With millions of apps available right now there really does seem to be an app for virtually anything you could imagine. Yet according to research from Nielsen, the US smartphone user accesses an average of just 26 per month.

So what are the apps that succeed in keeping people glued to their phones and paying for the privilege? As app industry analytics company App Annie reveals, it’s all about games.

In their report that charts the top revenue-generating app publishers for 2015, almost all of the top 10 are gaming companies. While this may not come as a huge surprise, what is interesting is how little change there is year over year from the top performers. Longevity isn’t a word necessarily associated with the app world, yet these companies have figured out how to keep their gaming apps engaging while also making them highly lucrative – largely through in-app purchases.

But this is not the only revenue stream available for apps. As some of the newer entries to the 2015 top 52 list show, like Spotify, Pandora and the company behind Tinder and Match.com, smartphone users seem to be increasingly comfortable with the idea of subscription-based payment models for access to a service that provides true perceived value for the user.

So what does this mean in the B2B world?

Is it time to revisit gamification as a marketing tactic?

Back in 2012, B2B gamification was big news, seen as an exciting new way to engage and educate both employees and clients alike. It eventually got lost in the shuffle as companies struggled to find meaningful ways to reward people and keep them locked in. But now the question is beginning to resurface again – not necessarily to generate revenue but to provide value by creating more informed employees and happier clients.

The technology used in apps is clearly way more sophisticated today than it was just four years ago meaning there’s surely a great deal B2Bs can learn in terms of user experience, app flow and creating in-app rewards.

Next time you’re on your phone playing a mobile game, consider how it can inspire some fresh new thinking – and fun – for your next B2B app project.

For more information on how we can help you build an app strategy, as ever, please get in touch.