Once you have launched your mobile application on today’s overcrowded market, making use of clever techniques to get your product in the spotlight takes a few strategic maneuvers.
All apps aspire to the top positions in the online stores, such as front-line spots from the Paid, Free or Grossing sections, but getting there requires some serious extra work, besides producing an application that is itself excellent.
In order to reap the maximum benefits, or at least to aim high, here are seven recommendations for your mobile application:
- Apply the SEO knowledge and rules in the app naming and description; the main keyword should be in the title, as well as featured a few times in the description; SEO optimization applied to App Store, Google Play and other applications stores has its own specifications, so you might want to research that for the specific online market you have placed your product, or hire specialized services: app producers engage in above-board techniques, as well as in less fair ones (e.g. using in the app name a keyword from another successful app to hitch their wagon to its fame); also make sure to categorize your product correctly;
- Use strong, easy to remember visual elements to make a memorable impression on the audiences and equally choose the icons and colors to imprint the retinas of your potential customers in a striking yet pleasant way; keep the theme of your application all through the selected colors, logo and pics, since it is equally disappointing to download an application only to discover its visual presentation was misleading and the app content has a low-end, totally different visual presence;
- Make your marketing moves intense and quick: according to Entrepreneur, a fantastic growth hack strategy involves the courage of being a big spender in a very short time frame – this “strike while the iron is hot” move should push the app to public attention on as many channels as possible and result in an immediate downloads spike; spreading the word about your product this way should also keep on giving via the Web’s mechanisms, therefore one big expensive (well-conceived) marketing move could ensure enough tidal waves later for your product to make it to the spotlight;
- Use press coverage, sales and promotions and all other seasonal and special tools available in the digital store to get your mobile application noticed; the same source as above suggests trying the less famous local or central mass-media (or even foreign media), when meeting a blank spot with the more renowned publications, in a clever attempt to avoid obstacles by circling them; in their example the specialty U.S. press covered the release and reviews of a same app they ignored before, by noticing its presence via foreign press articles; there are also special websites that can bring an increase in visits, comments and feedback in general – the growth-hack pages where developers and entrepreneurs share their work and opinions on;
- Be proactive in building a social media community around your mobile application; provide regular content and interact with your followers, keeping in mind that such a social media campaign should focus on motivating and keeping your already existing users connected; boosting the social media interaction with incentives, without overwhelming your audience, is also a useful strategy; pay attention to the feedback you receive and show you know how to make your users feel part of a community; ease the access of new members via in-app links and familiarize yourself with the right strategies in dealing with negative reviews, if necessary, in order to turn the tables in your favor even when in less comfortable online discussions; and ultimately, dare and express a voice for your application, let yourself be creative and genuine, while writing for your fans;
- Check the backstage figures and decrypt their message – or, in other words, keep an educated eye on the analytics in what your app is concerned, to see just what is going perfect and what is stalling your rise to fame; driving downloads via analytics is a modern skill and if you don’t have it, hire a specialist even temporarily to guide you in the right direction; it is crucial to know and understand how to interpret all the metrics: Where is your traffic coming from? How is your retention? How about advertising and monetizing? The online stores may have dedicated platforms, the almighty Google Analytics can tap into your application’s activities, or you may use specialized third-party tools.
- Get your timing right when releasing your mobile application, as well as when giving it the final touch; know just when each application store reviews the newly-released apps in view of deciding which would be featured, be in touch with the latest trends in software, hardware and design, since any new and functional element may weigh on the reviewers’ choice; basically avoid being in a hurry before release, but once you have set your app in the game, apply a previously established strategy on advertising, adjacent social media tools, contacting influencers (reviewers and mass-media figures) and generally promoting your quality product while it is still new on the market and there is a good chance it may become the hot new application everybody has to download.
