These are amazing times to be a startup. Internationalisation used to require a huge financial investment. Any mistakes made were very costly and could threaten the future of the company. Today, if you are a mobile app developer, with the seeming push of a button, you have the potential to have your product downloaded worldwide. You have instantly gone global.
One could think it’s easy to scale your business and go global. While it is true that the power of digital communications has significantly lowered the barrier to entry for a startup compared to, say, the dot.com era, we all know that releasing your gaming, lifestyle or utility app out into the app store is only the first step. There it finds itself in competition with tens of thousands of other such apps, all of which are struggling to get noticed, even just in your home market. Expanding beyond your own country can be much more precarious due to cultural differences.
If you have done everything right—create an outstanding product, market it in such a way that will get attention, and had it translated into other languages in preparation for localisation in other markets—there are still challenges to overcome. If you truly want your app to be a global one heed the following advice.
Localise and test your translation
The first step most companies take who want to sell in another market is to localise the product with a careful translation that avoids using phrases that may not go over in the target country. For example, Overstock.com’s Romanian site lists prices in lei, the local Romanian currency, but category names, product descriptions, and navigation elements on its site remain in English. Romania has many non-English speakers, and this practice is likely hurting Overstock’s sales in that region. There is even a credit card promotion that asks for a US social security number before applying for the card. Fortunately, there are many good companies out there that can help startups avoid these mistakes.
Master the competitive landscape
But that is only the beginning. Before you start, it’s important to assess the competitive landscape of your target country. Each country has a series of incumbents that are stronger in their hometown than elsewhere.
For example, it’s somewhat unlikely that messaging app WhatsApp (now owned by Facebook) would be an instant success in the U.S. where texting is pretty much free. Whereas in Europe, users are charged per SMS, thus driving them to WIFI-based apps like WhatsApp. In China, on the other hand, WeChat is hugely popular. U.S. messaging companies that want to enter these markets must understand what they are facing and alter business models accordingly.
Consider local spending habits
Don’t assume that monetisation models for your app are the same in all countries. Chinese users may be willing to pay more for a game than UK users. Chinese game developers must adjust expectations on prices if it wants to gain a UK foothold. Or, it could be that local spending habits differ.
A Ridesharing company such as, “Lyft,” is a peer-to-peer ridesharing system which connects passengers who are in need of a ride, with drivers who have a car. Known for the “pink mustache,” the Lyft drivers put this on their cars and are recognised in over 60 cities in the USA.
Lyft’s referral program, which was announced via blog post, allowed their users to be informed that they can get rewarded for making referrals. A $25 credit is given out by Lyft to both of the users in their program. This is $15 more than the Uber referral program. This reward design is extremely beneficial as it increases the motivation for their users to spread the word and will also increase the overall referral conversation as Lyft attempts to grab market share from Uber.
Referring to the app, the sharing is placed in the main navigation bar. Your contact list is also automatically pulled by the program, allowing you to make one-tap invites to your friends.
Distribution channels can be key
Once you have ticked all the boxes, make sure to have a distribution strategy in place. How will you get noticed in the new market? What are the key distribution channels? If you want to market an Android app in the UK, that means focusing on paid acquisition and organic efforts to improve your position in Google and Amazon play stores.
In many Asian countries, however, there is no single dominant play store. The market is fragmented into hundreds of Android app stores, requiring local knowledge and relationships with distributors who can identify the best audience for your product.
Also keep in mind that a popular app in the UK may speak to a younger or older audience than an equivalent app in another country. Mobile usage varies from country to country. It’s important to know these things so you don’t waste your efforts on the wrong demographic.
Work with a partner that you trust
Take the time to find the right partner to help take your app global—this crucial partnership can make or break your app expansion goals. You’ll want a collaboration that offers data transparency, global offices and an international team.
Paying attention to these tips, and finding the right partner to help, is a great first step in your mobile company’s plan to go global.
By Cristina Constandache, VP Business Partnerships, Americas & EMEA at Cheetah Ad Platform.
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