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.