IOS’s App Store is a huge and complicated environment consisting of millions of apps across many categories. Unfortunately, this vast diversity is only useful if users are able to navigate to the apps they require. Luckily, Apple has made its app store as discoverable as possible. So, what are the ways to promote your mobile app in the App Stores
How Do People Discover Apps?
Users may discover apps in the App Store by two main methods: by tying for keywords or by scrolling through featured and top charts. Therefore, analysis has been done which prove that between 20 and 50% of users find apps by search, while another 14 to 20% discover them by browsing categories or looking at Apple’s featured selections.
Ways To Promote Your Mobile App In The App Stores
APP NAME AND KEYWORDS
Statistics provided by Apple say that almost 66% of apps being downloaded result from searching. In addition, your app’s name and keywords essentially determine the app’s search relevance. So let’s take a look at each of those in turn.
There was a time when Apple allowed its app names to be more than 200 characters, resulting in “names” that were completely filled with SEO-gaming keywords, metadata, and the names of other competitive apps. However, Today, App Store has reduced the limit to 50 characters and restricted terms and explanations that are not the name of the app.
For every App, the developer can only use 100 characters for its keywords. With so few characters to work with, developers need a deliberate strategy. The most efficient keywords are both highly related to your app and mostly searched by users, but the former outweighs the latter.
Most users, due to its availability, are much more likely to go with the search results that come first. Therefore, it’s generally better to be ranked #2 or #4 for a keyword that’s searched fifty-thousand times a month than to only be ranked #345 for a keyword that’s searched a million times a month.
Lastly, some brass tacks:
- Separate keywords with commas.
- Break down phrases into individual words (i.e., “photo, editor” not “photo editor”)
- Save characters by not pluralizing your keywords (i.e., “calendar” not “calendars”)
Getting Featured
There are many developers who dream of getting their app featured in the App store. Moreover, it doesn’t only cater special recognition on your app, it also gets you more exposure and prominent placement in the App Store. On the other hand, getting featured also allows app developers to personalize both their app and developer pages, allowing them to stand out from the crowd once again.
An analysis done by Applause found that 40% of the exposure to apps comes from scrolling through the App Store. In other words, that means getting featured on one of the dozens of lists, which are themselves created by a combination of fame and editorial analysis by Apple. Since users, in general, are more likely to approve (and hence install) an app that they’re already informed about, having a recognized place in the App Store is a major asset.
Undoubtedly, there’s no alternative for quality. The ultimate way to get an app featured is certainly to build an amazing app. Apple’s curators are always on the hunt for newly launched apps that will make the users excited. In addition, providing a first-class user satisfactory experience goes a long way.
Beyond that, it helps to break down how the App Store actually works. A former App Store manager has revealed that the App Store is actually more like a top-grossing mall with dozens of small stores specializing in different areas.
Each of these editorial teams is dedicated to a particular category or program, and each finalizes its decisions about what apps to feature internally. Going to events like WWDC and hanging out with Apple representatives can also be a good way to raise awareness inside Apple about your work, especially if your work has not been recognized or you’re about to be a first-time developer. Remember, promoting an app in the App Store is about promoting features that set iOS apart.
App Store Search Ads
A fairly new product from Apple enables developers to promote their app at the top of search results. Considering the fact that nearly 66% of app downloads come from searching, Search Ads can be an impactful way to give an app the boost it needs to get found.
Search Ads are built around an automated auction process similar to Google AdWords. Developers decide a maximum price they’re going to spend per tap, which is then compared against the bid of the next most promising rival. Developers only pay when a user engages with one of their ads.
As with easy-going search results, relevance is the main factor for if an app is likely to make an appearance on a given page of results, not how much a developer is agreeing to pay for placement. Therefore, Relevance is determined by a collaboration of App Store metadata and user likeness.
That’s just an overall view. Search Ads also includes some exciting features, like the capability to acknowledge particular groups based on demographic and location data. It also includes services to help you target your ad spend by recommending keywords based on your app’s metadata.
ASO (App Store Optimization)
ASO is known to be an essential part when it comes to the promotion of mobile apps. The objective is to improve app visibility and positioning on Google Play and the App Store, as well as to get organic user click-through and downloads.
ASO work includes:
App title optimization (indexed in the search)
Creation of interesting and keyword-optimized descriptions
Development of exclusive icons: that will catch the user’s eye
Choosing an appropriate category in which the app will be labeled
Filling in the block of keywords
Creating attractive and informative screenshots.