We Commercialized Our Student App and Increased the Number of Users by XX
Campus is a feature-packed mobile app for students. The app runs on iOS and Android.
800,000 users in 2023
+8 integrated universities
Task
This story is about how a free app evolves into a full-fledged product and business. In 2020, Vyacheslav and Timur created the Campus app. The app allowed students and teachers to view an automatically updated schedule for their university, post anonymous messages on the university feed, leave reviews on faculty, and later, take courses to ace their exams.
We developed the project from January 2022 to October 2023. Our task extended beyond just development; we needed to monetize the free app.
Solution
We built a strategy to sell ad space on the app and increase the number of users. We hired an advertising specialist, started looking for advertisers, and creating ad slots within the app, such as a button integrated into the schedule and in-app banners promoting our services.
To expand our audience, we onboarded new universities, created a Feed, and used targeted advertising, including VK geotargeting.
Naturally, our solutions required the involvement of developers.
Development Process
The project was divided into two parts: front-end and back-end.
Front-end
The front-end of the app was developed using Swift with UIKit for iOS and Java with View for Android. The old Android version was difficult to support and outdated, with users likening the app’s appearance to “something from a bygone era”. Adding new features to this legacy app was about four times more expensive than it should have been, and the number of bugs was higher.
Rewriting the Android app from Java to Kotlin using Kotlin Multiplatform. Then, we decided to develop the app for both Android and iOS simultaneously, which greatly accelerated the process. The app’s interface remains fully native, ensuring a user-friendly experience. Thanks to Kotlin Multiplatform, we could use the same code to implement a feature in two apps at once.
Adding new features for iOS. A Feed section that allows users to write anonymous posts and a banner button in the schedule for better ad targeting.
Implementing our own MOKO libraries. We no longer have to spend hours on certain features, since the code for them has already been written and saved. For example, obtaining permissions for sending push notifications is now much easier.
Back-end
The developers invested considerable time in keeping the parsers functional, as they were essential for integrating university schedules into the app. The parsers were written in PHP and Java.
Our team created an SDK (developer toolkit) in Kotlin, which standardized our work and accelerated the integration of new parsers.
We added several features to this library, such as generating a grid of schedules and working with our API. Previously, we implemented some routine operations individually, but the library has streamlined this process.
Implementing automated testing. Autotests of the parsers improved the reliability of the parsers and sped up development.
The Hardest Part
Business component. Monetizing the student application proved to be a challenging task. While the audience for the app is large, they are generally reluctant to pay.
Development. The hardest part was ensuring stable updates for university schedules through the parsers. We managed to speed up this process and eliminate plenty of bugs.
How we solved these tasks
Business component. We consistently conducted marketing experiments, some of which proved successful. We developed VK geotargeting and successfully implemented ASO (App Store search optimization) to the point where users could find us in the store simply by searching for “schedule.” The introduction of the Feed also contributed to user engagement.
We replaced Google Adwords with Yandex. Initially, our revenue dropped by about four times, but we solved the problem by integrating Yandex Mediation. As a result, revenue tripled.
Development. We created a new type of parser that can find schedules even when a university’s website does not list the student groups. In the future, these parsers could potentially access schedules that are only available to authorized users only.
Alexander Pogrebnyak
“A significant achievement for a young project is recognizing its potential and commercializing it in good time. Monetizing what was once a free app is no easy task, but the CAMPUS team managed to do it. They made smart choices by engaging in marketing, continuously refining the product, and exploring the right business model.”
Technology Stack
Backend
NodeJS
MongoDB
Kotlin
DockerMobile app
Android on Kotlin
Android on Kotlin Multiplatform
Android on Jetpack Compose
Android on MOKO
Android on SQLDelight
iOS on SwiftiOS on Kotlin Multiplatform
iOS on UIKitiOS on MOKOiOS on SQLDelightResults
Business component. We have significantly increased our user base: from 247 in 2021 to 750,000 users in 2023, with 244,000 active users in peak months.
User engagement has also improved: previously, users accessed the app an average of 32 times a month for 35 seconds each time; now, they log in 81 times a month for 39 seconds per session.
We developed effective marketing channels – VK geotargeting, ASO, Yandex Mediation, and Feed.
Our advertisers are seeing results as well. For example, the math tutoring team generated 623 leads in one month at a cost of 60 rubles per lead.
In September 2023, we ranked among the Top Free Application in AppStore with this product.
In 2024, the project is generating revenue and reinvesting all profits into growth.
Technology. We optimized the development process, making it both cheaper and faster. Android apps were completely rewritten. Additionally, we have resolved many issues related to adding new universities to the app through our parsers, and increased their number by 50%. Students can now access university data quicker, while the number of bugs has been minimized.
