Google Play App Store Optimization (ASO)

The Google Play app store uses various pictures (icons, photos) to detail an app offering. Some pictures may appear more attractive to users while others well tend to draw users away. But which are the right ones to use?

Google offers a feature to try various pictures and pick the best. You simply add different pictures and see what catches best with users. Google is using such optimization througout their business ever since their early days, check this CNET article for more info.

With such A/B-testing embedded in Google Play it is fairly straight forward to give different pictures a try. What can possibly be the impact of changing a few pictures, or is there an impact at all? I am not expecting much...

After a few days of testing the following impact is projected by Google Play: 

• Using picture #3 instead of the current picture #1 would give a 20% download advandage (228 vs. 190)
• Using picture #2 instead of the current picture #1 would give a 36% download advandage (260 vs. 190)

That's not too bad, improving downloads by >30% is a pretty clear result. Furthermore, an info is shown about more data being required:

Probably, the overall downloads of my app are not constant enough for Google to calculate a statistically robust result so Google show this info. However, during the few days of testing the percentage values appeared to be fairly stable. For now I'll finish the test nevertheless, want to look at another change to test.

Result: 30% increase in app downloads by using a better background image.

Room Temperature

Last weekend we stayed at a friend's place. He has one of those automatic, timer controlled heatings. It was set to energy saving mode which means it turns down the heating at night time, when people usually go to sleep. Of course we stayed up a little longer, didn't notice the energy saving mode and our little guy, who went to bed as usual, got pretty cold. Long story short: the Baby Monitor app needs to check the room temperature. Some devices have a temperaute sensor which can easily be accessed, that’s a quick one to have in the app.

Whoomp, there it is

There it is: a simple baby monitoring app. Complexity bootstrapped to the minimum needed to monitor a baby over wifi. The app is available on Google Play now.

Noise Filter

Usually I want to omit background noise and be alarmed only when my baby cries. Because I'm not actively listening all the time, I only want to be alarmed when there is a loud sound. That makes a noise filter an obvious feature choice. As a pleasant side effect the data can undergo a supreme compression with a noise filter active.

Though, sometimes I also want to check on the breathing or be able to hear street noise so I know what's going on. Just to be safe, the more insight I can have the better things are.

With that I want the app to have a noise filter that can be switched on/off. Usually the filter is active to cancel any background noise. I'll switch it off when I want to check what really goes on, all the little sounds and noise.

Complexity: I want it simple

When I first checked for monitoring apps to use I ran into a few interesting listings in Google Play.

Some of these were subscription-based apps where the user needs to compensate for using server resources, the apps offer monitoring via mobile network. Right now I only need monitoring via wifi, because I'll stay in my place while the little guy sleeps. Or, at most, I'll visit my neighbours where my wifi is available. So the app should be free.

Other apps offer wifi monitoring for free but are totally overloaded with configuration and tuning options, let alone their questionalbe user interface design. Neither do I want to go through lengthy configuration and tuning, nor do I want a user interface which is impossible to use while being in a mental state of half-sleeping-half-awake (parents will know what this is about). The app should be simple and easy to use.

Do I need automated phone-calls to alert me when something goes on? Nope, just wifi monitoring.

Do I need video monitoring? Nope, not now, in the room it's dark anyway.

Do I need talk-back? Nope, not now, I can walk over to the other room and be there myself.

Want I want is not available on Google Play - so I should definitely build it myself...

Electromagnetic Pollution

Radiation is being talked about a lot these days. The more you read the less you know, only this seems clear: less electromagnetic radiation is better. I want my baby monitor to be as low-radiation as possible. Using wifi and doing as little network traffic as possible seems a clear goal. Which only reinforces my choice to have my own app for this.

Further reading:

• Some general considerations about baby monitors and their long term risks
  http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/get-those-wireless-baby-monitors-out-of-the-nursery/
• A comparison of baby monitor devices [in German]
  http://www.oekotest.de/cgi/index.cgi?artnr=102041

I'm a dad now, I need a baby monitor

Becoming parent is a blast. Your life changes quite a bit and suddenly there is someone you are taking care of all the time. You buy the usual stuff: diapers, toys and clothes. You worry about what else you need. A baby monitor is an obvious purchase, all parents seem to use one. Obviously. Because you want to know how your baby's doing without the need to stay in the same room or appartment.

Already having multiple smartphones in the family, I figured using these smartphones as a baby monitor is a smart idea. There should be an app for this. Buying separate baby monitor radio devices is possible, though I wouldn't want additional pieces of hardware floating around in our place - they tend to get lost in my appartment, need to be carried when traveling and need extra battery supply. So I went to check for baby monitor apps on Google Play: many available but nothing really fits my needs. I want the app to be free, I need it on wifi only and I don't want the complexity of tenthousand settings to manage.

Maybe I should build one myself?