Personal developer Survival Status survey: Widespread reliance on implanted ads

In a variety of mobile application developers of the myth behind the overwhelming, most of the "self-employed" to truly reflect the group of mobile application Development of the army's market. Barefoot than shoes, no investment, can not afford to burn their own set of development business.

How big is the mobile developer community? AI Media Consulting did the relevant statistics, as of the end of November 2011, China's mobile phone application developers total about 1 million people, of which, for iOS (Apple Tablet and mobile) system application developers of about 140,000 people, Android about 750,000 people, Saipan about 40,000 people, the other about 70,000 people. Accordingly, the number of individual developers and small teams is about 600,000.

The vast majority of individual developers are shirtless developers. The investment of each road did not extend the olive branch to them, 0 cost promotion became the thing that had to be forced also; in the maintenance of survival have become the premise of the problem, they do not "first to pursue the user size and at the cost of" The burning of money, but very early on the need for users and profits between the two to achieve a certain balance; among them, only part-time or "amateurs "The nature of the people are not a few, a shot to change a place to become their tactics, some developers do not fantasize about big, financing these things from the news, as far as possible the thinking of the money to push them to do while watching."

This is not the so-called praise. Moreover, these individuals and small development teams through the mobile application development craze, but also summed up a set of their own methodology, their mouth also without losing the "user needs", "User Experience", "tipping point" and so on, listen to their stories carefully, and even find it interesting.

It can not be denied that the external environment of the maturity and growth of their great help. In the face of how to deliver applications better and faster to users, especially with the open system of Android, the markets for Third-party applications have become a paradise. On the revenue side, "Free app+ implanted ads" became the most common form of profit, with IHS Screendigest's third quarter of 2011 data showing that nearly half of the most lucrative iphone apps were free, and 31% of the most lucrative Android apps were free at this time, Third-party advertising platform is undoubtedly their most dependent on the Gold master. It is worth mentioning, advertising platform customers for the promotion of the needs of the big-class mobile applications, a little Sofu to ask the poor.

As a result, they are more like the Ant Corps of mobile Internet nuggets under the guidance of the third party application market and advertising platform. As they continue to study various types of entry rules, distribution, a developer and the application market and advertising platform between the reciprocity and game play is also constantly staged. At this stage, this group of ants can be said to enjoy the leadership of the "dividend", even with the "shoe" developers compared to the drop in the small enough to give the barefoot they bring a brief excitement. But they also have a lot of uncertainty about the future.

This issue of the Fuzhi will be from a common can not be common to the story of individual developers, let us look at the survival of these developers.

Mobile Advertising Market Nuggets

AdMob Mobile application advertising industry chain

Of the many self-employed developers, Ali is one of the common. This so-called "technical white" developers by the forum inside the impact of various developers to enter the industry, through self-study and groping for nearly a year, his monthly income finally from the initial five cents rose to the current 10,000 yuan. He said that there are a lot of colleagues around him who are dreaming.

"Night school."

By embedding ads in an application, the app brought him only five cents in revenue. This means that only one user clicks on the ads and downloads other apps.

During the day, 25-Year-old Ali was a small white-collar in an internet company, and in the evening he became a smartphone application developer. Since last year, he has launched more than 30 mobile apps.

According to the Internet Data Center (DCCI), 2012 China Mobile application developer survey, Ali is a member of 48.1% of the individual developers. In terms of income, Ali earns a monthly income of 100,000-500,000 of its annual revenue, which accounts for only 10.9%.

Ali blushes himself a technical layman, "non-computer professionals, everything from zero to self-study", even at that time not even an Android phone, the development of tests are all using the computer's Android virtual machine.

After about one months of self-study, he concocted the first application ——— "name and marriage resolution". "I've developed applications that tend to be old-looking, and I think that's what attracts users to download," explains Ali. This application is simply not easy, nothing more than to do a layer of app's "Skin", the user and marriage analysis of the website information to docking up.

