In a challenging environment, knowing how to cost-effectively grow and monetize your game is critical. To that end, Unity reviewed games and ads metrics to better help developers find greater efficiency in their monetization and UA strategies.
With this data, Unity experts are able to discover trends, provide benchmarks, and share valuable insights - all then compiled into a comprehensive report. You can get the report here or keep reading for an overview of their findings.
1. Prioritize driving in-app purchases (IAP) in the first two weeks and segment users who don’t convert
The first weeks after a new player installs your game are the most critical to converting them into payers - Unity data shows that 77% of players who’ve ever made an IAP will do so within the first two weeks.
Users who don’t convert in these first pivotal weeks are prime candidates for alternative ways to monetize, like ads or offerwalls. Segment them and tailor their in-game experience towards these other methods of monetization.
2. Improve your in-app advertising (IAA) with impactful rewarded video placements
Long-term success is not just about acquiring new users but finding ways to better monetize the users you already have, especially in a tougher user acquisition climate. Unity experts were able to isolate the IAA placements that are most likely to engage users. They found that the placements that work best are those between levels and in your game’s lobby.
While 18% of games are using rewarded video ads in their IAP stores, these placements might be worth skipping. Users who are in the store are likely already considering a purchase - and users who aren’t looking to make a purchase - but might be open to engaging with an ad in order to progress in the game - will miss them.
3. Supplement your revenue and boost retention with offerwalls
Offerwalls are a great way to boost your revenue: the report’s analysis shows that, for games that use them in parallel with other monetization methods, 33% of total ad revenue comes from offerwalls.
The data also shows a clear retention lift for users that convert on offerwalls. Users who make use of an offerwall continue to play as much as 5x more when looking from D7 to D120, raising your game’s LTV. 14% of users converted through the offerwall are still playing at D90, while users converted from other methods are below 3%.
4. Target geos based on genre preference to get more out of your UA campaigns
Even small optimizations in your UA campaign can help you get more out of your budget. One great opportunity for campaign optimization is targeting specific geos based on their genre preferences.
In many cases, it’s better to target tier-2 regions with a taste for your game’s genre, than to target the higher ROI tier-1 countries that may not have that preference. (In this analysis tier-2 countries include Australia, Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, and Singapore, while tier-1 includes the U.S., Canada, and the UK.)
5. Use custom store pages to convert users more effectively
Another way to optimize your UA efforts is by using custom store pages (CSPs). CSPs allow you to create a unified experience across the full funnel (from ad to store page), making your user’s journey consistent throughout. If a user arrives at your game through an ad that highlights a specific mechanic or concept, you can highlight those same elements in your CSPs to increase conversion.
Leverage CSPs to drive incremental improvements in your UA campaigns and make your marketing dollars go further.
Download the full report to dive deeper into how you can make your monetization and UA strategies more cost-effective and impactful.
