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State of Mobile App Developers 2016

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STATE OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS 2016 Based On A Survey Of 1000+ App Developers
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Page 1: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

STATE OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS 2016 Based On A Survey Of 1000+ App Developers

Page 2: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.  Introduction

2.  Research Objectives & Methodology

3.  Key Insights

4.  Profile of Developers

5.  Platforms

6.  Downloads & Revenues

7.  Monetization

8.  Mobile Ad Network Preferences

Page 3: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

The mobile revolution and the surge in smartphone usage is driving the market for mobile applications. Mobile app development is a prospering industry and is going to get bigger over time. The growth in consumer demand for mobile apps and the ever growing time spent on these apps is encouraging for both aspiring and seasoned developers to innovate across mobile devices. The speed at which the app industry continues to evolve, the tools and platforms available to build and monetize apps, is overwhelming for developers who are looking to build a sustainable business. The market is massive, and with huge competition the challenge for the app developers is to make sure that they are able to monetize these apps to fund innovation. InMobi undertook a survey of mobile developers across the world in an attempt to understand the ever changing ecosystem better. The State of Mobile App Developers 2016 report is drawn from over 1000+ respondents across 155 countries. It showcases insights on the latest trends in the mobile app ecosystem, including developer mindshare, platform of choice , revenue models, challenges and motivations and mobile ad network preferences.

STATE OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS 2016 Based On A Survey Of 1000+ App Developers

INTRODUCTION

Page 4: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

InMobi undertook a survey of mobile developers across the world in an attempt to understand the ever-growing ecosystem better. This leading research program tracks developer experiences across platforms, revenues and revenue models, their motivations and challenges, monetization and mobile ad network preferences

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

STATE OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS 2016 Based On A Survey Of 1000+ App Developers

Page 5: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

The study was developed by InMobi. A total of 1,089 responses were received during the web and on- device based survey which was open September and November 2015. Not all questions were required to answer for completing the survey and many questions allowed for multiple answers. The insights here are based on InMobi’s database of app developers and publishers

STATE OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS 2016 Based On A Survey Of 1000+ App Developers

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Page 6: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

SURVEY PARTICIPANTS’ LOCATION

47%

14%

11%

28% APAC

Europe

North America

Region Not Disclosed

STATE OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS 2016 Based On A Survey Of 1000+ App Developers

Page 7: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

PROFILE OF DEVELOPERS

Page 8: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 1

6% Of Developers Describe Themselves As Female Compelling Opportunity For Females To Enter App Development

1.  The developer nation is male- dominated. Only 6% of our respondents describe themselves as female, though the proportion was slightly better (11%) in North America

2.  The app developers are young with average age ranging from 31-35 years old

Page 9: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Demographics : Gender

Global

Male

Female

Prefer not to answer

91%

3% 6%

Europe

Male

Female

Prefer not to answer

94%

3% 3%

APAC

Male

Female

Prefer not to answer

93%

2% 5%

North America

Male

Female

Prefer not to answer

83%

6% 11%

Developer Profile: Demographics, Gender

Sample Size: Global n= 1,085; APAC n=515; Europe n= 150; NA n=120

Page 10: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Demographics : Age

Developer Profile: Demographics, Age

17%

20%

7%

11%

46%

49%

44%

35%

27%

25%

34%

32%

8%

4%

11%

17%

0%  

0%  

0%  

3%

Global

APAC

Europe

North America

15-18 19-24 25-34 35-44 45-64 65+

Average Age : 33 Years

Average Age : 31 Years

Average Age : 34 Years

Average Age : 35 Years

Sample Size: Global n= 1,085; APAC n=515; Europe n= 150; NA n=120

•  46 percent of developers globally are between 25-34 years old and the average age is 33

Page 11: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 2

Opportunity: Mobile Continues To Attract Entrepreneurs With The Opportunity It Offers To Scale Their Business And Revenues Globally

1.  Mobile app development is a young and growing industry. Almost 3/4th of the developers have been in the industry for less than 3 years

Page 12: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

App Development Industry Is Fairly Young And Growing

Q. How many years have you been developing mobile apps? Sample Size : Global n=1,085

•  Our survey asked respondents how long they’ve been developing mobile apps. The results show that almost three fourth of app developers have been in this industry for less than three years, making this a young, but growing industry.

