Skip to Content Contact Us

Beyond The First Purchase: How to Build Web Stores Your Players Love Returning To

Editor’s note: this article was originally published on Business of Apps.

“Habit-forming products often start as nice-to-haves, but once the habit is formed, they become must-haves,” says Nir Eyal, author of Hooked.

This touches on a key challenge publishers are facing: moving beyond attracting one-time web store buyers to forming loyal, repeat buyers. Building a habit loop within your store is key, especially for VIP players who contribute significantly to average revenue per user (ARPU). For many of our partners, launching a web store has led to an incremental revenue increase of 25–35%—a testament to the financial impact of building these long-term player habits.

But when done right, a habit loop doesn’t just increase revenue; it boosts player engagement and satisfaction, creating a fun experience that they choose repeatedly. Let’s look at how publishers can build these habits by guiding players through each critical stage of the web store journey.

First visit: Setting the stage for engagement

You only get one chance at making a strong first impression. Your goal is to ensure players are aware of your web store and, further, understand it has unique benefits that are worth checking out with a visit.

To do this, you should lean upon your online communities. Games often have their own Instagram, Facebook, X, or TikTok, but we’ve also increasingly seen the benefits of communities on Reddit and Discord. These platforms provide places for users to forge community, create friendships, seek quick tips and tricks, and find the best insider news. Therefore, they make the best place to promote your web store’s deals and showcase its unique store benefits, from exclusive items to better value on purchases when compared to in-app purchases.

It’s important to play an active role in these channels, especially with VIP players. VIP account management is key, and account managers should be reaching out directly to VIP players to offer exclusive deals and spark interest for first-time web store visits. Keep in mind the “trigger” stage of habit formation focuses on capturing attention. By creating strategic, well-timed triggers through social channels or VIP outreach, publishers can provide an initial nudge that brings players into the store, setting the foundation for a new buying habit.

Repeated visit: Building FOMO and desire to return

Instagram App Screens Mockup (1)

So you’ve raised awareness for your web store, and there’s been a spike in first-time visits. Now what? Your next goal is to encourage second and third visits with more “triggers”. According to our data at Appcharge, most first-time deposits occur after 2 to 3 visits.

To drive repeat visits, continue leveraging VIP account management and social media to drive home the value of the web store, offering time-limited and unique offers. These create urgency and excitement, or, as some would say, drive the classic “FOMO” (fear of missing out). Further, to build a desire to return, consider gamification in your web store, such as daily bonuses or offer wheels. By showing players the exciting content and offers available with each visit, you can increase retention and help form a habit of returning to the web store.

According to our data, a daily bonus is helpful, but the types of daily bonuses you offer are most crucial. Variable rewards are key to forming habits since they tap into player curiosity and desire for variety. Encourage players to check back often by offering both varied daily bonuses and limited-time deals with different artwork. By doing this, you’ll successfully create a loop of regular engagement.

First purchase: The conversion catalyst

Your players are aware of your store, and you’ve not only gotten them to check it out for the first time, but they’ve visited a few times and are intrigued. How do we turn the curious web store browser into a web store purchaser?

To convert repeat visitors into buyers, use unique, time-limited welcome offers that stand out from in-game options. Note that the offer itself isn’t enough – its presentation is also key. Make sure it’s inviting, familiar, and on-brand using tailored game artwork and eye catching designs.

In addition to the welcome offer, make sure your web store UI is user-friendly. Remember, this stage is all about encouraging curious web store shoppers to take action and make a purchase. You’ll need to remove friction to achieve this goal and ensure the experience is both pleasant and enticing. For this “action” stage, make it easy for players to take the first step. Easy login is crucial, so offer a variety of login methods including One Time Password. Design-wise, don’t stuff the page with information – focus on removing distractions.

Repeat purchase: Forming the habit loop

Congratulations! You’ve gotten your player to make their first purchase. Will they now ignore the convenience of in-app purchases and shop predominantly on your web store moving forward?

Not yet. There’s more work to do to make your web store a “must-have” in the eyes of your players. Our publisher partners see 80-100% of purchases on any given day coming from repeat purchasers—the secret lies in creating a seamless experience that keeps players returning to your web store when the next trigger appears. How is that done?

