In this article, we would like to draw the attention of application developers to such an ambiguous promotion mechanism as featured in mobile app stores (AppStore and Google Play). Yes, our editor also does not like the word "feature" (featuring), but there is no adequate Russian equivalent, so we will use tracing paper from English.



Apple or Google featuring is a technique where Apple or Google itself selects applications that match the current marketing priorities of these companies. Such applications stand out for a certain period using the internal App Store / Google Play marketing tools (first of all, this is placing a banner on the main App Store / Google Play page, or placing it in a thematic selection in a “prominent place”).



To participate in the feature, the application not only must meet a number of requirements that Apple / Google imposes, such as product quality, uniqueness, benefits, exclusivity, and relevance, but also pass the manual selection by the App Store / Google Play editors.

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The feature is free because in this way Apple / Google “recommends” the most interesting products to its users and helps application developers to find new users and enter new markets.



What are the features and how to get into them? We have identified two major categories. More about them - below.

Seasonal features

When collections are made and, often, discounts on applications in certain regions dedicated to some events (most often national holidays). As an example, a Google Play feature called “Celebrating the Full Moon”, in which we participated with the ABBYY TextGrabber app in September in some Asian countries: Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, can be cited.



To get into such feature, it is necessary first of all to support localization in the languages ​​of those countries that are declared for the promotion, as well as reduce the cost of the application or additional purchases inside it to the level required by the store for the promotional period. In the “Celebrating the Full Moon” campaign, Google’s idea was to offer users the highest-quality business applications for the price of a toothbrush, thereby increasing the popularity of business applications and removing the image of expensive tools that only a limited audience can buy.



To get into such a feature, a nomination of an application by an Apple / Google employee is required, as well as careful selection and checking for compliance with the criteria for featured criteria by the Apple / Google editorial team.

Thematic features

When applications fall into a collection of a certain category: education, business, memory photos, puzzles, etc. The attention of the store editor is attracted precisely by those applications that strive to be the best in their category, make permanent changes to the product, receive high marks and good feedback from users.



The same group includes features that are devoted to major technological changes on Apple / Google Play platforms. An example would be the launch of iOS 9 and the main technological changes that applications began to offer to users in connection with the launch of a new operating system, namely: multitasking (Split view), smart search (Spotlight Search), 3D Touch (three-level pressure measurement system). To get into such features, developers should closely follow the latest news platforms and be the first to embody all technological changes.

Personal experience

A little about the ABBYY TextGrabber featured on Apple's “Amazing Apps & Games for Tier 1 Price” selection last summer. Textgrabber extracts small-volume texts from any printed sources and translates them, and also allows you to share your own results.



During the feature, there was a special discount on the application: the price was reduced for Mexico, China, Indonesia, India, Russia, Turkey and South Africa to a minimum level (in Russia it was 15 rubles), in other countries the cost of the application dropped from 4.99 dollars to 0.99. The promotion began on 15 and ended on July 31, 2015.



With the start of the campaign, the number of daily downloads has increased dramatically, which is not surprising. According to our estimates, this figure has increased by more than forty times! Particularly noticeable was the increase in downloads in China, Russia and the United States.

• China + 4000%
• Russia + 2600%
• United States + 2000%

Along with the number of downloads, the number of positive reviews also grew. And again, the most active were the users of China, Russia and the United States.







The positive effect of a two-week feature was difficult to overestimate. The tremendous amount of downloads and positive reviews in China clearly hinted at another success of our OCR-technologies in the Middle Kingdom. Chinese users always come to the delight of recognizing hieroglyphs with ABBYY programs. This was evidenced by the numerous demonstrations to the Chinese partners of our mobile products at various presentations. Now, with such a volume of downloads, it became clear that new mobile markets of China and other countries are opening up for our mobile applications (for example, India or Brazil, where, due to the specificity of the economy at the old price, it was impossible to even dream of such a rise in downloads; due to the strongest competition in this market).



It should be noted that when the action ended, the application left the top, and the number of sales fell as rapidly as it grew.



What did we get?



• new users

• a large number of positive reviews

• Apple's experience with features

• short-term growth in sales, subject to a significant reduction in the cost of the application

• and most importantly, understanding which markets you should then pay our strategic attention to.



And here the main conclusions for us were the following:



1. How to properly maintain the position in the tops of the store, which we so magically got? It is very important to quickly use analytical systems to assess the position of your application in the store, and how many downloads are required to hold such positions, and also react promptly with additional user engagement. It's time to buy advertising traffic. The effect of the feature can then be extended. Being in high positions in the store, the application receives many “organic”, good users who choose your product themselves and consciously. At the same time, holding positions for which the application has already climbed may not be very expensive and definitely profitable.



2. Since the feature takes place in several countries, it is possible to assess the solvency of the audience of these countries and, accordingly, the degree of your further interest in them. To do this, we calculate ARPU (average revenue per user = purchase income / number of installations) for each country and evaluate this indicator in comparison with the cost of attracting a user in this country (CPI). This approach is effective and costs the developer virtually nothing to determine a future strategy for choosing a foreign market to promote an application.



3. Fichering works primarily on the recognition of the application, and a large number of downloads and positive feedback raises the application in the overall rating. First of all, this tool is interesting for developers who would like to promote their product to other markets, as entering new markets on their own is a topic that is expensive, although very interesting, especially in the current economic environment. With the help of such Apple / Google features, the application can identify countries that are promising for themselves, as well as some features of local consumers: how to use the product, solvency, optimal price, demand for additional paid features.



Well, again, to get an invitation from Apple or Google Play to feature is the recognition of the quality of your product from the world's leading mobile app stores.



Natalia Frolova,

Mobile Platform Department