•  In fact, only three out of 10 have been making apps for more than 4 years.

Less than 6 months

7-12 months

1-2 years

2-3 years

4-5 years

5+ years

12%

10%

20%

24%

18%

16%

Developer Profiles: Length of Time Developing Apps

Page 13: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 3

Mobile Application Development Firms Are Relatively Small

1.  8% of firms have grown to over 20 employees. The limited number or employees indicates that industry economics make it difficult to operate firms of this size

2.  47% of respondents work by themselves

Page 14: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Mobile App Industry Is Entrepreneurial In Nature

Developer Profiles: Size of Development Firms

47%

33%

11%

5%

3%

0%

0%

Independent developer

2 to 5

6 to 20

21-50

51-500

501-5000

>5000

Q. What is the size of your development team? Sample Size : Global n=1,085

Page 15: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 4

Mobile Application Category Mix

Games, Entertainment, Utility, Education & Lifestyle categories are high priorities for developers globally

Page 16: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Q. What categories do your mobile apps fit in? Please select all that apply Sample Size : Global n=1,085

Games, Entertainment & Utility Apps is the Most Popular Category Among Global Developers

Developer Profile: App Categories

41%

32%

27%

21%

19%

17%

16%

15%

13%

13%

12%

11%

9%

8%

3%

Games

Entertainment

Utilities

Education & Reference

Lifestyle, Food & Drink

Communications & Social Networking

Business & Productivity Tools

Music & Video

Health & Fitness

Kids

Maps, Navigation & Location Based Services

News

Media incl. Sports, Weather, Magazines

Enterprise

Others

Page 17: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Across Regions Similar Trend is Observed…

Q. What categories do your mobile apps fit in? Please select all that apply Sample Size : Global n=1,085; APAC n=515; Europe n= 150; NA n=120

39% 34% 33%

25% 23%

Games Utilities Entertainment Education & Reference

Lifestyle, Food & Drink

APAC

64%

28% 24% 20% 18%

Games Entertainment Utilities Business & Productivity Tools

Lifestyle, Food & Drink

NORTH AMERICA 55%

37%

23% 17% 16%

Games Entertainment Utilities Education & Reference

Kids

EUROPE

Developer Profile: Top 5 App Categories Across Regions

Page 18: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 5

Google Play Preferred App Store Among Majority Of App Developers

1.  42% of app developers have 1-3 apps on Google play store

2.  28% of app developers have 1-3 apps on Apple iOS

Page 19: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Majority Of Developers Target Android And Google Play For App Development

Number of Apps Across App Stores

Q. How many apps do you have on each app store? Sample Size : Global n=1,085; APAC n=515; Europe n= 150; NA n=120

•  Android seems to be a more popular development platform among developers thanks to availability across different operating systems and due to easier access to testing devices. There is also a lower payment barrier to get your app onto the Google Play Store as compared to Apple's App Store.

28%

42%

15%

15%

9%

14%

5%

6%

5%

10%

3%

3%

5%

7%

2%

2%

5%

7%

2%

3%

APPLE APP STORE

GOOGLE PLAY

KINDLE STORE

WINDOWS STORE

None 1 to 3 4 to 6 6 to 10 10 to 25 More than 25

Page 20: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

PLATFORMS

Page 21: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 6

Android & iOS Dominates Every Market

1.  On a global level, Android is by far the most popular platform among developers, followed by Apple iOS

2.  Developer mindshare varies widely by region, with Android leading in Asia and Europe, while North America shows platform parity

3.  App developers entering the business primarily embrace the Android platform

4.  Java, JavaScript, HTML5 are the most preferred language for designing and developing apps among global developers

5.  Majority of developers expect to increase their business with Android & iOS in the next 3 years

Page 22: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Android & iOS Dominate Developer Mindshare

•  Android & Apple’s iOS dominating the global developer mindshare at 86% and 57% respectively.

•  Windows Phone has a developer mindshare at 21%.

