and rightfully so. The problem is that many mobile teams approach user onboarding halfheartedly, or neglect analysis and optimization. Just because you have implemented some sort of onboarding procedure does not mean it is “correct”/successful.

At the end of the day, your onboarding process represents the user’s first impression of your app. And what’s that somewhat cliché yet undeniable truth regarding first impressions?

“You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.”- Will Rogers

In the realm of mobile apps, where users are more fickle and distracted than ever before, this quote particularly holds true. As soon as you have made a mediocre, or even just a simply “good” first impression, you risk the chance of losing your user’s interest to another app.

So, how can you make sure that your onboarding process is both high caliber and effective? First you need to confirm that you have implemented the proper onboarding tactic given your type of app. To help you out, we will break down three of the most popular tactics used today:

Value-Oriented Onboarding

Basically, value-oriented onboarding aims to explicitly detail the core benefits of an app. If your mobile app is pretty straightforward to use, without any complex functions or unique gestures, then we recommend utilizing value-onboarding to effectively brief your users on the value proposition(s) of your app. The underlying psychology behind focusing on benefits is that humans are inherently selfish beings. They will immediately think “OK, so what’s in it for me?” from the moment that they install and open a new mobile app. With value-oriented onboarding you must successfully cater to this natural selfishness. When presenting the benefits to the user, don’t get excessive. We recommend thoughtfully selecting three or four key benefits that will have the most valuable impact on your target audience and highlighting them in a concise yet resonating manner. If you overload the user with too many benefits, you risk muddling their interest in your app and potentially boring them.

Lastly, we strongly urge you to present your app’s benefits before asking users to complete a login/sign-up form. When users understand your app’s benefits first, they will be more willing to register for your app. Your users want to first understand what they are getting from your app, not what your app needs from them.

Function-Oriented Onboarding

Let’s say you have a photo editing app. Your app has very straightforward benefits, but also unique features that a standard new user is probably not familiar with. In this case, function-oriented onboarding is probably the best route for onboarding your users. Why? Given your type of app, your functions are what ultimately separate your app from the multitude of other apps out there. And the primary goal of this onboarding method is to showcase key functions and how to get started with them. Unlike value-oriented onboarding, it focuses more on how to use the app instead of outright stating why.

A good function-oriented onboarding process will get the user up to speed and confident regarding the functions that are unique to your app. It’s a great process for apps that have particular controls, or utilize special gestures.

When it comes to designing your function-oriented onboarding, make sure to avoid listing obvious functions. There is no need to waste the user’s time and attention span by explaining a function they are most likely already familiar with. Again “brevity is the soul of wit”- make your process succinct and relatable. This is your big chance to win their interest, hopefully for the long term. To read more about particular “do’s” and “don’ts” of function-oriented onboarding, click here.

Progressive Onboarding

You probably guessed from its title- progressive onboarding is a flowing onboarding process not defined by a fixed introductory slide tutorial. Instead, it is based on the user’s journey, or rather progression through your app. Apps that are quite multifaceted, that must be physically experienced in order to be fully understood and appreciated, typically employ progressive onboarding. Essentially, it is the act of sequentially instructing your users on how to execute certain functions and obtain certain benefits depending on where they are within your app. It’s basically powerful learning “on the go” that allows users to grasp the exact benefits that occur from performing certain actions.

Given that it is an “onboarding” tactic, it must be implemented within the user’s first session. However, progressive onboarding is also unique in that it can be used beyond the user’s first session. For example, perhaps a user hasn’t explored a certain menu within your app or utilized a certain function? Progressive onboarding is a great way to help users discover additional aspects of your app that might have gone unnoticed.

That being said, don’t forget to embrace the mantra “everything in moderation.” Do not crowd your user’s journey with too many prompts and in-line hints. If you overwhelm your user with an excessive amount of tips all at once, they will likely become frustrated with your app or worse, quit your app and never come back.

Analysis and Optimization

So now you have a strong perception of three of the most useful onboarding tactics out there. Bravo! But, your work is only half done. Do you remember what we said, not once but twice, in our introduction to our ever so exclusive onboarding club?

“Do not underestimate user onboarding!”

What do we mean by this? While thoughtfully devising your onboarding process is important, you must also be diligent regarding its analysis and optimization. A lot of mobile teams drop the ball here.

For example, some mobile app teams are guilty of implementing a user onboarding process and naively trusting that it does not warrant any assessment or alterations. On the other hand, and more commonly, there are many mobile teams that are aware of the need to monitor their onboarding process, but simply equip themselves with subpar tools that provide extremely shallow information.

This is a blasphemous mistake. Surface-level data will not suffice when it comes to understanding and refining your user onboarding process. You need to know what your users are actually doing within your app and how they are responding to your onboarding method. This is where qualitative analytics like Appsee come into play. Qualitative analytics allow you to see the “why’s” behind all the numerical data on your app via visual analysis tools, such as touch heatmaps and user session recordings. This is especially important for your onboarding process where questions might come up like, “Why did my users quit my app after thirty seconds?” or “Why did my users not fill out the login form?” Instead of having to hypothesize why users are behaving in certain ways, you can actually see the answers for yourself and instantly comprehend where you need to optimize.

On top of strengthening your analytics, you should also consider implementing comprehensive A/B tests in order to properly refine your onboarding process. For example, maybe it’s better for your onboarding tutorial to present a particular feature before another, or leave one out altogether? The only way you can determine the answer to this query is via a dynamic A/B testing tool. What’s more, A/B testing tools, such as Apptimize, allow you to make iterations in realtime without any extra coding. As Nancy Hua, CEO of Apptimize perfectly puts it, “If you don’t nail onboarding your developers may as well have been drinking beers instead of building those features that no one saw.”

At the end of the day, your user onboarding process directly affects your users’ initial reaction towards your app. It is the deciding factor in the common question, “Should I keep this app or uninstall it?” So don’t be apathetic regarding your creation process and subsequent assessment and optimization. You should be doing everything in your power to make the best impression possible, or risk increased abandonment.

We hope this breakdown has helped set you on a clearer path for onboarding success. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below or email me at hannah@appsee.com.

The post Is Your App Making a Good Great First Impression? appeared first on Adscend Media Blog | Unlocking Insights: Offerwalls and Rewarded Ads.