One Size Doesn't Fit All: Appcharge's Approach to Building Pixel Perfect Web Stores

In mobile gaming, a web store isn’t just a place to buy - it’s an extension of the game itself. When players visit a store that feels familiar and truly part of the game world, they’re far more likely to log in, explore, and make purchases.

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I’ve seen this firsthand, spending most of my career cracking how to build web stores that drive revenue for top grossing games. As VP Product at Appcharge, where we process around $500M a year in DTC transactions for top-tier publishers, I know one thing for sure: generic templates don’t cut it.

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That’s why we’ve built Appcharge differently - so every game gets a high-performing store that feels native to their game in a way that no stock template could. Here’s how.

1. A Web Store That Mirrors Your Game

Most DTC solutions rely on rigid one-size-fits-all templates, making many web stores look the same. At Appcharge, we take a different approach.

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For every web store, we bring in the cavalry - our UX, UI, and design teams, who are masters in the art of mobile game UI. 

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They know how to deconstruct the most important elements of in-game stores to craft a web store that mirrors the game’s visual language - including all the intricate details on bundles, CTA buttons, and more.

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This ensures that every web store we build is bespoke and totally native-feeling for players. And because our team does all the heavy lifting, it’s without adding to your team’s workload - apart from giving us the green light. 

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Ultimately, the extra mile our team goes to create pixel perfect stores means players immediately feel at home and trust your store, helping them make their first web store purchase - and the next - quicker (continue reading for interesting data on that!).

2. Keep Design Dynamic With Easy Configuration

Pixel perfect is just the starting block. Web stores also have to be dynamic and easily updated. Our component-based system lets you quickly tweak the design, layout, and UI elements in sync with your LiveOps calendar, special events, and campaigns - from Christmas to Black Friday. 

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Whether you need a small update or a completely new look, your in-house team can easily update your web store’s design with our intuitive builder.

This means you’re never stuck with a boring template store. It can evolve alongside your game, keeping players engaged and maximizing conversions from day one. 

3. Personalized Experiences for Every Player - No Extra Legwork Needed

A great store doesn’t just look good - it feels personal. This is something our team understands deeply from decades of experience scaling top mobile games. 

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This leads me to one of the features I’m most excited about - our Personalization API. This integration lets publishers trigger an immediate refresh of a player’s store catalog the moment something changes in the game economy or player data. We re-sync active players and push the updates live in seconds.

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That includes:

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• New offers or price changes
  
  
• Level or tier progression
  
  
• Time-sensitive promotions or visuals
  
  
• Player-specific bundles or discounts

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The speed of this personalization has a massive impact on the user experience - boosting engagement and keeping players coming back. Our data from around $500M in DTC transactions per year shows that 50% of users who make a purchase go on to make a second purchase; this second purchase happens after 7 days on average; and 63% of these two-time purchasers make a 3rd purchase within another week.

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You can learn more about the Personalization API in our docs.

Why It Matters

At the end of the day, our goal is simple: help publishers build trust, delight players, and drive revenue.

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When a web store feels like part of the game, players are far more likely to not only trust it, but enjoy using it. Other DTC solutions struggle with this because their templates are too rigid. We built Appcharge to be dynamic, flexible, and designed for long-term success.

Because when it comes to web stores, one size doesn’t fit all.

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