First, remember that this is the “investment” stage of Eyal’s framework. When players feel they’ve invested in their store experience, they’re more likely to become long-term customers. Give players a sense of progress or status to strengthen their commitment to the web store.

A key tactic here is empowering your VIP account managers to provide personalized, exclusive deals to VIP players regularly. This creates a frequent sense of value and exclusivity in the web store and strengthens the relationship with your VIP players.

Additionally, continue delighting players with engaging web store mechanics such as loyalty programs or accumulation bars, allowing them to see a reward path that makes returning and purchasing more appealing.

Final thoughts

72% of top-grossing mobile games are leveraging web stores. DTC has become a key part of the successful game’s monetization playbook, but you can’t simply create one and hope for the best. Help players form habits by going beyond raising awareness for a store or getting a single transaction. By implementing this strategy and focusing on the four key milestones—trigger, action, variable reward, and investment—publishers can delight players and create a strong, self-sustaining habit loop that draws them  back to the store time and again.

October 2024 Google Ruling: A New Era of Opportunity for Mobile Game Publishers 

Gaming characters in the background and two icons, Epic Games and Google

Game over for Google’s monopoly? Maybe not quite yet. But the game has definitely changed.

The recent ruling in Epic v. Google has forced Google to open up Android to rival app stores, breaking a long-standing barrier for mobile game publishers. 

For the first time, third-party app stores can access the entire Google Play catalog, while developers gain the freedom to choose their own payment methods. 

It’s a significant shift that signals more distribution options, more competition, and, crucially, higher margins for publishers. 

But what does it all mean in practice? And how can publishers make the most of this new landscape?

Opportunities: More Choice, More Control, More Revenue

The headline is clear: this ruling unlocks freedom for publishers to break away from Google’s forced billing practices. No more mandatory 30% fees—developers can finally choose their own payment methods (such as Appcharge’s mobile checkout SDK) and control how they monetize their content. 

But the real opportunity goes beyond just payment freedom. With full catalog access given to alternative app stores, lower fees, and fewer restrictions, publishers can now actually diversify distribution of their games. 

Players have a choice for downloading games – many will prefer sticking to their tried and tested platform, but more tech-savvy players who seek great deals could turn to alternative app stores.

This opens the door for a future where publishers aren’t boxed in by a single platform’s rules and can build balanced, multi-channel strategies—leveraging third-party stores, DTC web stores, and direct app installs to reach players more effectively and maximize profitability.

But Challenges Still Remain: Compliance and Distribution

That said, the path ahead isn’t entirely straightforward. Let’s start with compliance. The freedom to choose different payment systems means navigating a web of new standards, tax regulations, chargebacks, and payment rules. Publishers will need to be strategic about which stores they partner with and how they maintain compliance, without getting bogged down in red tape. 

Another crucial piece of the puzzle is distribution. We’re still in the early stages of DTC after all. Alternative app stores and game publishers alike will need to figure out how to prize users away from traditional app stores for downloading games. 

But it is possible – look at Epic Games as a case in point. As of 2023, the Epic Games Store has distributed games to over 230 million PC users, marking an increase of 36 million users since 2021, while their mobile installs passed 10 million after just 1.5 months. Their distribution tactics for PC games included securing exclusive rights to several high-profile games and offering free games as part of its marketing strategy.

What Comes Next? 

For publishers, the takeaway is clear: it’s time to rethink monetization and distribution strategies. We’ve already seen web stores evolve from the “next big thing” to the norm. With the new era of alternative app stores emerging, we’re even more confident that success will belong to those who are ready to embrace a multi-channel approach.

As we discussed with one of our clients earlier today, the opportunity isn’t just about saving on fees; it’s about building a diversified, resilient business model that can withstand future shifts in the app economy. 

At Appcharge, we provide a complete solution to help you do just that: 

  • Our Web Store Builder lets you create a custom store that provides a direct line to your players using industry leading monetization features. 
  • Our Web Store Checkout provides conversion-maximizing checkout flows and takes compliance off your plate entirely – we handle everything.
  • Our Mobile Checkout SDK enables a seamless in-app payment flow with access to 500+ payment methods and full Merchant of Record services, making it easy to bypass traditional app stores entirely. 
Back top top