Analytics is all fine and good for gathering data about user behavior, the question is how do we use gathered data to make the application better.
For example, we notice that users are struggling on level 5 so we do an app update which makes it easier.
Ok, that problem is easily solved.
However, how about this scenario: we want to target users that have never purchased anything with special deals that should push them into buying something.
I can see two ways to make this reality.
1) Update your app so it pops up the special deal in certain moments for players that haven’t bought anything. However, this means we have to update the app every time we want anything changed, price or anything else. And the bigger issue here is, how do I know that the current user running the app hasn’t purchased anything? Of course, you can implement custom tracking of things but why do it twice? If Analytics already has this information, why couldn’t we just ask the analytics: “Does this user belong in XY segment?”
If we could just get this information within our app, we could do many smart things with it. Even implementing our own backend that sends notifications and data to the app.
2) Provide a service that accompanies the analytics that can send notifications/data on its own or be asked for data targeting a specific segment of users.
For example, the developer could look at his analytics and say “Now would be a good time to introduce a special offer for XY segment.” Then he would create a data structure that he would send to just that segment of users. The app would then receive that data and interpret it like “Ah! So I got this data that tells me I should pop up a window right now with a special offer with this price and this name and this icon.”
I see you are working on Unity Cloud data. That could potentially allow for the first half of “be asked for data targeting a specific segment of users” however, without any kind of integration between analytic and data storage we can’t identify which segment user belongs to.
3) There is also a possibility to somehow send user id data to analytic and then export that data for use in targeting those users, but with the new “analysis points” system. Sending such data would easily use up all our points. Or am I wrong?
Is there a way to do user targeting?
Bottom line:
Without an ability to do something about the data we are receiving, utility of analytics is not much.
It is powerful for identifying specific areas that need improvement for all users but it can’t target specific segment of users with specific things that would improve their individual experience.
Cloud data service is a step towards a good direction, but it would be even better if the two services weren’t completely separate and analytcs could provide a way to change cloud data only of users of a specific segment.