Q. Which mobile platforms do you develop apps for today? Please select all that apply Sample Size : n=1,085

86%

57%

21%

6% 5% 3% 5%

Android OS Apple iOS Windows Phone / Windows Mobile

Java ME RIM, BlackBerry OS

Symbian Others

Platforms: Current Popular Platforms

Page 23: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

88%

54%

17%

3%

5%

2%

3%

Android OS Apple iOS Windows Phone /

Windows Mobile

RIM, BlackBerry OS

Java ME Symbian Other (please specify)

90%

65%

34%

9%

3%

1%

7%

Android OS Apple iOS Windows Phone /

Windows Mobile

RIM, BlackBerry OS

Java ME Symbian Other (please specify)

81%

71%

18%

6%

3%

3%

4%

Android OS Apple iOS Windows Phone /

Windows Mobile

RIM, BlackBerry

OS

Java ME Symbian Other (please specify)

Android & iOS Dominates Every Market

Q. Which mobile platforms do you develop apps for today? Please select all that apply Sample Size : n=1,085; APAC n=515; Europe n= 150; NA n=120

Platform Developer MindShare, by Region

•  Developer mindshare varies widely by region, with Android leading in Asia and Europe, while North America shows platform parity.

•  Largest difference is in APAC where the proliferation of low-cost Android devices are high. For many people in Asia, an Android handset is their first foray to the web.

North America

Europe APAC

Page 24: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Android Is Much More Popular As An Entry-level Platform On Which Developers Experiment Or Learn

•  App developers who enter this business primarily adopt the Android OS as it is an is an open source platform and provides numerous functionalities and benefits for developers. Once they gain foothold, they start embracing other platforms.

Q. Which mobile platforms do you develop apps for today? Please select all that apply Q. How many years have you been developing mobile apps? Sample Size : n=1,085

Developer Profiles: Length of Time Developing Apps

45%

49%

44%

57%

65%

73%

6%

7%

2%

2%

2%

8%

10%

11%

5%

4%

5%

11%

7%

7%

2%

4%

5%

16%

15%

16%

23%

27%

22%

34%

3%

7%

4%

6%

5%

7%

Less than 6 months

7-12 months

1-2 years

2-3 years

4-5 years

5+ years

Android OS Apple iOS Symbian Java ME RIM, BlackBerry OS Windows Phone / Windows Mobile Others

Page 25: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Q. Which of these programming language do you use? Please select all that apply Sample Size : n=1,085

Java Most Popular Language In Developer Index, While Swift is Catching Attention

Developer Language Share

•  Swift is the programming language to watch for due to its rise in popularity in just one year of its introduction.

•  Java is the most preferred language for designing and developing apps among global developers.

•  45 percent of the developer population uses HTML5 technologies for developing mobile apps.

•  18% of mobile app developers use Swift which is a remarkable number for a new language, a sign that Swift may succeed in attracting a much wider range of developers to build native iOS apps.

65%

45%

44%

36%

30%

27%

18%

18%

8%

6%

7%

Java

HTML5

JavaScript

Objective C

C#

C++

Swift

C

ActionScript

Lua

Others

Page 26: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Majority Of Developers Expect To Increase Their Business With Android & iOS In The Next 3 Years

Q. How will your mobile app development business for these platforms change in the next 3 years? Sample Size : n=1,085

Ways In Which Mobile App Development Business For These Platforms Will Change In The Next 3 Years

19%

25%

22%

19%

8%

9%

2%

4%

16%

13%

20%

18%

3%

11%

34%

33%

66%

67%

Android

iOS

Windows Phone

Mobile Web

Symbian

RIM

Increase Stay the same Decrease Won't develop / Don't know

Page 27: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

REVENUE & DOWNLOADS

Page 28: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 7

Finding Monetary Success Is Still Hard In Mobile App Business

1.  55% of developer make $1000 per month; monthly average mobile app revenue globally is under $6K

2.  The average monthly per-app revenue is in the range of $5k to $11k depending on the platform. Windows Phone is the highest money-maker at $11.4k per month per app

3.  NA app developers leads in revenue generation with highest average revenue of $9.4k per month per app

4.  In terms of app download volume, NA leads across regions with 20% of developers having crossed >1000K downloads

Page 29: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

55% Of Developer Make $1000 Per Month; Monthly Average Mobile App Revenue Globally Is Under $6K

Q. How much revenue per month do you generate from mobile apps on your primary platform and all other platforms combined (on average, in US dollars) Q. What is the size of your development team? Sample Size : n=900

•  Making mobile apps is still a risky business. Despite the fact that many technical types are flocking to mobile apps with the hopes of developing the next "Angry Birds," monetary success is still very difficult to find. The monthly average mobile app revenue globally is under $6k.

