One market apps: Can a single-market app succeed?
Published 24th November, 2016 by Stuart Hall
I've always focused on the USA charts as the main source of rankings and income, but I also know a number of developers who make a good living from making apps specifically for the Australian market. But how do the charts vary from the USA to Australia? And how do they differ from a completely different market like China? In this article, you will learn about the viability of single-market apps in the following categories:
Want to monitor & track your app reviews?
Join over 25% of the Fortune 100 and 35% of the top charting app developers using Appbot.
Try Appbot free now, no credit card needed →We took a snapshot of the top charts in the US, Australia and China on Monday May 18th, 2015 to see what the difference really is. Do the same apps dominate everywhere, or is making an app for a specific region a valid approach?
An app has been defined with one with a unique identifier. There are a couple of apps that break this rule, such as Real Racing 3, that are submitted as different apps in the US and other countries.
Grossing Top 200
Surprisingly (to me at least), only 8 top grossing apps appeared in all 3 countries.
- Clash of Clans
- Candy Crush Soda Saga
- Boom Beach
- Hay Day
- Summoners War
- SimCity BuildIt
- Empires & Allies
- Clash of Kings - Last Empire
| Count | % | |
|---|---|---|
| All Countries | 8 | 4% |
| USA & China (Excluding All) | 4 | 2% |
| USA & Australia (Excluding All) | 103 | 52% |
| China & Australia (Excluding All) | 6 | 3% |
| USA Only | 85 | 43% |
| China Only | 182 | 91% |
| Australia Only | 83 | 42% |
Paid Top 200
Almost double the number of top paid apps appeared in all 3 countries compared to top grossing, with 15 (7.5%).
- Minecraft Pocket Edition
- Plague Inc.
- Facetune
- Toca Lab
- Enlight
- Afterlight
- Sky Guide: View Stars Night or Day
- Mickey's Shapes Sing-Along by Disney Imagicademy
- Monument Valley
- Camera+
- Angry Birds
- Knights of Pen & Paper 2
- Sleep Cycle alarm cloc
- Runtastic PRO GPS Running, Walking, Jogging, Fitness Distance Tracker and Marathon Training
- Infinity Blade III
Still 171 (85.5%) of apps in China didn't appear in the top apps in the USA or Australia USA & Australia shared another 82 apps, so almost half were the same.
| Count | % | |
|---|---|---|
| All Countries | 15 | 8% |
| USA & China (Excluding All) | 8 | 4% |
| USA & Australia (Excluding All) | 82 | 41% |
| China & Australia (Excluding All) | 6 | 3% |
| USA Only | 95 | 48% |
| China Only | 171 | 86% |
| Australia Only | 97 | 49% |
Free Top 200
Just like top grossing, top free shared 8 apps over the 3 countries. Two of which are Apple's own apps.
- iTunes U
- Find My iPhone
- Uber
- Quetzalcoatl
- Candy Crush Soda Saga
- Boom Beach
- Despicable Me: Minion Rush
- Nom Cat - Endless feeding frenzy arcade game
Over 50% of apps were unique in Australia, 94.5% (!!) unique to China and 50% unique in the USA.
| Count | % | |
|---|---|---|
| All Countries | 8 | 4% |
| USA & China (Excluding All) | 2 | 1% |
| USA & Australia (Excluding All) | 90 | 45% |
| China & Australia (Excluding All) | 1 | 1% |
| USA Only | 100 | 50% |
| China Only | 189 | 95% |
| Australia Only | 101 | 51% |
Conclusion
My eyes have definitely been opened to the uniqueness of the top charts in different countries. Many of these apps are weather apps, TV guides, banking apps, tourism and recipe apps specific to the countries they are charting. For your next app it's worth considering an app specifically for a single market.
Want to monitor & track your app reviews?
Join over 25% of the Fortune 100 and 35% of the top charting app developers using Appbot.
Try Appbot free now, no credit card needed →Where to from here?
- Discover effective app pricing strategies to maximize profitability and user satisfaction.
- Dive into the secrets of designing addictive apps that keep users coming back for more.
- Explore the strategies employed by top grossing apps and learn how to achieve success.
- Review app icon colors of top grossing apps and discover how to captivate your audience.
About The Author
Stuart is Co-founder & Co-CEO of Appbot. Stuart has been involved in mobile as a developer, blogger and entrepreneur since the early days of the App Store. He built the 7 Minute Workout app in one night and blogged the story of growing the app to 2.3 million downloads before exiting to a large fitness device company. Previously he was the co-founder of the Discovr series of applications which achieved over 4 million downloads. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
Enjoying the read? You may also like these
Mobile app growth strategy - The definitive guide Master the art of mobile app growth hacking with this definitive guide. Explore 5 key areas: Market, Storytelling, Capturing the Market, Downloads & Conversions.
The complete guide to app store review analysis to help app developers improve their app, boost their star ratings and drive higher downloads and revenue.
Whether you're launching a new app or looking to optimize an existing one, this guide will empower you to level up your app's profitability.
Increase your chances of getting featured in the App Store with our checklist of points to address. Perfect for seasoned developers or if you're just starting out.
