SpinFall is a small
indie mobile game development company based in San Antonio, Texas. The husband
and wife team of Franklin and Stephanie Lyons have been developing mobile games
as a hobby for the past three years, and have recently decided to dedicate all
of their time to creating fun, family-friendly games. Their latest game is Frog on Ice,
where you use tapping motions to propel Plop (a frog) across an icy terrain,
while defeating bad guys and collecting treasures.
When the Free App of the Day team reached out to SpinFall to
see if they were interested in participating, they were excited to hear more
about the opportunity, knowing that it would give them an opportunity to expand
their customer base. “For indie developers like us, this kind of exposure is
priceless,” said Stephanie. The Free App of the Day team worked closely with SpinFall,
providing tips and assistance leading up to their scheduled day.
“Watching our download number skyrocket all day was really
exciting,” said Stephanie. “What we obtained that day was more important than
cash. We acquired a solid customer base and received a ton of customer
feedback.” Frog on Ice received more downloads on that day than it has
previously in all markets combined. Plus, the app had more than 100 new reviews.
“The reviews have enabled us to improve our game based on what people really
want,” said Stephanie. “Plus, our revenue went up on other app stores that day
too.”
“Our profits on Amazon are still at least double than what
they were prior to Free App of the Day,” said Stephanie. “Since then, we’re
earning more on Amazon daily than on iTunes or Google Play.” Plus, the added
awareness caught the attention of the San Antonio Express News, who has recently
written about their company and games. “Anywhere else, marketing efforts of
this caliber would have easily cost thousands of dollars to implement,” said
Stephanie. “But with Amazon’s Free App of the Day program, we didn’t have to
spend a dime.”
SpinFall’s advice for future Free App of the Day
participants:
- “This is
a great opportunity for developing a customer base. You’ll get masses of
downloads in a 24 hour period.”
- “Make sure you’re using some sort of analytics
tool. You’ll get a bunch of helpful information that you can use to make
educated decisions about your app and marketing efforts in the future.”
- “Don’t get offended by negative reviews—use them
to your advantage.”
- “Plan ahead of time to see how you can use Free
App of the Day to your advantage in your overall marketing plan.”
SpinFall was very pleased with the results of Frog on Ice
in Free App of the Day. They gained added visibility, a new customer base,
access to analytics they’ve never had before, customer feedback, and even a bit
of local fame. If you’re interested in
participating in the Free App of the Day program, you can submit your app for
consideration here.