•  Indie developers make a monthly average revenue of $1.5k, whereas large–size studios make about 30 times higher.

55%

14%

8%

3% 1%

18% 0-1000$

1001-10000$

10,000-100,000$

100,000-500,000$

500,000$ +

Prefer not to answer

Global Monthly App Revenue Global Monthly App Revenue, by size of development team

Note : Revenue numbers excludes China, Japan and Korea markets

73%

41%

3%

8%

21%

7%

3%

13%

17%

1%

4%

24%

0%

2%

14%

15%

20%

34%

Independent Developers

Medium Size Studios

Large Studios

0-1000$ 1001-10000$ 10,000-100,000$ 100,000-500,000$ 500,000$ + Prefer not to answer

Independent Developers n= 391; Medium Size Studios (Development Team Size 2-50 employees) n=407; Large Studios( Development Team Size 50+) n= 29)

Average Monthly Revenue: $1.5k

 

Average Monthly Revenue: $7.5k

 

Average Monthly Revenue: $44.0k

 

Page 30: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Windows Phone OS Leads Revenue Chart

Q. How much revenue per month do you generate from mobile apps on your primary platform and all other platforms combined (on average, in US dollars) Q. . Which mobile platforms do you develop apps for today? Please select all that apply

•  The average monthly per-app revenue is in the range of $5k to $11k depending on the platform. Windows Phone is the highest money-maker at $11.4k per month per app. Those that develop to the Apple iOS make an average of about $8.1k per month per app. For Android, the average revenue is $4.9k per month per app.

•  Since Windows has only a niche audience, the app store is not as fragmented as the Android and iOS counterparts. Hence app discoverability is way easier and the competition among apps is much lesser. Thus developers on the Windows App Store seem to enjoy the highest monthly revenue.

Note : Revenue numbers excludes China, Japan and Korea markets

15%

16%

14%

8%

13%

13%

3%

4%

3%

1%

2%

4%

18%

19%

16%

Android

iOS

Windows Phone

0-1000$ 1001-10000$ 10,000-100,000$ 100,000-500,000$ 500,000$ + Prefer not to answer

Global Monthly App Revenue, by OS

Average Monthly Revenue: $4.9k

Average Monthly Revenue: $8.1k

Average Monthly Revenue: $11.4k

Page 31: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

North America Leads In Revenue Generation For App Developers

Monthly App Revenue, by Region

Average Monthly revenue: $4.9k

Q. How much revenue per month do you generate from mobile apps on your primary platform and all other platforms combined (on average, in US dollars) Sample Size : n=500

•  Half of the developers make less than 1000$ a month across regions. •  App developers in NA make the highest average revenue of $9.4k per month per app, followed by app developers in Europe who make

$5.2k per month per app.

14%

10%

15%

14%

8%

13%

11%

5%

3%

3%

3%

1%

1%

3%

1%

1%

18%

23%

11%

18%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Global

North America

Europe

APAC

0-1000$ 1001-10000$ 10,000-100,000$ 100,000-500,000$ 500,000$ + Prefer not to answer

Average Monthly revenue: $9.4k

Average Monthly revenue: $5.2k

Average Monthly revenue: $3.4k

Note : Revenue numbers excludes China, Japan and Korea markets

Page 32: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

North America & Europe Lead App Downloads In Terms Of Volume

Q. What is the approximate number of total downloads you have, across all apps and all stores in the last 12 months? Sample Size : Global n=1,085

•  One third of the app developers have less than 10K downloads across all regions. Globally only 15% have crossed 1000K download mark.

