As the mobile industry grows and diversifies, developers are no longer worrying whether they should use analytics.
Instead, they're worrying about which blend of analytics will provide them with the data they feel most accurately tracks the downloads and earning potential of each game they release.
Metricsmonk, an established Facebook app analytics firm, recently released support for iOS analytics, plus a user distribution feature
We caught up with CEO Sebastian Sujka to find out more.
Pocket Gamer: What sets Metricsmonks iOS analytics apart from the competitors?
Sebastian Sujka: The features that set us apart are, firstly, the integration of both Facebook and mobile analytics which provides a cross-platform approach to metrics and, secondly, our user distribution data.
This latter feature is testament to our aim of delivering unique ways of looking at data and an indication of what the future holds for Metricsmonk. Our goal is to provide quality market analytics; we do not analyse developers' in-app economy like some of our competitors.
We make it possible for every user to spot market trends, improve user acquisition campaigns and give them access to a full competitor analysis.
The data captured by your iOS analytics feature is interesthing but how will it help developers make better games or more money?
On one side, we help developers to make better apps by enabling them to look at review counts and monitor how competing apps' versions and features are performing across markets.
More generally, we assist product management by providing a clearer picture of user preferences inside and outside of the users game or application.
On the other side, we help users to save money and to monetise better, they can identify the best users to target for user acquisition campaigns and we show them where to advertise in order to find them.
How do you feel that the new user distribution feature reflects on an app's overall performance?
The purpose of user distribution is not to reflect an app's performance. The idea is rather to better manage acquisition campaigns and gain valuable insights for product development.
However, you could draw conclusions on the spending behaviour of the users of a certain app if you analyse how the users behave outside of the app.
A strongly simplified example: if 90 percent of the users of a certain app play poker, slot, and RPG games outside the application then they are more likely to monetise better than an app where 90 percent of the user base plays extremely casual games.
The user bases are likely to show a different spending behaviour.
Metricsmonk allows users to see the number of reviews and average rating for each app being tracked - do you feel that this data is actionable to them?
Seeing reviews and ratings of each app on a timeline gives a full picture to developers. It enables them to verify the quality of an app, the level of engagement of its users, the success (or failure) of new features and, together with rankings, gives a good estimate of an app's traction.
Take Candy Crush Saga by King - is the latest update as well-received as the previous ones? Are the new levels enough to keep users engaged or are polished game mechanics and new power-ups what users really want?
You can find these answers on Metricsmonk.
One of the biggest selling points of Metricsmonk is that it allows users to customise their data and drill down to key metrics - will this customisation carry through to the iOS analytics feature?
It makes sense to answer this question along with the next one.
Android and Google Play represent a large share of many developer's revenue streams, so are you planning to add Android analytics into Metricsmonk as well?
In both cases the short answer is: yes. We will continue to deliver the highest possible granularity of the industry.
We are in the process of developing and extending the Metricsmonk platform to include Android and will focus on adding more drill-down options and cross-platform features.
Thanks to Sebastian for his time.
You can find out more about Metricsmonk here.
Interview
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Representing the former colonies, Matt keeps the Pocket Gamer news feed updated when sleepy Europeans are sleeping. As a frustrated journalist, diehard gamer and recovering MMO addict, this is pretty much his dream job.
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