Ali was very honest, and he taught himself the development of Android to make money. The creation myth of "small Ben started" in the developer forum has always been his example. But his apps are all free downloads. Program fees No one plays, completely free, developers will not make money. The domestic Android App store, where more than 80% of apps are free, developers make money mainly on mobile ads. "The current income is embedded in the application of advertising, Chinese users generally do not pay the habit, only in the software embedded ads to make money." Ali said helplessly.

By embedding ads in an application, the app brought him only five cents in revenue. By the time the advertising platform was divided into rules, it meant that only one "name and marriage resolution" user downloaded other apps by clicking on the ads in the application interface. This number makes Ali laugh and cry, and the income of other developers is pitiful. He did not stop, the second application revenue better ——— 1 a day more than one months more than 30 pieces. In fact, most developers now have less monthly income, "typically hundreds of, two thousand or three thousand," says Ali.

"The overall profitability of the mobile internet can be said to be very bad," Long Shi, general manager of Shenzhen Broadcasting and communication, told the Southern Metropolitan newspaper. Developing Apple is better than developing Android, but 60% doesn't make money. Because of the many applications, you develop a place that is easily submerged in the application ocean. "In order not to drown in the application of the ocean, the developer's approach is to promote the program," mainly through the forum Ah, the application store buy location Ah, Motorola, Samsung and other built-in promotion. such as the Android Market of these application stores, those positions, a day is thousands of, tens of thousands of, they certainly can make money.

However, for the lack of real money for personal developers, promotion is a luxury thing, they often choose not to do promotion. Ali has never spent a penny on promotion. Every new application he develops, he continues to post free ads for himself in various developer forums.

With the development of more than 30 applications, Ali gradually groped for some of the personal developers that suited him. First, he designed "quirky" applications to curry favor with users, and then spend most of the time on the mobile phone forum post, "Promotion is the most tiring, long time, repeat the same work, to keep the comments, always hair." Ali explained, "I'm a lot more skilled than I am, but many people don't earn as much as I do." For example, a person's technology is very cow, developed a very powerful software, but he did not understand the user needs, do not understand the operation, do not understand the promotion, so also make no money. ”

Through the promotion, increases the application download quantity is only the first step, wants to make the money, also needs the mobile phone user clicks the advertisement banner (banner) to download the Advertiser request content. Every time a user downloads successfully, developers can get about 0.5 dollars in a split. In fact, the money that Ali earns from advertising bars has been low. "There are advertising applications, users do not like, to the user to give money, users can not accept, this is very contradictory." Users want to be free and want to starve individual developers, "Ali told reporters, mobile phone users see ads to avoid the fear, rarely click on the banner (banner). It was not until the end of 2011 that the "integral wall" appeared that Ali's income was greatly improved.

Integration Wall is the mobile advertising platform to integrate the recommended applications, the form of a page to show to the user. Applications on the function, users will definitely want to use, developers through the integration wall limit function, users in order to open advanced features, purchase specific content, purchase level props, etc., need to download the application of the integral wall to obtain points. Applications are promoted, and business value is generated, and developers and mobile advertising platforms get revenue.

In less than a year, he is the speed of 2-3 applications per month development, technical level, the user's psychological grasp, promotion skills, mobile advertising platform launched by the "integral Wall" and other new forms of advertising, but also for income growth helped. Ali told the Southern Metropolitan newspaper: "If it wasn't for the integration wall, I'd even consider abandoning application development." "From the beginning of this year, Ali's monthly income is stable at about 10,000 yuan, all from the mobile advertising platform ads."

The mobile advertising platform that Ali chooses is a meter advertisement. October 15, 2011, in the update BANNERSDK (Advertising software Development kit) lottery activities, rice staff informed him to receive a millet mobile phone. After developing a variety of apps with Android virtual machines, he finally had the first smartphone to carry an Android system. Ali decided to take the subway to a small island in Panyu, Guangzhou, to receive the prize, there is a quiet environment, there are a group of his age and the mobile internet nuggets.