Total Number of Downloads cross all apps stores in the last 12 months

16%

15%

15%

18%

11%

10%

16%

12%

13%

14%

15%

9%

9%

10%

9%

5%

15%

13%

18%

20%

GLOBAL

APAC

EUROPE

NORTH AMERICA

<10k 10-50k 50-100k 100-500k 500-1000k >1000k

Page 33: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

CHALLENGES & MOTIVATIONS

Page 34: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 8

Motivations & Challenges

1.  For a mobile app to be successful, extensive marketing is an important aspect. Marketing an app effectively can pose an altogether different challenge for developers, as they need to switch roles from developers to marketers

2.  Money, fun of building the app & creativeness are the top three motivating factors for developers to build apps

3.  Discoverability, Acquiring right and users and identifying the right revenue models are the biggest app marketing challenges that developers face today

Page 35: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

App Developers Should Market Their App Smartly

Most Challenging Aspect In The Mobile Application Process For App Developers

•  43% of developers agree that marketing is the most challenging aspect in the mobile application process.

•  Marketing is key for an app's success. However such an activity can be challenging for developers. Help is at hand - today you have access to an array of advertising agencies which help you build and execute an effective marketing strategy, without burning a hole in your pocket.

Q. What do you think is the most challenging aspect in the mobile application process? Sample Size : Global n=1,085

43%

21%

17%

11%

7%

2%

Marketing

Design

Development

Distribution on multiple platforms

Testing/QA

Support

Page 36: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Fortune & Fun Of Developing Apps Is The Prime Motivator For App Developers

Q. What is your primary motivation for app development? Sample Size : Global n=1,085

•  Money, fun of building the app & creativeness are the top three motivating factors for developers to build apps. •  The first step to building a developer community is to understand the motivations of the developers and target accordingly.

Primary Motivation For Developing Mobile Apps

34%

17% 16% 14%

11% 6%

2%

Money The fun of building an app

Being creative/sense of self achievement

An exciting industry to be

within

Learning new things

The developer lifestyle

Peer recognition

Page 37: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

App Discovery Still An Ongoing Struggle For App Developers

Mobile app marketing challenges that developers face today

•  Getting app discovered is the fundamental challenge that every app marketer faces. With millions of apps across iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other platforms, standing out in the boundless sea of available apps is becoming increasingly difficult.

•  The best app marketers will pursue a comprehensive, well-rounded app marketing strategy that includes both pre-launch and post-launch work. The best strategies will include organic and paid app marketing channels.

•  In order to solve the discoverability puzzle developers should invest in these elements like: Pre-launch marketing; Early collaboration; Initial promotion; App discovery tools ; Grassroots activity & App search optimization.

•  The second most problem that developers face is acquiring the right users.

Q. What are the biggest app marketing challenges you face today as a developer? Please select all that apply Sample Size : Global n=1,085

49%

36%

29%

21%

17%

17%

Discoverability- getting awareness, audience, and breaking through the

noise

Acquiring the right users

Identifying the right revenue model

Getting the app funded

Lack of transparency by app stores

Entering local markets

Page 38: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

MONETIZATION

Page 39: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 9

Interestingly, When It Comes To Business Models, Developers Are Often Drawn To Advertising

1.  Advertising is the most bankable app business revenue model that app developers prefer the most

2.  7 out of 10 app developers use mobile advertising to monetize their apps currently. 18% of them plan to use mobile advertising in future

3.  Banner Ads, Interstitial & Native Ads are the top 3 ad formats that developers prefer the most to monetize their inventory. Using a right mix of ad placement and formats is necessary to earn maximum revenue

Page 40: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Advertising Most Popular Revenue Model Among App Developers

Ways Apps Developers Monetize Their Mobile Apps

•  Mobile advertising is one of the most widely used monetization models among app developers. Advertising is the model that provides an income stream for app developers and effectively powers the app economy.

•  In-app purchases is the second most popular method of monetizing apps among developers.

•  Like them or not, in-app advertisement will continue to be a major revenue-earner in 2016. The total spend on app advertising has crossed $7 billion this year, and this will only grow (at an even faster rate) over the next couple of years. Developers will have to focus on managing their ad networks so that: a) they get the maximum revenue benefits, and b) the ads do not hamper the app-experience of users in any way.

