Getting the apps discovered and ranked in the top positions, is the primary goal chased by every app developer. Some apps might be lacking behind than the others in terms of features and functionality, but may perform better in marketing and hence acquire a large user base through the improved app store visibility.
Putting together all the efforts and financial resources to develop an app, and then not being able to grab the attention of users is the nightmare of every app developer. Building a great app is not enough, combining the right kind of marketing techniques is what defines the success of an App.
Here are 10 simple steps to increase app store visibility:
1. Eye-catching App Icon
Truly said, “The First impression is the last impression”. The first contact between users and an app is the app icon. To catch the interest of the user, the icon must be catchy and creative to keep the users hooked.
The app’s icon should be of such quality and standard so that it conveys the essential features of the app and the purpose it serves. App icons with colours, designs and transitions are more memorable than the dull ones.
If the image makes a good impression on the user then the chances are, the user will feel connected and download the app.
The icon should represent the genre of the app, for example; if it is a shopping app, the icon vector image of a card, represented interactively. This will make it easier for the users to understand the purpose of the app.
2. Choose the Most Appropriate Title
One of the most critical element to increase the app store visibility is optimising the app title. It is essential to use the most targeted keywords which describe the core functions of your app so that your target audience is clear with what the app is all about.
The title should be short, crisp, and should represent the app’s purpose. The ideal length of the title is under 50 characters.
According to an analysis, using keywords will increase the discoverability of the app by 10.3%.
Generic terms like “Photos” or “Music” should be avoided as these may confuse the users.
Naming your app similar to the existing app names must be avoided. Using similar names may result in your app being banned from the app store and being marked as a fake app.
App Store developer guidelines provide a strict policy against the use of celebrity names, protected names or trademarks unless the permission has been acquired to do so. Non-compliance of this policy will also result in rejection of the app.
3. The Right Update Frequency
The app world is a dynamic environment. New apps and the newest trends emerge every single day; rules and guidelines are being regularly reshaped to search and rank the apps.
To keep pace with the ever-evolving technology, it is important to keep evolving your apps and keep the users hooked. It’s important to keep track of the latest updates that your competitors are releasing into their applications so that your apps don’t lurk behind in the competition.
Apps that are obsolete and not updated do not attract the new users and are incapable of retaining the existing ones. Such apps often struggle in attaining high ranks in the app store.
4. Make Use of Keywords
Keywords are essential for every business as they drive the targeted audience towards your business without any cost involved. Keywords contribute to enhance the app store visibility for your application.
Two basic terms relevant with keywords are traffic and competition. Traffic indicates the number of people who search for these keywords each day while competition refers to the sites targeting these keywords for their apps.
Keywords or search terms determine what your business is known for. Using relevant keywords will make it easier for users to spot your business and will also help with the rank placement of your apps in the app store. Using the most relevant and strongest keywords in your app title increases your chances of being found.
Keep track of the keywords targeted by your competitors and the new keywords that might also be helpful.
- Use tools like AppCodes, AppTweak, or SensorTower to find out the keywords for which competing apps are being ranked.
- Use SEMRush to find out keywords authority sites in your niche.
5. Smart Keywords Placement
The right placement of keywords is as prominent as choosing the app title and designing the app icon.
While placing the keywords could be a very hectic task for an individual, it can be done with ease using some healthy tips.
The common mistakes that must be avoided are:
- Using spaces instead of commas
- Avoid articles like “a”, “an”, “of”, “the”
- Repetitive keywords
- Names for numbers instead of digits
Since we face a word limit which cannot be extended, therefore character length should be chosen wisely. Each space is counted as a character, and hence reduces the number of keywords that can be used. Similarly using “a”, “of”, “the” doesn’t make a significant difference in the keyword ranking.
The focus should be on the best and most relevant keywords. Relevance is the most important aspect of keyword analysis.
6. Proper Characterisation of Apps
Categories on the App Store help users discover new apps to fit their needs. The apps can be assigned in two categories – primary and secondary category.
Primary category is particularly important for the app’s discovery in the app store. This will be the category in which the app appears when users browse the app store and determine the placement on the app store. Secondary Category, on the other hand, is an extension of the primary category, to provide detail to the user about the specific function of the app. For example, the primary category can be entertainment and the secondary category can be games.
To decide which category will best serve your app, consider the following:
- Your app’s purpose
- Where the user naturally looks for an app like your
- Which categories contain similar app as yours
While choosing a category for your app, the focus should be placed on the core functions of the app and not on the secondary functions.
7. Micro-influencers
Micro-influencer is a new concept that has recently made its entry into the business environment. Micro-influencers are the individuals who have a decent following – in thousands or ten thousand. In most cases, a micro-influencer is a public figure of some level who is recognised and followed by a certain group of people.
Micro-influencing can be highly-rewarding for your marketing efforts than other channels, as not only are these affordable but they also have a more targeted audience with the possibility to become prospects.
For an app developer to achieve more installs on the app, its best to hire a group of micro-influencers. The trust and the relationship that the micro-influencers have created with their audience helps in promoting the product and building the hype around.
8. App Preview Video with Attention-grabbing Frame
If pictures are worth a hundred words, then a video is the best way to know an app thoroughly before actually downloading it. Through a descriptive video, the potential users of an app will be able to experience the look and feel of your app.
App preview videos should be up to the length of 30 sec. It should compose of device footage and should not look like an advertisement. The video should cover the entire functionality of the app and features.
For a video of 30 seconds, the script should be under the word length of 75 words. The voice quality should be clear, subtle and not neither too loud nor too slow.
The video should be accompanied by an attractive poster frame or thumbnail to attract the user to play the video.
9. Screenshots to Reveal the Best Features
As people tend to learn quickly through the visuals, a screenshot gallery is a crucial factor to increase the app installs.
Screenshots offer a virtual tour of an app to the potential users. They should be appealing enough to convince the users to download your app. What’s even more critical than the screenshots is the order in which the screenshots are arranged, essential screenshots should be put first.
Finding the right order of the screenshots is very crucial. They must be set in an order as if telling a story and not necessarily a logical order. The aim is to attract the users, at first sight, increase their interest and lead them to take required steps to install the app.
10. Ratings and Reviews from Happy Users
Ratings and reviews play a crucial role in determining how an app is received by the users. Most of the users will prefer downloading an app with higher ratings.
One way of obtaining good reviews is through regular updating of the app and keeping the users delighted. While most users won’t leave a review or a rating, others will leave a review when something went wrong with the app.
Some top-rated app developers follow this procedure to increase the number of positive feedback:
- Ask Yes/No questions from the users about the app
- Monitor in-app user behaviour
- Prompt the cohort to rate and review
Wrapping things up
Building a great app is not enough, effective marketing is what defines the success of the app. Marketing the app is a significant and onerous task. Hence, having a comprehensive approach to enhance the app store visibility is a must.
Every element of an app, from the appropriate app title to its features, contribute in attracting and keeping the audience engaged.
In this dynamic technological environment, maintaining the pace and evolving is crucial not only to survive but to be on the top. We hope these effective tips would help you to enhance the quality of your app and redefine your marketing techniques.
