Insider Tips for Building Better, More Profitable Android Apps — Sarah Karam, Google

Insider Tips for Building Better, More Profitable Android Apps — Sarah Karam, Google

On the podcast: How developers can launch and optimize their app listings on the Google Play Store. A conversation from Google I/O 2024 with Sarah Karam, director of Apps Partnerships at Google.

On the podcast: How developers can launch and optimize their app listings on the Google Play Store. A conversation from Google I/O 2024 with Sarah Karam, director of Apps Partnerships at Google.


Key Takeaways:

There are now more ways to optimize revenue with Google Play Commerce: Google I/O introduced multiple new options in regards to payments — for example, installment subscriptions allow users to spread the payment for longer-term subscriptions, and Google Play can now automatically adjust regional pricing based on currency fluctuations. 

Play Store listings can now be customized by search keywords: It’s been possible to create custom store listings based on audience for a while but now, to help apps make the most of organic traffic, it’s possible to create listings based on specific search terms.

AI is powerful, but start with problem-solving: To avoid AI becoming just another distraction for developers, start with the problem you’re trying to solve. Where Sarah’s team have seen success is when apps use AI to speed up content creation (when customizing store listings for many groups, for example) and to improve customer experience through support systems.

Asia Pacific developers are leading the way with payment diversification: US apps tend to lean on subscriptions, as US consumers are more willing to pay that way. But elsewhere, offering more diverse options beyond subscriptions, such as IAPs to unlock specific features, is more successful because you cater to more user preferences. Plus, these apps also see success in the US — maybe US apps can learn something? 

Apps that embrace the diversity of Android will see the most success: While mimicking an iOS strategy for higher-end Android devices can work, it would be ignoring the vast majority of the Android audience. Apps that see the full benefit are those that adjust their approach to account for this diversity. 

Think bigger picture and longer-term: Google’s data shows that the majority of users who make a purchase in an app do so over a year after installation. More sophisticated developers aren’t ruling out users who don’t convert quickly or even users at a different point on the demand curve. 

Tipping could be the low-hanging fruit of payment diversification: Google is seeing a huge growth in tipping, whether through a virtual currency or traditional IAPs, outside of the usual spaces like social and live-streaming. 

The consumer rarely buys what you think you sell”: Understanding this point could lead to strong secondary product-market fit and unlock new growth. Instead of thinking about your app in terms of the core feature it offers, think about the problem it solves. Exploring new ways of solving the core problem is where new growth lies. 

About Guest


👨‍💻
Director of Google’s Apps Partnerships team.

🤖 Sarah is passionate about helping developers succeed on Google Play Store and the Android ecosystem.

👋 LinkedIn

Resources

Google Play Academy

Guidelines to Getting Featured on Google Play

Guides to Help Grow Your Business on Google Play

Google I/O 2024 Keynote

Engage SDK

Custom Store Listings

Google Play business community on X

Android Developer YouTube Channel


Episode Highlights

[3:57] Feature presentation: Getting your app featured on the Google Play Store can be great, but it isn’t the most important thing (and you still need to market your app to take advantage of being featured).


[8:46] Proactive engagement: Google’s newly announced Engage SDK (currently in developer preview) will surface apps at relevant times for users in the context they’re most likely to engage.


[13:53] Easier ways to pay (and get paid): New commerce options — including newly accepted forms of payment, installment payments, and student and senior plans — allow Android developers to serve more users around the world.


[23:37] Custom is key: Google Play Store listings can now be customized by the keywords users searched to find the app.


[29:38] Diversifying payments: Apps that offer in-app payments (IAP) in addition to subscriptions tend to perform better than apps that offer subscriptions alone.


[31:54] iOS =/= Android: To take full advantage of the Play Store, developers need to think about the diverse devices, budgets, and preferences of the 2.5 billion Android users around the world.


[34:40] Baby steps: Small experiments (like offering a paid 7-day pass instead of a free trial) can help you determine what works best for your app and tailor your offerings for diverse markets.


[45:00] Penny for your app?: Tipping is a surprisingly effective way of letting users pay for your product.