Q. How do you monetize your mobile apps? Please select all that apply Sample Size : Global n=1,085

63%

33%

20%

12%

9%

8%

7%

10%

Advertising

In app purchases (eg. virtual currency, feature upgrade)

Paid app

Affiliate or CPI programs

Subscriptions

E-commerce

Selling products that work with the app

I don't make/intend to make money

Page 41: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Q. Have you ever used mobile advertising to monetize your apps? Sample Size : Global n=1,085

•  67% of app developers are currently using mobile advertising as a method to monetize their apps. 18% plan to do in future.

•  From running a burst campaign, a focused ad campaign spent over a couple days to drive downloads and move up in the app store ranking, to more targeted ad campaigns to promote new app releases, mobile advertising yields impressive results across the entire mobile app lifecycle.

[VALUE]  

[VALUE]  

[PERCENTAGE]  

Yes   No   Plan  to  do  in  future  

7 Out of 10 App Developers Use Mobile Advertising to Monetize their Apps

% Of app developers who have Used mobile advertising to monetize their apps

Page 42: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Q. Have you ever used mobile advertising to monetize your apps? Sample Size : Global n=1,085

•  45% of developers used banner ads to monetize their ad inventory. The reason banner ads being popular because they promise mass reach, which translates to millions of ad impressions on mobile.

•  Native advertising, which is a more engaging and less intrusive ad format than banner ads, is quickly becoming a major source of revenue for developers.

•  Developers should take advantage of high-earning ad units like videos, rewarded videos and playable ads- The evolution of mobile has led to more creative and technical capability offerings from in-app advertising. Simultaneously, advertisers are constantly looking for ways to keep users interested and engaged in their ad content. Work with an ad partner that can bring you knowledge of native, rich media and other special ad formats that enhance your user experience.

Banner, Interstitial & Native Ads Preferred Ad Format For Monetization

Preferred ways to monetize ad inventory among app developers

45%

36%

29%

27%

24%

15%

Banner Ads

Interstitial Ads

Native Ads

Video Ads

Rewarded Video Ads

Playable Ads

Page 43: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

MOBILE AD NETWORKS

Page 44: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 10

Mobile Ad Network Preferences Among Developers

1.  Revenue potential/eCPM, Ease of integration and Fill rate are the top three most important criteria that developers evaluate when selecting ad network as a partner

2.  Sample code, documentation & answers on online support forums features that ad networks should offer along with API/SDK

Page 45: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Revenue Potential/eCPM Tops Developers List in Evaluating To Partner With Ad Network

Q. What are the most important criteria for selecting a mobile ad network? Please rank in order of most important to least. Sample size: n=1,085

•  Revenue potential/eCPM, Ease of integration and Fill rate are the top three most important criteria that developers evaluate when selecting ad network as a partner.

•  High eCPM guarantees that traffic will be translated into income for the developer, so it is natural to assign a lot of weight to this parameter when deciding about the network partner.

Most Important Criteria For Selecting Mobile Ad Network

1 Revenue potential/eCPM

Ease of integration

Fill rate/inventory

Service payment reliability

Supported ad formats

Availability across platforms

4

2 5

3 6

Page 46: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Sample Code, Documentation & Answers on Online Support Forums Features that Ad Networks Should Offer Along With API/SDK

•  Sample code, Documentation & Answers on online support forums are the top 3 features that ad networks should offer along with API/SDK for app developers.

•  Others include timely updates on SDK, easy integration guide, unity support, easy tutorial video with subtitles, FAQ and great full featured, easy to use and fast dashboard.

Q. What are the 3 most important features/services that companies should offer along with their API or SDK Sample size: n=1,085

Most Important Features/Services That Ad Networks Should Offer Along With Their API Or SDK

52%

49%

33%

29%

27%

24%

14%

10%

2%

Sample code

Documentation

Answers on online support forums

IDE integration

Commercial programs/Direct revenue opportunities

Dedicated forums

Events and Meetups

Paid support

Other (please specify)

Page 47: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

FUTURE TRENDS

Page 48: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Insight 11

1.  32% of developers are more likely to build apps on wearables in the future.

