Interview with Rudi Hein: bestseller developer shares the secrets of the success of their applications
French developer Rudy Huyn (Rudy Huyn), perhaps, can be called the most famous and popular independent creator of applications for the Windows Phone platform. At the moment, its portfolio has about 18 applications, among which such unofficial clients as 6tag, 6snap for Snapchat, CloudSix for Dropbox and others stand out.
The total number of downloads of all its applications exceeds 15 million, which is a good result for an indie developer. Our colleagues managed to talk with Rudi the other day, and we decided to share this interview with you today.
As a big fan of Windows, Rudy believes that the secret to the success of his applications lies in the fact that their development focuses not on monetization (although it is undoubtedly present in most Rudi applications), but on user satisfaction.
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Why windows? What do you like so much about this operating system?
Of the latest innovations, I really liked the universal applications that appeared simultaneously with the release of Windows 8.1. Now I can easily release applications for PCs, tablets and smartphones without having to develop an app for each platform. It saves me a lot of time. Application development is becoming more efficient, and users get the same use of experience and opportunities to synchronize processes regardless of what device they use.
Roughly speaking, I can use my application on Windows Phone and continue working on my computer or tablet from the place where I finished it on Windows Phone.
For example, I recently launched a universal application for one company with 82 percent of the total for Windows Phone and Windows code. This helped us save almost three weeks of hard work, and all this thanks to universal applications.
I have long been accustomed to the idea that the developer is an artist. And, as the artist relies, each time, creating something completely new for his audience (user), he begins with a clean slate, investing completely in his creation. And Windows 8.1 is the artist's toolbox, which gives him all the opportunities to create real works of art.
I look forward to Windows 10, which will expand the code base not only on Windows Phone, but also on the Xbox platform. I am already planning different scenarios for taking advantage of these features and am going to publish apps for Xbox One. This is very exciting.
Your apps have been downloaded more than 15 million times. Two of them, 6tin (the Tinder client, which may soon become official. - Approx. Of the author) and 6tag received about 85,000 reviews in the WP store and 4.5 points out of 5. How do you monetize them? What is the best example of your applications?
Some of my applications, such as the Wikipedia client and simple counter , have no monetization model. I mean, they are free and do not have built-in advertising, since I did them just for my own entertainment. In other applications, I mostly use the built-in advertising, because I do not think that my applications should buy for money.
Wikipedia app
I understand that people primarily turn their attention to free applications. Therefore, in order to achieve popularity in the app store, it is very important to rely on such monetization models as internal purchases and advertising.
To choose the ideal option for monetization, you need to understand how users use your application. For example, take my clients for social services: 6tin, 6tag, 6sec, 6snap. Users throughout the day repeatedly open the application and stay there for several minutes each time. This is the perfect scenario for advertising.
To make money with ads, you need to achieve good ad viewing performance. In my applications, the average CPM (Cost Per Impression, cost per impression) is about $ 0.12. This is a fairly low price tag, but I generate millions of hits every day.
In my other applications, such as TVShow , users spend only 20 seconds a day or less, so I can’t make money with them using ads.
In such cases, I offer two versions: full and lite with slightly reduced functionality. However, even in a stripped-down version, I want to keep the user experience, leaving all the basic features for comfortable work. In order to somehow compensate for this, I include advertising. Roughly speaking, in this case, having a free version, I earn money from displaying ads and at the same time motivate users to purchase a paid version.
6tag app
Another clever trick: you can also use your free apps to cross-promote others. This is a complicated, but rather cunning and effective way. Somewhere I frankly advertise my own applications (for example, in my application for Wikipedia), and somewhere I extend the functionality of one of my applications with the help of another. So in 6snap, users can access their files on Dropbox using my other application, CloudSix.
This internal cross-functionality works very well: CloudSix downloads increased threefold after I integrated this feature into 6snap. Some applications are difficult to monetize, but using similar mechanics, one application can qualitatively improve the monetization of another.
How much, if not secret, money do your applications bring you?
