Guest Posts
Congratulations on developing your mobile app! However, creating a quality app is just the first step toward success. In today’s competitive market, getting your app discovered by users is crucial. This is where App Store Optimization (ASO) comes into play.
ASO is the process of optimizing your app’s visibility and discoverability in app stores, such as the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It’s essential you prepare your app listing backed by marketing principles that can set you up for long-term success. So before you hit that launch button, our ASO experts want to provide you with an App Store Optimization checklist you can use to ensure your app gets the attention it deserves.
App Market Research
Before embarking on any business venture, you’ll want a full overview of the market landscape. This includes notable competitors, insights into user behavior, and industry trends. Launching “blind” can end up costing valuable time and money that could’ve been spent more efficiently if you went in with solid data-driven decisions.
Identify top-performing apps in your category and analyze similarities found within their app listings. This can be anything from keywords and screenshot design to description structure. Finding identical strategies can help you in building your own ASO plan based on market approaches that are currently working.
Familiarizing yourself with user intent is another important aspect of your app marketing strategy. Get to know why users search for your app, their specific needs, how long they usually use your type of app, and certain behaviors that can provide insight as to how you can refine your app listing. Identifying what drives a user to download and continue using your type of app can help you be prepared at launch and continuously improve your app listing – from metadata copy to creative assets.
No market is stagnant and conditions are always changing, potentially influencing user search and download trends. Does your category usually experience a jump in downloads during a certain time of year? Maybe competitors are looking to capitalize on the hottest industry technology with new feature rollouts. These are all factors for you to take into account for your App Store or Play Store listing so you are ready to launch in any market scenario.
App Keyword Research & Optimization
One of the fundamental aspects of ASO is keyword research. Understanding how your target audience searches for apps like yours and which terms they use is essential to improving visibility and downloads. This is where your previous research comes in handy. Ideally, you will have identified similar terms among competitors that you can assume are driving improvement in their app ranking. While several factors contribute to your app’s placement in search rankings you can take the terms you’ve identified and cross-reference them with powerful ASO tools that provide insight and suggestions into which keywords could help your app.
Once you have a list of keywords, you can strategically incorporate them into your app metadata. Each platform scans different fields for keywords, so you should familiarize yourself with the indexation process of both the App Store and Play Store.
The App Store indexes the following:
- Title
- Subtitle
- Keyword Bank
The Play Store indexes the following:
- Title
- Short Description
- Full Description
As reflected above, there are differences between both platforms, with some fields appearing in search results (title, subtitle), others in the product page itself (short description, full description), and others not appearing at all (keyword bank). The structure of each one will determine which fields you allocate your different keywords to.
Eye-Catching Creative Assets
First impressions matter, and your app’s icon, screenshots, and preview videos play a significant role in attracting users. Designing a scroll-stopping app icon that is visually appealing and reflects your app’s purpose can attract users while also informing them of what you have to offer. A recommended best practice is to incorporate symbolism related to your core features through a simplistic, yet memorable design.
Screenshots offer a glimpse of your app’s interface and functionality. There are several screenshot best practices that make up a high-quality screenshot but notable ones include using text to support imagery, highlighting key features, and emphasizing important UI elements that enhance the in-app experience.
An app preview video is an additional way of promoting engagement on your product page and driving conversions. Being visually dynamic while conveying important information, it can help garner attention towards your app features and potentially increase downloads. A good approach to designing a quality app preview video is to prioritize the first 3-5 seconds to hook the user. Include relevant value propositions, key features, or standout characters they might be interested in.
Post App Launch Bonus Tip
Launching your app is not the end of ASO; it’s an ongoing process. This means that over the course of your app’s lifecycle, it’s essential you try out different strategies that can contribute to even further growth. This is where app store A/B testing comes into play.
With the help of Apple’s Product Page Optimization and Google’s Store Listing Experiments, you can create different variants of your app’s listing to determine what combination of assets resonates best with your audience. This can be incredibly useful if you want to identify alternatives to elements like your app icon or screenshots. By continuously optimizing your ASO strategy with A/B testing insights, you can give your app listing a refresh, stay one step ahead of the competition, and prepare for any seasonal market changes.
App Launch – Get Started
App Store Optimization is an indispensable part of the app launch process. By conducting thorough market research, refining your keyword strategy, and optimizing your creative assets, you can significantly increase your app’s chances of success.
Remember that ASO is not a one-time task but an ongoing effort to ensure your app stays relevant and visible to your target audience, leading to higher app downloads and user engagement. So, invest the time and effort to get your ASO right from the start, and watch your app soar to new heights!
Don’t do it alone. Get in touch with the ASO experts at Gummicube today!
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