ZiMAD, a game developer and publisher that focuses on alternative app stores, bases its strategies on data analysis. The results of their flagship project, Magic Jigsaw Puzzles, indicate that alternative stores contribute significantly to revenue generation. According to the company, revenue from the Amazon AppStore accounts for approximately 30% of its earnings from the Google Play Store. While the numbers are similar for the Microsoft Store, the revenue structure differs. The company also shared insights on Huawei AppGallery, which they’ve recently started working with.
Looking for a mediation service
ZiMAD’s Magic Jigsaw Puzzles is available on Huawei AppGallery, although the company recently changed its mediation service. Initially, they utilized the MoPub monetization platform, which merged with AppLovin MAX the previous year. After analyzing the mediation market, ZiMAD discovered that only a few companies were focused on alternative stores, with most primarily catering to the AppStore and Google Play Store. Consequently, finding a mediation service that supported Huawei AppGallery took time and effort.
HyperBid Mediation, the chosen mediation service, provides standard ad types such as rewarded videos, interstitial ads, banners, and native ads. In this case, native banners met the company’s needs.
Further exploration of the network options provided by the mediation service revealed that not all advertising providers were willing to collaborate with Huawei AppGallery due to its relatively low popularity and the limited number of publishers using it as an additional platform for their apps. It is also noteworthy that Huawei does not operate in the United States, with its monetization mainly focused on Europe, Tier-1 and Tier-2, and CIS countries. As a result, the available networks were considerably fewer compared to the major platforms.
How can alternative stores be monetized now?
Monetizing Huawei AppGallery is possible by using Huawei Ads, which have been updated to support all types of ads. Currently, the company only receives organic traffic and is not engaged in user acquisition activities or purchasing users. Despite this limitation, they consider the current situation a success, as it has resulted in additional revenue. Therefore, the next step for the company would be to purchase traffic and optimize the user acquisition activities to enhance revenue generation further.
It’s all about the numbers
Following the switch to a new mediation service, the company experienced a 30-fold increase in revenue and a threefold increase in ARPDAU. This boost can be attributed to several factors, including adopting a new mediation platform, adding ad networks capable of providing ads across multiple countries, and deciding not to allocate resources to user acquisition, which proved crucial. The initial expenses were primarily focused on the technical aspect of the integration.
Revenue
ARPDAU
Final thoughts
ZiMAD’s case proves that alternative stores shouldn’t be ignored. When utilized effectively, their revenue is easily comparable to the potential revenue from world-leading app stores. They also eliminate the apparent disadvantages of relying on a single market and a source of income. Diversifying an income portfolio is always a good strategy, and ZiMAD’s case proves it’s worth the time and effort to do so.