Bring more than I expected. Recently, it is enough for me to decide to leave my main work and fully focus on working on them. I have been in “free swimming” for about a year and have never regretted it.
Do you know why I love windows? This is a very cool platform for developers: users are very motivated, and the community is set up to support each other. It is much easier to be a successful developer on Windows platforms than on iOS and Android.
What is the secret of your success?
I myself am often surprised. You know, I don’t focus on the financial success of my apps, for me these are just numbers. I'm just an ardent fan of Windows Phone, I love this platform and I want to make it even nicer for users with the help of my applications.
I do my best to please people who use my applications, and always share with my Twitter followers ideas, concepts, screenshots and beta versions. I am in constant dialogue, for I need to know what people who use what I create think. And it always benefits me.
6snap application
For example, when I created 6tag, four days before the release, I sent a tweet asking for help in localizing the application. More than 100 users volunteered to help me with this, and in the end I immediately released an application with support for 30 languages! I am sure that many large companies would not be able to do something like this.
What can you advise other developers?
In each of my applications, I try to use as many opportunities as possible to promote other applications. For example, I make a list of all my applications in the “About Developer / About Application” section and install my own “stubs” with advertising of my applications in case the content from advertising providers is unavailable for some reason. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I try to make my own advertising banners in those applications in which I do not use advertising.
Unlike others, "Windows Phone Store" promotes not only top applications, but also applications from independent developers. Special promotions and collections of the application store will significantly increase the number of downloads, not only at the time of their holding, but also for some time after. Therefore, I urge all developers to contact local Microsoft departments to provide this opportunity.
In addition, Microsoft recently released a new ad tool called Ad Mediation . This is a very useful tool that will help customize ads depending on the geography of users.
What else? Set up a user feedback channel on social networks or create a forum. I spend several hours every day answering the questions and wishes of my users, thereby I improve my loyalty and get new ideas from them. Believe me, many applications from those that I created appeared as a result of requests in social networks.
As a developer, you may divide such concepts as “development”, “publishing” and “marketing” into three independent components, but in reality everything looks different. You should always think about the users, starting with the development of the logo and description in the store, and ending with what happens when they (users) open your application. Only by combining all this together, you will feel real satisfaction and pride in your development.
View all applications Rudy can be on this link .
The total number of downloads of all its applications exceeds 15 million, which is a good result for an indie developer. Our colleagues managed to talk with Rudi the other day, and we decided to share this interview with you today.
As a big fan of Windows, Rudy believes that the secret to the success of his applications lies in the fact that their development focuses not on monetization (although it is undoubtedly present in most Rudi applications), but on user satisfaction.
')
Why windows? What do you like so much about this operating system?
Of the latest innovations, I really liked the universal applications that appeared simultaneously with the release of Windows 8.1. Now I can easily release applications for PCs, tablets and smartphones without having to develop an app for each platform. It saves me a lot of time. Application development is becoming more efficient, and users get the same use of experience and opportunities to synchronize processes regardless of what device they use.
Roughly speaking, I can use my application on Windows Phone and continue working on my computer or tablet from the place where I finished it on Windows Phone.
For example, I recently launched a universal application for one company with 82 percent of the total for Windows Phone and Windows code. This helped us save almost three weeks of hard work, and all this thanks to universal applications.
I have long been accustomed to the idea that the developer is an artist. And, as the artist relies, each time, creating something completely new for his audience (user), he begins with a clean slate, investing completely in his creation. And Windows 8.1 is the artist's toolbox, which gives him all the opportunities to create real works of art.
I look forward to Windows 10, which will expand the code base not only on Windows Phone, but also on the Xbox platform. I am already planning different scenarios for taking advantage of these features and am going to publish apps for Xbox One. This is very exciting.
Your apps have been downloaded more than 15 million times. Two of them, 6tin (the Tinder client, which may soon become official. - Approx. Of the author) and 6tag received about 85,000 reviews in the WP store and 4.5 points out of 5. How do you monetize them? What is the best example of your applications?
