Over the past few days we have been testing
different options for the amount of apps a user can display on their homepage
(UHP) and profile. Due to this testing, some of your apps may be affected
and may not show on the UHP or profile for some users. We are
constantly testing different ways to optimize the user experience, and we will continue to test
options for limiting and smartly surfacing apps that are displayed on a users'
homepage and profile.
We believe smartly rendering apps that have great UHP and profile surfaces
could help us optimize page load time and also reward those apps that are
utilizing these surfaces
appropriately. Our goal is to ensure we have the best user experience
possible, and we find that users are more engaged with apps if these surfaces look good and add
value.
The UHP and profile app surfaces allow users to easily access an app, express
their interests, and showcase their store, pet, or avatar to friends. They are
a key channel for many apps to acquire new users and re-engage with existing
app users. Some developers find that 60% of new users and 45% of repeat
users come from these surfaces! We've also found that once an app
includes dynamic content within the surface, it receives 10-30% more page views as well
as increased engagement within the app. Clearly these surfaces are an important source of traffic to apps, so you should be paying attention to them.
Over the course of the next several months, we will be reviewing the UHP and
profile surfaces of many apps to determine if they are using them appropriately. Our goal is to reward those apps that are optimizing
this prime real estate. We highly encourage you to refine and work on
these surfaces if you haven't already. Or, if you're not taking advantage of
them, now's the chance to get started!
Here are a few tips for making these UHP and profile surfaces more effective
and fun.
- Appropriate size. With our new user profile layout, there is a
two column format so surfaces should optimize width to fit both formats.
The surface should either auto-resize or optimize for a 280px width and
have the image also be able to work in a 480px width column. The small
column on the new user profile layout is 280px in width and the large column is
480px. The height should be 250px. This sizing should be the same for the
UHP surface.
- No hidden content or dead space. You
shouldn't make a user scroll to see content in the surface or have lots
of unused space.
- Dynamic content. Show relevant content that reflects what is
happening in the game. For instance, the level you're on, your avatar, or
notifications No more static ads, you
should want to add value to your users with these surfaces.
- Fast Page Load. The surfaces should load quickly (suggested time should be less than 2
seconds) and not negatively impact our overall page load time.
In the example below, the game Happy Aquarium is showing dynamic content from
the game by displaying what level the
user is on as well as hunger and cleanliness levels. In the
profile surface, the user
can show off what their fish tank looks like to
everyone. The surfaces look good and create value, good job Happy Aquarium!
Example: User
homepage module
Example: User profile module