Who's the king?

Everyone is waiting for the tipping point. This means a scramble for the market, for users, and for developers and investment opportunities.

Half an hour by car, Ali came to Guangzhou University town located on the island of the small valley, through a pile of Bauhaus-style teaching building, dormitory building, he arrived at the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine campus of the rice advertising company, from the hands of rice founder Millet mobile phone. This China's first mobile advertising company, by the 26-year-old Chaoshan people Chen Di founder. This year has not graduated from the Chinese laborers, fear of parents fear to sneak away from their entrepreneurial 85, in the establishment of the company less than two years in 2011, led the team to achieve 10 million revenue, to achieve a break-even. This is very rare, given the widespread state of the mobile internet industry's burning money.

A mobile advertising platform like Rice is an important part of the mobile internet industry. Ali has to earn income by having a share of rice advertising. Advertisers through the use of rice ads docking applications, allowing users to see ads, or even interactive, to achieve a specific effect. According to Rice product director Ma Shaolin revealed that the current advertisers mainly from the mobile Internet industry application developers, have meters through the integration wall and advertising and other display forms, to enhance customer application download, help expand the number of users, this part of the revenue accounted for more than 80% of the annual income of rice.

With most of the revenue from the rice ads and Ali, the app developers in the circle want to grow the user's thirst. At present, the entire mobile internet ecosystem is burning money, in addition to VCs, few outside the circle of money in.

Take mobile advertising, there are rice Vice President Li Zhangyu admits, although they also for the industry outside the brand advertisers, such as Procter and Gamble, Ping An insurance and other companies, to provide mobile Internet promotion program, brand advertisers money good earnings, according to the amount of display to pay. But this part of the revenue accounted for only 10%-20% of the company's total income. "At present, for small and medium-sized enterprises, such as car 4S shops, hospitals and other customers in doing some mobile phone advertising display."

The consequence is that money is flowing in the circle, so will the mobile Internet ecosystem not play?

"The money is in the whole mobile Internet circle, but the user has been increasing," Li Zhangyu said. Everyone's goal is to make a user. With the user volume, I believe that money is not a problem. And the money has been flowing into the mobile internet industry, the whole industry does not exist the problem of broken capital chain. In fact, the entire Internet industry everyone is doing is the accumulation of traffic, and then the flow of liquidity.

The 1987-Born young man believes that, with the rapid growth of smartphone users, it will be sooner or later that brand advertisers value the mobile advertising market. Compared to other industries, the Vice-President's age reflects the characteristics of the mobile Internet industry:

Young, energetic, potential, not stereotyped.

Everyone is waiting for the tipping point. Everyone wants to cashing in this big gold mine. This means a scramble for the market, for users, and for developers and investment opportunities.

The mobile phone advertising platform, in addition to AdMob and other foreign companies, there are rice advertising in the country has a multinational, posture and so on more than 30 competitors. Because the technical content of mobile ad platform is relatively low, competition is mainly focused on the advertisers and developers. Some companies at the expense of long-term interests, for example, in order to attract developers, when users download each installation of the integration wall of an application, they give developers 3 times times divided (application installation price of 0.5 yuan, to developers 1.5 yuan), the competition for advertisers by pushing down the settlement price, improve the settlement standards and other means. Such a consequence is that some mobile phone advertising platform can not withstand high operating costs, quickly poured out, the industry pattern of drastic changes.

Some developers also found that some mobile advertising platform to increase revenue, there is a deduction. For example, the real income of developers one day is 100 yuan, advertising platform but only to you 90 yuan.

Ali said that he chose to have the rice ads because its customer service and server is relatively good, but he also because of fierce competition suffered frustration. In order for the application to have more downloads, he will upload the application to as many Android app stores as possible. However, Android Market is worried that the rice ads on their own site to form a competition for advertising, conflict of interest so that the Android Market block embedded with the meter Advertising SDK application approach, the results of the application of Ali can only be withdrawn, "Jifeng with rice have cooperation, can be on."

