Celia Francis, CEO of WeeWorld, discusses strategies for transitioning a successful social game from online to mobile. WeeWorld was a top teen social gaming site that monetized well through virtual goods and social advertising. It launched successful mobile apps that became a top app in various categories. Francis provides tips on platform choices, audience targeting, monetization models, distribution challenges, and building an engaged mobile franchise through virality, messaging, analytics, and focusing on one's core competencies while adapting to the new medium. The presentation outlines WeeWorld's journey and lessons learned in becoming a profitable mobile brand.

1. The Social Gaming/Mobile Convergence:
How to Build and Engage a Profitable Mobile App Audience
79%
Female

2. Celia Francis
CEO
WeeWorld

3. From online to mobile…
notes from the road
Roadmap:
Where WeeWorld started online
2. Why Mobile?
3. WeeWorld mobile launch
4. Your choices
– And help in how to make them
5. 5 final tips

4. WeeWorld.com – top teen social game
• 2.5 million monthly UVs
• Top 10 teen site in the US
• Iconic avatar for visual self
expression, games, social
interactions – fun!

5. WeeWorld.com - Virtual Goods
• High monetization and
engagement
• 17% purchase virtual
goods
• 30 min session times

6. WeeWorld.com – Social Advertising

7. From online to mobile…
notes from the road
Roadmap:
1. Where WeeWorld started online
 Why Mobile?
3. WeeWorld mobile launch
4. Your choices
– And help in how to make them
5. 5 final tips

8. Part 2: Why Mobile?
At the crossroads of
Mobile Apps
three hot markets
$15B 2011
$30B 2013
Virtual Goods Social Media
$7B 2010 Advertising
$14B 2014 $2.8B 2011
$3.5B 2013

9. From online to mobile…
notes from the road
Roadmap:
1. Where WeeWorld started online
2. Why Mobile?
WeeWorld mobile launch
4. Your choices
– And help in how to make them
5. 5 final tips

10. iPhone hit
Top 10 Overall
#1
Social
Networking
5-star rated
#1 Avatar Creator app
Top 10 Social
Networking
Top 100 Overall

11. Fast-growing mobile franchise
• Agile
• Profitable
• Strong pipeline
iOS, Android
and Windows Mobile

12. From online to mobile…
notes from the road
Roadmap:
1. Where WeeWorld started online
2. Why Mobile?
3. WeeWorld mobile launch
Your choices
– And help in how to make them
5. 5 final tips

13. Entering the race: what’s under the hood
Choices, Choices, Choices
• Platform
– Native or HTML5, device specific
• Audience
• Monetization
– Free, freemium or paid
– Virtual goods, ads, paid downloads
• App
• Distribution

14. Which Platform?
Two horse race right now…
Apple iOS Android
Time will tell…
Windows Mobile Amazon Kindle Fire (..HTML5)..

15. Which audience?
• Gender
– 53% women; 47% men
• 50% have higher education
than average
• <24 heaviest users
• >25 spends most money
• Men and women just as
likely to buy but men buy
more
Source: Flurry

16. Monetization: Paid Download or Free?
• 44% of apps paid on iOS; 22% on Android
– Paid users are more invested in your app and more
likely to buy in app purchases
• BUT.. All of the momentum is toward freemium
now..
– January 2011 61% of the revenue generated from
top 100 grossing games was from paid apps – by
June that dropped to 35%
Source: Nielsen, Flurry

17. Monetization: Freemium options
Any combination of these are possible:
1. Download for free with in app purchases
2. Download for free with advertising
3. Download for free with paid upgrade?
– Lite app vs. full app
– Remove ads with upgrade

18. The elephant in the room: Distribution
• Half the time spent on
all apps is spent on
the top 20 apps
• Top 100 apps and top
100 publishers have
had little turnover in
the past year

19. Make an App you’d tell a friend about
• Almost 40% hear about it from a friend
Source: WeeWorld Survey

20. Untapping new brand growth via mobile
Had you heard of WeeMees or
WeeWorld before you heard about the
app?
No
60%
Yes
40%
Source: WeeWorld Survey

21. Virality: Tell a friend

22. Virality: Social sharing
• Make social media and
other forms of sharing
integral
• 30% share by email
• 30% share on Facebook

23. Virality: Social and online sharing

24. Virality: App store reviews
In-app messaging
that encourages
positive reviews

25. Drive returns to the app: Messaging
Opt-in push
messaging base
grows each month

26. Cross promotion important

27. Mine your analytics
• Attract
– Daily rankings, downloads, comments, campaigns: CPI, CPC
• Retain
– Active users (DAU and MAU), Total Active Opted in Base, Visits
per user, Session Time, Events, DAU/MAU
• Monetize
– Conversion Rate, ARPU, ARPPU
– LTV, PLTV
– TTV

28. What’s your strategy? App franchise
App to come... App to come...

29. From online to mobile…
notes from the road
Roadmap:
1. Where WeeWorld started online
2. Why Mobile?
3. WeeWorld mobile launch
4. Your choices
– And help in how to make them
5 final tips

30. 5 key elements as you go mobile
#1 Focus on core
competencies
#2 Listen to your audience
(the right way)

31. 5 key elements as you go mobile
#3 Adapt to the medium
#4 Find partners with
synergy
#5 Expect change

32. Any questions?