Google Play Updates Offer New Opportunities for Developers to Acquire Users

At Google I/O new tools to help developers monetize through Google Play were announced including those to help grow an app business, improve decision making based on smarter insights, and better engage user bases with more relevant content.

Among the announcements were:

App Install Ads: With the new app install ads developers will be able to quickly set up ad campaigns from within the Google Play Developer Console for the first time. All that is needed is to set a total budget and the desired cost to pay per user and the system will scale app promotion across its networks, including Google Search, AdMob, YouTube and the search ads Google is piloting on Google Play. 

Play Store Listing: Through the Developer Console developers will soon be able to view a snapshot of how many users visit a Store listing, install an app, make purchases and more. The system will provide the ability to see where the most valuable users come from across organic and paid traffic and providing the ability to better understand where to focus user install efforts. Google has made it easier to optimize a Play Store listing with support for A/B tests. Developers can run experiments with different versions of text and graphics to see which are most effective in converting visits into installs on Google Play. 

Cloud Test Lab: The new Cloud Test Lab will also be integrated into the Developer Console, which will allow developers to automatically test apps on hundreds of physical Android devices for free. For each APK uploaded to an alpha or beta channel, Google Play will execute fully automated testing of an app against physical devices matching app targeting criteria and output a report with a detailed analysis of issues, including screenshots and logs. The Cloud Test Lab is being rolled out as a pilot program and developers can request participation in the pilot.

Player Analytics: Google also has announced plans to add new reports, player segments, game metrics, and event types to Player Analytics to help manage a games business throughout the rest of the year. They are also bringing enhancements to their live operations tools that will enable dynamic content updates that make games feel more alive and engaging as well as shaping gameplay to respond to changing player needs with the goal of offering more fun, personalized user experiences. 

Developer Homepage: Developers can also now create their own unique homepage on Google Play to promote their entire app catalog. With this page, developers can upload custom graphics, provide details about the company background and pick a special app to feature.

New Family Friendly Discovery Features: To make it easier for users to find family-friendly content, Google is introducing new discovery features. On the Apps & Games and Movies & TV homepages, users can now hit the “Family” star to see a curated set of options for specific age groups. In Play Books, they can tap the “Children’s Books” star as well. These pages let users browse by age ranges to find content that’s the best fit for the family. Developers who have already opted-in their apps to the Designed for Families program and have met the requirements will be included in the new family section.