Mobile advertising platform is also facing the problem of attracting star applications, these have millions and even tens user volume of the star application, is a meter and other mobile phone advertising companies focus on the object of contention. However, these companies tend to pay more attention to the user experience, as opposed to individual developers, they are not bad money for VCs. During an interview with the Southern Metropolis newspaper, some star app developers have asked for anonymous coverage of tens of thousands of, a hundred thousand of or more of their monthly revenue from mobile ad platforms. Some apps simply quit working with mobile advertising platforms. After attracting enough users, they want to make a profit from a non advertising approach that does not affect the user experience.

Benefits, for example, wants to make money selling e-books. The development of BEE news, bee weather and other applications of the Shenzhen Broadcasting communication, and mobile application mall and other outsourcing business as the main source of income. "The current domestic mobile phone advertising platform is not mature, outside the big brand advertisers have not come in, through mobile phone advertising to make money is not realistic, they (mobile advertising platform) also in the Way", the Dragon Zhu said.

Actually, "very tired."

They are developing new forms of advertising that, when mobile ads are broadcast, automatically shrink to a small point on the edge of the screen to reduce the impact on the user experience application.

and individual developers want to survive, the user will inevitably create contradictions. "Individual developers don't take VCs like some companies. Users don't like ads, but you add ads, "Ali said." However, he believes that the reason why users cannot accept ads is that advertising came too suddenly, "we used to be Symbian, MTK system, these systems are not like Android, Apple system such ads, Android users are Symbian, MTK system over, see ads can not accept."

What makes Ali puzzled is that in life, TV, radio, Subway, website, advertising everywhere, users just can't accept mobile phone ads. "You have ads on the newspaper, like someone to order, that is, the user defaults to accept the ads above you", it seems that the cultivation of user habits will take time.

Mobile ad platforms are also looking for ways to minimize the harassment of mobile phone users. They are developing new forms of advertising, such as a menu of well-known social application path, which automatically shrinks to a small point on the edge of the screen when the mobile ad is broadcast, reducing the impact on the user experience application.

Li Zhangyu, vice president of Rice, said that with the rapid development of the mobile internet industry, mobile advertising this cake will become more and more big, he expected this year will be the income of rice breakthrough 60 million, the company valuation breakthrough 300 million. This also means that the 76-year-old Chen Di, Li Zhangyu's net worth, has been tens of millions. By the east wind of the mobile internet, plus their unique experience, they are more mature than their peers.

April 1, 2012 is the anniversary of the two anniversary of rice, rice company staff in the next door to the city of the ear of the chicken to eat a feast, afternoon they came to the center of the university town near the lake Kite flying. Southern city newspaper reporter to wear blue rice t-shirt Chen Di congratulated, his face relaxed said, "Thank you, still need to continue to work", and then happily continue to fly kites.

Ali is not so easy, his QQ signature has been "very tired." Even if every month from the application to earn million income, his sense of insecurity has been very strong, the industry changes too fast, "feel unstable, the road ahead is not quite sure, is afraid, suddenly one day, advertising platform closed, then miserable." He decided to continue to work on the development of the application process, while the situation is good, "how much can be fished."

"So are you dating now?" ”

"Not yet." ”

"Not dating, will it be because too much time is doing this (application development)?" ”

"This is a little bit." ”

The reporter noted his millet phone, one of the application called "Virtual girlfriend."

Q&a

1. What would you do if you weren't doing the app now?

Ali: Still have a cell phone job.

2. How many applications are installed on your phone? What are the most commonly used 3

Ali: I have dozens of phones installed, no more than 100. After the commonly used, Android Market, UC, QQ

3. The train is running at 100-kilometer speed per hour, do you dare to stand on the pedal of the car door?

Ali: Dare

4. In early spring, the water in the river was so cold and piercing that you dared to be the first to swim in it.

Ali: Dare

5. You know the boat overload is going to capsize, now you are anxious to cross the river, you dare to jump on the ship has been over the cut?