Some of my applications, such as the Wikipedia client and simple counter , have no monetization model. I mean, they are free and do not have built-in advertising, since I did them just for my own entertainment. In other applications, I mostly use the built-in advertising, because I do not think that my applications should buy for money.
Wikipedia app
I understand that people primarily turn their attention to free applications. Therefore, in order to achieve popularity in the app store, it is very important to rely on such monetization models as internal purchases and advertising.
To choose the ideal option for monetization, you need to understand how users use your application. For example, take my clients for social services: 6tin, 6tag, 6sec, 6snap. Users throughout the day repeatedly open the application and stay there for several minutes each time. This is the perfect scenario for advertising.
To make money with ads, you need to achieve good ad viewing performance. In my applications, the average CPM (Cost Per Impression, cost per impression) is about $ 0.12. This is a fairly low price tag, but I generate millions of hits every day.
In my other applications, such as TVShow , users spend only 20 seconds a day or less, so I can’t make money with them using ads.
In such cases, I offer two versions: full and lite with slightly reduced functionality. However, even in a stripped-down version, I want to keep the user experience, leaving all the basic features for comfortable work. In order to somehow compensate for this, I include advertising. Roughly speaking, in this case, having a free version, I earn money from displaying ads and at the same time motivate users to purchase a paid version.
6tag app
Another clever trick: you can also use your free apps to cross-promote others. This is a complicated, but rather cunning and effective way. Somewhere I frankly advertise my own applications (for example, in my application for Wikipedia), and somewhere I extend the functionality of one of my applications with the help of another. So in 6snap, users can access their files on Dropbox using my other application, CloudSix.
This internal cross-functionality works very well: CloudSix downloads increased threefold after I integrated this feature into 6snap. Some applications are difficult to monetize, but using similar mechanics, one application can qualitatively improve the monetization of another.
How much, if not secret, money do your applications bring you?
Bring more than I expected. Recently, it is enough for me to decide to leave my main work and fully focus on working on them. I have been in “free swimming” for about a year and have never regretted it.
Do you know why I love windows? This is a very cool platform for developers: users are very motivated, and the community is set up to support each other. It is much easier to be a successful developer on Windows platforms than on iOS and Android.
What is the secret of your success?
I myself am often surprised. You know, I don’t focus on the financial success of my apps, for me these are just numbers. I'm just an ardent fan of Windows Phone, I love this platform and I want to make it even nicer for users with the help of my applications.
I do my best to please people who use my applications, and always share with my Twitter followers ideas, concepts, screenshots and beta versions. I am in constant dialogue, for I need to know what people who use what I create think. And it always benefits me.
6snap application
For example, when I created 6tag, four days before the release, I sent a tweet asking for help in localizing the application. More than 100 users volunteered to help me with this, and in the end I immediately released an application with support for 30 languages! I am sure that many large companies would not be able to do something like this.
What can you advise other developers?
In each of my applications, I try to use as many opportunities as possible to promote other applications. For example, I make a list of all my applications in the “About Developer / About Application” section and install my own “stubs” with advertising of my applications in case the content from advertising providers is unavailable for some reason. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I try to make my own advertising banners in those applications in which I do not use advertising.
Unlike others, "Windows Phone Store" promotes not only top applications, but also applications from independent developers. Special promotions and collections of the application store will significantly increase the number of downloads, not only at the time of their holding, but also for some time after. Therefore, I urge all developers to contact local Microsoft departments to provide this opportunity.
In addition, Microsoft recently released a new ad tool called Ad Mediation . This is a very useful tool that will help customize ads depending on the geography of users.
What else? Set up a user feedback channel on social networks or create a forum. I spend several hours every day answering the questions and wishes of my users, thereby I improve my loyalty and get new ideas from them. Believe me, many applications from those that I created appeared as a result of requests in social networks.
As a developer, you may divide such concepts as “development”, “publishing” and “marketing” into three independent components, but in reality everything looks different. You should always think about the users, starting with the development of the logo and description in the store, and ending with what happens when they (users) open your application. Only by combining all this together, you will feel real satisfaction and pride in your development.
View all applications Rudy can be on this link .
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/244379/
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