For every studio – the collaboration between User Acquisition (UA) and Product is essential to achieve success. By aligning UA strategies with product development goals, studios can create games that identify potential issues early on, meet player needs and will thrive in the market. This blog explores the UA roles in each phase of development and how UA can support product development throughout every phase.
Include UA from day one
It’s a common misconception that UA efforts only start when a game is ready to launch. In reality, UA should be involved from the very start of the game development process. By doing so, product teams can benefit from UA insights to build games that resonate with their target audiences.
Concepting Phase: Validating ideas early
During the concepting phase, the Product team focuses on defining the vision, core mechanics, and unique selling points (USP) of the game. However, this is also the stage where UA can bring valuable data into the mix.
UA Roles:
- Conduct market analysis to assess trends and disclose features that are being used by competing games.
- UA can test different Art Styles, Characters, User Interfaces etc. through Custom Landingpages and Creatives.
- Define the archetypes for the game and validate the target audience’s preferences by comparing features and game styles.
By leveraging UA data early, teams can validate creative choices such as art styles, user interface design, and overall game mechanics. For example, UA teams can run A/B tests on different creative assets, helping the product team make informed decisions before development begins.
Development Phase: Laying the foundation for success
The development phase is where the game’s core features are built, tested, and refined. At this stage, UA efforts go beyond creative validation and start to focus on the technical aspects of the game’s performance.
UA Roles:
- Plan soft launches and to test technical performance.
- Define the success metrics of the game
- Conduct audience segmentation to ensure the game resonates with the right players.
- Set up the game stores and start creative development
Launch Phase: Refining the go-to-market strategy
As the game prepares to go live, UA teams play a critical role in preparing for the global launch. This phase is all about testing the waters and ensuring that early players are engaged and retained.
UA Roles:
- Run test campaigns to gather data on Cost Per Install (CPI) and retention rates.
- Optimize the App Store page through ASO to boost visibility and conversions.
- Validate the game’s success metrics, ensuring the core mechanics and features drive engagement.
During the launch phase, UA can provide real-time data on player engagement and the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, allowing the Product team to quickly iterate and improve the game’s performance.
Growth Phase: continuous optimization
Once the game is live, the focus shifts to growth. Here, UA continues to collaborate with the Product team to refine creative assets, expand to new channels, and optimize community management.
UA Roles:
- Continuously test and optimize creatives to improve engagement and lower CPI.
- Diversify acquisition channels to reach new audiences.
- Use A/B tests for further ASO improvements.
Growth is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and optimization. The insights gained from UA campaigns can inform future updates and expansions, ensuring the game remains competitive in the market.
Final thoughts
If you’re in the process of developing a game, consider involving your UA team as early as possible. The insights they provide can save time, reduce costs, and ensure that your game is positioned for success right from the start.
The collaboration between UA and Product teams is of great importance throughout the entire game development cycle. By working together from the concepting phase all the way to the growth phase, both teams can create a game that not only meets player needs but also performs well in the market.