2.  The use of wearable devices is increasing and its popularity will continue to rise for years to come

Wearable Apps Will Emerge as The Next Battleground For The Platform Wars For Developers

Page 49: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Q. Do you anticipate creating a wearable app for your business (for Google Glass, Apple Watch etc.)

Sample size: n=1,085

•  Only 6% of developers have created apps on wearables.

•  32% of developers are more likely to build apps on wearables in the future.

•  The use of wearable devices is increasing and its popularity will continue to rise for years to come. It is a great challenge before mobile app developers to design applications that can work simultaneously on a smart phone as well as wearable device. As of now, we have seen some popular fitness applications becoming available on wearable devices. This trend will grow exponentially as other areas of human life will begin to get monitored using wearable technology.

Wearable Apps: The Next Battleground For The Platform Wars For Developers

% of App Developers Willing to Create a Wearable Apps (for Google Glass, Apple Watch etc.)

6%

9%

32%

31%

Already have one Likely in 2015

Somewhat likely in future Unsure if will in future

Page 50: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

8 Mobile App Developer Trends 2016 - Road Ahead

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Mobile App Developer Trends 2016 – The Road Ahead

Swift – the programming language of the future    Up until recently, most app developers have created their programs using more traditional and long-standing programming languages like HTML, C++, and Objective C. Swift – the brand new programming language by Apple is getting a lot of attention from developers. Designed both as an application language as well as a systems language, it is built on a modern compiler infrastructure and gives developers the opportunity to write more reliable code right from the very beginning.

1

iOS & Android Duopoly Continues    The Android and iOS duopoly commands the attention of both developers and consumers and remain firmly established. However, the platform wars are not over yet.

2

3 Utility Apps Are Here to Stay Nowadays, users want better control in terms of fitness, activities they perform on a day-to-day basis and so on. Thankfully, utility apps help in achieving such goals in a highly effective manner. Whether you need to track your fitness level, or keep track of weather, or want to schedule to-do tasks, etc., utility apps are one of the most popular categories of mobile users. And thus, creating a utility app can help maximize the success of your app.

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Mobile App Developer Trends 2016 – The Road Ahead

Better Marketing, Advertising & Purchasing Inside of Apps    Mobile apps have tremendous potential for bringing in money and the expenditure levels on in-app purchases are expected to rise in 2016. Monetizing apps will rely on a far broader spectrum of channels, with advertisements spreading beyond simple banner ads to formats including image, text and video. App developers will continue to push the limits on mobile app advertisements and purchases, shifting away from the focus of paid download models.

4

Increased Attention to Apps for Wearables    Credit goes to the Apple Watch - wearable technology became the hottest topic in the industry of consumer electronics. Most of the wearable devices developed so far were focusing on health and fitness, but by the beginning of 2016 Wearable devices are expected to be used by the enterprises to improve their productivity and efficiency. Developers will be transferring their own concentration from Smartphones to wearable device applications for enterprise and various industries in 2016. .

More Focus Will Be on Getting Quality Traffic The biggest issues that developers usually face is acquiring good users that are likely going to come back and use the app. And so, rather than running after creating plenty of apps developers seem to be creating one that can help them get quality traffic, so as to achieve good revenues.

5

6

Page 53: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

Mobile App Developer Trends 2016 – The Road Ahead

App Marketing Continues To Evolve Further    Mobile App marketing techniques continue to evolve each year. In 2015, the app marketers were more focussed on user engagement rather than user acquisition. With user engagement in focus, more and more marketers and developers have started to realize the importance of organic users as these users were more loyal and engaged than the users acquired through other paid channels. App Store Optimization will continue to be a key factor in making an app successful in 2016. With Beacon and Location based WIFI services, marketers will now have more ways to target based on the user’s location and promote their apps with many other offers.

7

Expenditure on app ads will rise In-app advertisement will continue to be a major revenue-earner in 2016. The total spend on app advertising has crossed $7 billion this year, and this will only grow (at an even faster rate) over the next couple of years. Developers will have to focus on managing their ad networks so that: a) they get the maximum revenue benefits, and b) the ads do not hamper the app-experience of users in any way.

8

Page 54: State of Mobile App Developers 2016

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