Ali: Dare

6. What's the most exaggerated thing you've ever done?

Ali: Most exaggerated? How to say!! The most daring is before reading, and students bet jumping step, from level 20 jumped down.

7. Your hero?

Ali: There are a lot of heroes in mind, so long as I have seen the figures of celebrities, they are basically my heroes.

8. If you have the ability to do anything, what do you want to do with it? Why?

Ali: To help those in need, because they have super power, do not help others, super ability equals No. is to use your abilities where you need them.

9. What would it be like if you were to design a mobile phone?

Ali: The screen is big enough, the battery is durable, the function is powerful, the system should be intelligent.

10. Choose your girlfriend's standard?

Ali: Standard? Look pleasing to the eye, kind-hearted, filial piety.

11. What's the next application?

Ali: The next app is video software, and now it's mainly about updating my previous apps.

Link

Business ID

Shenzhen Broadcasting Communication Technology Co., Ltd.

Founder Name: Long Shi

Establishment Time: 2010.10

Location: Shenzhen

Application Overlay platform: IOS, Android

Application online Store: App Store Android Market Android Market Jifeng brand mobile phones are online

In addition, Moto and other licensed mobile phones have built-in

Number of registered users: Bee News more than 4 million bee books more than 2 million bee weather more than 3 million

Financing Status: None. Before the contact was grand, but the other is strategic investment, to control equity, there is no consideration. Now that we don't need the money, there is no financing.

Q&a

1. What would you do if you weren't doing the app now?

Three network integration Business development

2. How many applications are installed on your phone?

Twenty or thirty applications, the most used is the calendar, news, weather

3. The train is running at 100-kilometer speed per hour, do you dare to stand on the pedal of the car door?

If there's a handrail,

4. In early spring, the water in the river was so cold and piercing that you dared to be the first to swim in it.

Dare

5. You know the boat overload is going to capsize, now you are anxious to cross the river, you dare to jump on the ship has been over the cut?

Dare

6. What's the most exaggerated thing you've ever done?

My swimming skill is very bad, once and friends swim very nasty river, almost on the shore.

7. Your hero?

Jobs

8. What would it be like if you were to design a mobile phone?

Like Apple, a user-focused mobile phone.

9. Choose your girlfriend's standard?

Good-natured, a little wiser.

10. What's the next application?

Three network integration, mobile Internet, Internet, television integrated video applications.

Business ID

Benefits

Founder: Li Xiangpeng

Establishment Time: 2008.5

Place of establishment: Shanghai

Financing records: Tens, the specific figures can not be disclosed.

Number of users: 15 million

Application Overlay platform: Windowsmo-bile, Android, IOS

Application online Store: With the domestic mainstream application stores have cooperation

Q&a

1. What would you do if you weren't doing the app now?

If you do not start a business, you should be working in other companies, but still doing mobile internet.

2. How many applications are installed on your phone?

Installed more than 100, the most commonly used is a good book, Dolphin Browser, QQ

3. You know the boat overload is going to capsize, now you are anxious to cross the river, you dare to jump on the ship has been over the cut?

It depends on the risk factor.

4. What's the most exaggerated thing you've ever done?

Not quite.

5. Your hero?

I don't know who it is yet.

6. What would it be like if you were to design a mobile phone?

A good plan, in fact, I have to do sales of mobile phone work, and then do the software has a lot of ideas. If you're a mobile phone, consider improving the portability of your phone.

7. Choose your girlfriend's standard?

He was married a few years ago. character to match it.

"8 Tips developers will also have spring"

As one of the three pillars of mobile Internet, which is tied to the network and mobile terminals, the application makes the mobile Internet space expand indefinitely. With the advent of the iphone, mobile apps based on iOS, Android, Windows and other applications are in the ascendant, with app stores such as store and GooglePlay, The increasingly perfect process of cooperation and convenient payment methods reduce the threshold of application development.

