Top Mobile & Tech Blog Posts: A Year in Review

This blog post provides a roundup of the top posts from the past year, ranked by pageviews. The focus is on articles that were shared with first-time readers, as most of the audience comes from RSS feeds.

The Rise of Freemium in Mobile

Many of the top posts centered around the freemium business model, highlighting the growing interest in making money in the mobile technology space in 2009. This indicates a strong emphasis on finding sustainable revenue streams for mobile apps and services.

• How to create a profitable Freemium startup (spreadsheet model included!)
• Freemium business model case study: AdultFriendFinder ARPU, churn, and conversion rates
• Free to Freemium: 5 lessons learned from YouSendIt.com

Building for Failure: A Key Principle in Mobile Development

The article "Built to Fail: How companies like Google, IDEO, and 37signals build failure-tolerant systems for anything!" explores a critical concept in mobile app development - building for failure. This strategy allows for flexibility and adaptation in a rapidly changing mobile landscape.

Product Design Debt: A Challenge in Mobile

The post "Product design debt versus Technical debt" addresses the often-overlooked aspect of product design debt in the context of mobile app development. It emphasizes the importance of good design practices to avoid future maintenance headaches.

The Power of Mobile Prototyping

The article "Why low-fidelity prototyping kicks butt for customer-driven design" advocates for the use of low-fidelity prototyping, particularly in the mobile space, to get early feedback and iterate quickly. This helps in creating user-centric mobile applications that address real needs.

Age and ARPU in Mobile Gaming

The blog post "Age (and ARPPU) ain’t nothing but a number: Data on how age impacts social gaming monetization" dives into the relationship between age and average revenue per paying user (ARPU) in the context of social gaming. Understanding this correlation is crucial for mobile game developers targeting different demographics.

Understanding the Mobile User Journey: From Acquisition to Retention

The blog post "5 crucial stages in designing your viral loop" focuses on creating effective viral loops for mobile apps to drive user acquisition and retention. It highlights the importance of understanding the user journey and designing engaging experiences that encourage sharing.

Mobile Marketing Strategies for Startup Growth

The post "Does every startup need a Steve Jobs?" explores the role of strong leadership and vision in mobile startups. It emphasizes the need for a compelling vision and effective marketing to navigate the competitive mobile landscape.

The Future of Mobile Technology: Predictions and Trends

The article "Which startup’s collapse will end the Web 2.0 era?" discusses the evolving landscape of the mobile technology industry. It explores the potential shifts and challenges that could reshape the future of mobile app development and adoption.

Conclusion

These articles offer valuable insights into the mobile technology landscape, focusing on topics such as freemium business models, product design, mobile marketing, and the growth of social gaming. They highlight the ongoing evolution of the mobile ecosystem and provide practical advice for startups and developers looking to succeed in this dynamic market.