1. How UI Impacts
Engagement & Monetization
in F2P Mobile Games
Jean-Vincent ‘JV’ Chardon
EMEA Publisher Sales Manager

2. • Introduction To Tapjoy
• New User Flow
• Store Design and Funnel
• The Devil is in the Details
• Monetization
• Final Thoughts
Overview

3. Tapjoy by the Numbers
100 MM
Monthly
Active Users
5,000
Active Apps
75,000
Historical Apps
1.2 MM
Daily Ad
Engagements
600 MM
Daily
Sessions

4. Tapjoy’s Mobile Value Exchange
I can earn Coins by engaging
with ads via Tapjoy.
How it Works
I need more Coins to gear up in TripleTown.
I can buy Coins with
real money.
1
2
1
2

5. New User Flow

6. New User Flow
The new user flow is one of the most important
parts of a successful game:
• Use clear directions
• Show off the cool parts of the game
• Get the user playing as soon as you can
You have 30 seconds to hook new users
and under 5 minutes to teach them:
• Shoot for 70% completion rate of the tutorial

7. Optimize the Download
Tapjoy Network Conversion Rate (clicks to installs)
Android
Conversion
rate:
• 0-­‐50mb
50-­‐60%
• 50-­‐100mb
30-­‐45%
• 100+mb
15-­‐20%
iOS
Conversion
rate:
• 0-­‐50mb
65-­‐75%
• 50-­‐100mb
30-­‐40%
• 200+mb
25-­‐30%
Don’t lose users before they’ve opened the game!
The smaller the file, the better the CVR!

8. Conquering the World with Localization
• Significantly improves your chances of getting featured in foreign territories
Boost revenue and distribution upon app launch
• +128% downloads and +26% revenue within a week of an app localizing
• Asia is growing at an incredible rate – this is a market that can’t be ignored
* Distimo
** App Annie Report - 11/29/12

9. Don’t Force A Registration
• Forced registration hurts engagement and chart position
User drop off 50 to 75% when forcing registration
(incl. mandatory Facebook login)
• Think of mobile as a new, untapped audience and allow for mobile sign up
• Consider rewarding users for creating accounts
• If possible, create guest accounts
• Even more so for new apps on Android

10. A Confusing Tutorial
• Too wordy, use as little text as possible
• Walk users through the core mechanic, don’t
explain what it is
• Once a user leaves, they’ll likely never return.
• The two user choices here are bad and worse
ý
The Bad
Don’t lose them before they’ve even seen the good parts

11. Tutorial - Start Off Simple
Take Users by the Hand and Guide Them Into the App
• During the first 30 seconds put the user on rails, don’t let them get lost
• This is your chance to take an uncertain user and create an engaged user
• You can’t display everything, show off your core loop and build from there
CSR Racing iOS
ý
The Good

12. Engagement is key to monetization
R
• As progress is more more difficult, likelihood of monetization increases
• Allow for rapid progress at first and reward users often and early in the game
ý
The Bad
Level
4
of
this
game
is
reached
only
aEer
80
minutes!
Level
4
of
this
game
was
easily
reached
aEer
10
minutes!
More
engagement
=
More
moneLzaLon
ý
The Good

13. Store Design
and Funnel

14. Store Funnel
R
• No more than two clicks
• Make it easy for users to find your store and buy items.
• Prompt to the store when currency runs out

15. Currency Store Design
R
• Text is too small
• Nothing grabs users, no calls to action
• Unimaginative icons
• No clear prices for each package
• Put most popular items first
ý
The Bad

16. Currency Store Design
R
• Use icons over text when possible
• Let users know they’re getting a deal
• A well designed, clean store = happy customers
• Design for the phone, not tablet, use all your real estate
ý
The Good

17. Virtual Goods Store Design
R
• Text is hard to read, color scheme is all the same
• What do I get for my upgrade?
• Bank call out is not enticing
• Icons are poor to non existent
ý
The Bad

18. Virtual Goods Store Design (The Good)
R
• Easy to navigate and understand
• Upgrades are clear, I know what I’m getting
• Proper call outs to get more currency
• Large icons over text
ý
The Good

19. The Devil is
In the Details

20. Loading Screens
Loading screens are an opportunity to engage users with messages
• Loading screens are by nature time
consuming
• Give users helpful hints
• Make it humorous
• Make it what you want

21. Daily Rewards
• In the later days of the reward cycle give the users bigger or exclusive rewards
• Show them what they earned and also show them what is coming up
Give your users a reward for coming back every day.

22. Build Daily Rewards Into Game Play (CSR Racing)

23. Build Daily Rewards Into Game Play (Subway Surfer)

24. Design is the Name of the Game
• Early games were web first designs, ported over to mobile
• New companies are moving to mobile first design

25. Don’t Let Rules Confine You
• Now take everything we’ve said
and throw it out the window:
• First to market
• Great game mechanic
• Great content
• Hardcore, niche audiences
There are always exceptions to the rule

26. Monetization

27. Rewarded Offerwall
Non-rewarded Offerwall
Featured Ads
Banner Ads
Mobile Revenue: Ad Types
1
Videos

28. Which Ad Units Are Right For My Game?
HARDCORE
Usage:
Highly Engaged User/Smaller User Base
Monetization:
High ARPDAU ($.15-$1.00)
Ad Solution:
Alternative Payment Platform
CORE
Usage:
Engaged User/Large User Base
Monetization:
Mid Level ARPDAU ($.04-$.15)
Ad Solution:
Alternative Payment Platform
Featured Ads/Video Ads
CASUAL
Usage:
Low Engaged User/Massive User Base
Monetization:
Low ARPDAU ($.01-$.04)
Ad Solution:
Alt Pay/Featured Ads/Video Ads
Banner Ads/Cross Promo Wall
Are you leaving revenue on the table? Are you balancing user engagement with
monetization? Have you got realistic revenue ambitions?

29. Final Thoughts

30. One of the advantages of mobile is the possibility to update your game
regularly. For every new game / iteration:
• Choose a region you want to use as you test group (New Zealand, Canada, Ireland)
• Make changes based on metrics findings, user feedback
• Launch new version and set minimum user group size
• Review data on the changes, update and repeat
• Push updates to entire user base when ready
• Keep updating your app with new content
GaaS: Gaming as a Service
Key
Metrics
to
Collect
• Total
Installs
• Total
revenue
(Direct
and
Alt)
• ARPDAU
• Install
funnel
• Downloads,
• Installs,
• Tutorial
compleLon
• Tutorial
CompleLon
Percentage
• Level
progress

31. Jean-Vincent ‘JV’ Chardon
JV@Tapjoy.com / JVChardon