Many people dream of angrybirds-style miracles happen to them, and they are eager to develop apps that can be red overnight. So the internet giants, software service providers, individual developers and even operators and hardware makers are ready to play a big game on mobile apps.

According to the 2011 Mobile Developer Survival Survey, 60.9% of mobile developers are in the age of 18-25, i.e. college students or young people who are just working. 78% of developers from the entrepreneurial team of 20 people, and 94.6% of the developers are male, it seems that application development is "the battlefield of men."

These developers are distributed in the north-wide and other first-tier cities, 46% of developers monthly income between 4000-8000 yuan. Not surprisingly, Android, iOS and Windows are the main development platforms chosen by app developers, with a ratio of 79.9%, 28.2%, and 10.2%. After the former mobile phone giant Nokia abandoned its Symbian and Meego systems, Developers based on these two platforms plummeted to 3.1%. Management tools applications, E-commerce, gaming applications are most favored by developers.

5 years of work experience is a watershed in the application of developer career development, in a specific area after 5 years, whether it is pay or work position will have a qualitative leap. Developers of their own quality can not be ignored, good self-learning ability, proficient in a variety of development language, developers are still in the workplace to gain points important weight.

8 Recommendations for application developers

1 Friends with peers

Shutting out and being complacent will only make your application more and more distant from the user. And peers to be friends, with an open posture into the entire Android development circle, not only to achieve reasonable sharing of resources, but also in the circle to improve their brand awareness.

At the same time upload their own software to any possible harsh, increase the exposure of the software brand opportunities. If your English is strong enough, don't let go of foreign opportunities. Although the official only GooglePlay, but the foreign similar to Orange's third party store also has many.

2 focus on users and know what they need

You know, the final consumer of the product is the user. Only they are the only criteria for judging the usefulness of the application we develop. Spend more time focusing on the user, through user research, role cards, and other ways to determine what the user wants. Instead of patting the head and saying, "I think we're doing this for the user." "Always remember that a bad evaluation of a user can ruin the brand image you've worked so hard to build."

3 focus on the major Android communities to solve user problems

Community promotion is definitely one of the cheapest and most productive ways to promote branding. Every day, countless users in Android, Jifeng and other forums to exchange ideas for help. Register your brand name in these communities, take the initiative to help users solve problems and establish authority.

4 Don't neglect website construction

Website is the best place to build a brand, individual developers can build a blog site with WordPress, do some simple SEO work, to ensure that their own site in the search for their own brand name ranked in the first place in the engine. Keep up with the latest news on Android every day, and use your own unique branding template to share your ideas.

5 with the help of QQ group and microblogging boom

The rapid development of Weibo has made it a place where branding can not be neglected, and a successful microblogging promotion to the brand is far better than the traditional promotion model. The QQ group is the best choice to obtain direct feedback from users, more interaction with netizens, to obtain the latest application of the feedback, to answer the questions raised. Remember that face-to-face communication with users is the best way to build a brand. If you want to be a foreign market, you can also build Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts to promote it.

6 Leave the contact way in the application, lets the user first time find you

Your application is never perfect, and users always encounter various problems when they use it. Leave a contact in the application and let the user find you the first time. Not only to help users solve their problems in use, but also for their own free user research to provide opportunities. Replying to the user's message is best to use the template prepared beforehand, with your brand logo and Web site and other related information.

7 Attend various industry meetings

Actively participate in some formal industry meetings such as mobile Internet conferences, anroid developer conferences, etc. Organizers often bring the latest developments in Android and the industry to the Conference. At the same time can expand exchanges and cooperation with peers. To remember, wearing their own brand of the T-shirt to participate in the conference, will also cause no small repercussions oh.

8 Media is always a friend.

At present, the Android development team is not much, do less brand, in the release of some software, you can actively contact the paper media or the portal of the Technology plate editor, find some good friends write test, these media will be happy to help you release.

(Responsible editor: Lu Guang)