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App Store optimization – Top 8 Dos and Don’ts

Before launching an app, you have to be prepared with a groundbreaking app marketing strategy. Optimizing the title of the app, adding a description and other features that can best control the app are a few things to be conceived even before the app hits stores. With Google Play Store operating successfully and 8 successful years of iOS app store, it seems like an eternity in the field of technology – something that has become a vital part of our life. From messaging to dating apps and health to banking apps, the world is in the palm of our hands. The success of apps across app stores is largely determined by SEO. But, ASO (App Store Optimization) is the new idea. The search across app stores is not as refined as in search engines – very true. However, that does not mean it is irrelevant. According to the Google Play Head of Search & Discovery, “for the average app, search actually makes up the vast majority of installs.” So, it clearly reveals that regardless of how efficient you are at marketing, which can obviously increase your downloads, you would still be dependent on app store based query results. So, it is very important to set up your app page in the best way within the varied range of app stores. Let’s dig deeper from this point! Understand Your Target Audience and Competition Before launching an app, you have to study the market and your targeted customer base. A perfect ASO strategy always emphasizes on understanding how customers would use the app as well as the deeper view of competitive landscape. To begin with, here are a few questions you must ask yourself: What is the common language of my target audience? How would my target audience describe my app? What could be the top reasons to download and use the app? Do I have a competitive advantage? What are the targeted keywords of my competitors? How can I compete against similar apps on the basis of same keywords? Do’s: Plan your ASO strategy in such a way so that you step into your customers’ shoes. Your aim is to make your app discoverable in app store searched. For that, you should target keywords that can drive more traffic. Consumer research is the best way to find out optimal keywords. Likewise, you should also survey the keywords used by your competitors. This can help you determine whether you should use the same keywords or try different ones. Don’ts: Do not follow what your competitors are doing. To reach out to masses in the app store, make sure your app is different. Don’t use the same keywords as similar apps have done; it can make your app redundant and invisible. Name the App The most important aspect of App Store Optimization is the name of your app. You need to pay great attention to the name so that it is catchy with correct meta data. The title or name of the app is the very first thing users see along with the icon. These are two deciding factors that make your app relevant too. Do’s: Make sure you include the app or brand name in the title. Try to feed at least 1 or 3 keywords into the title. Use appropriate tools to decide ASO keywords. And don’t forget – the key terms should be within the first 25 characters of text. Don’ts: In iOS, app developers tend to use up 255 characters generously, which is a mistake. Android, contrarily, limits the title length down to 25 characters. You don’t have to use up all the characters and reach the limit. Always write relevant and useful title, meta data and description. Additionally, don’t stuff keywords unnecessarily; users may start regarding your title as spam. Choosing Your App Description The app description is that one field you have to fill out in the app’s meta data. In this case, there are 2 parts to consider – content above the fold and content below the fold. Android restricts the description to 4000 characters for perfect Google Play positioning. However, iOS does not take description search related matters into account, though it is useful for marketing. Do’s: Your description should give information about the app, explaining how it works, what it does, and what the features are. Your text should be easy to read, including a list of app features, and a short summary describing different aspects of the app that have already been improved with latest updates. Don’ts: Don’t use dense paragraphs. Don’t push long texts that are difficult to read and could bore your users. Short, crisp, and to-the-point statements with call to action are suggested. Create a Unique App Icon Your mobile app icon becomes the face of the app. As potential customers browse innumerable apps through the list, visually attractive icons can catch their fancy. Thus, you should focus on creating a unique and attractive icon for the app. Do’s: The app icon should be attractive, for sure, but what matters is its originality. So, come up with an app icon that is 100 percent original. Try to use a single symbol or shape in the design and keep it as simple as you can. Make it recognizable too. You can take advantage of using vibrant colors to make the app stand out in the crowd of millions of apps. Don’ts: Complex app icon designs are usually repulsive. In fact, it has been a trend of customers to ignore apps with complex and illegible designs. Using too many colors, shapes and including excessive amount of text spoils the show. Design of the App App Store Optimization is also about how well designed your app is. In fact, it can make or break the image of your app. You are allowed to include different images, screenshots or videos, in the store illustrating what the app looks like. In this way, you allow your users to see the app’s design even before

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Factors that can Boost the Mobile App Ranking in the Google Play Store

One of the most challenging roles for the app developers today is to optimize the mobile app ranking in the app store. If you are an Android App Developer, then this task becomes even trickier as the numbers of mobile applications on Google Play Store according to a statistics of December 2017 have already crossed 3.5 million. When the customer retention and engagement is very important to keep your app on the top, you need an acute strategy to deal with your competitors. However, the users can churn your app within no time and this would be a major setback to boost your app ranking. So, don’t fall a prey into the pit and just look forward to improving your mobile app ranking in the Google Play Store. How Does Google Play Store Rank the Apps? Well, you must have heard about website ranking on the various search engines; similarly, the apps too are ranked in the Google Play Store. The Google Play Store uses different algorithms and some determining factors to rank the app. These may include the total number of downloads by users, the app ratings and reviews, the app retention time on the Smartphones, how quickly is it getting uninstalled after the download and whether or not it is connected with social media links. The Role Played by App Store Optimization (ASO) You know that App Store Optimization or ASO is very important in determining the success rate of your app. In fact, according to a study, 50% of the downloaded Android Apps were discovered through app store searches. So, it becomes imperative to pay attention on the ASO and if you miss out that your ranking would certainly decline. Undoubtedly, ASO has been identified as the essential marketing channel and here the same process is followed as like someone searching for a keyword. Thus, keyword holds the key. The App Store Optimization also has the potential to attract large set of targeted audiences. It is cost effective too. It also helps in building the trust factor of the users and increases your conversion rate as well. While you are targeting the audience via keyword, it is important to select the right keyword. You need to focus on the relevance, difficulty and traffic while defining the keywords. You have to search for lower difficulty score in order to rank your app higher. Choosing the App Title or Name that Fits Best You already have become aware of how vital the search is so as to optimize your app; and so to further improve the chances of app discoverability, choosing a perfect name or title for the app becomes crucial. Remember, the users will find your app by typing the initial keywords and so it must be selected wisely. Moreover, it should also clearly define what your app is all about even before a user downloads it. You need to use the main keyword in the app title so that finding the app becomes easier. However, don’t go for similar sounding names of the popular apps that are already ruling the market. This will decrease the chances of discovering app as Google will direct the user to the popular app in place of yours. Paying Attention to the App Rating Review and UX The app ratings and reviews hold a key position when it comes to boosting the rank of your app in the Google Play Store. According to a statistic, about 92% customers read the reviews today before downloading an app as compared to 88% in 2014. So, it cannot be ignored at any cost. Every android app developer tries to build an app that receives 5 star rating from the audiences. But only handfuls are successful. This is because in order to get best rating you have to focus on offering compromising product and service with unmatched User Experience. Adding Description of the App So, when you are adding the description of your app, make sure to be precise and short. You need to make your description relevant and at the same time make users aware of what your app does. Please take the note that Google takes the vital keywords from your description and not from the keyword bar in the Google Play Store. Another important fact to keep in mind is that Google allows you a maximum of using 4000 characters only. So, ensure to make the best use of the available space. However, you need to note that your description is not keyword stuffed. You can use it twice or thrice. Lastly, remember that the first 167 character of your description is actually the meta description for search engine. Make your description attractive and appealing to the audiences. Give Due Importance to Screenshots, Graphics and Videos The screenshots and the app designs are optimal techniques one can adopt to get higher ranking on the Google Play Store. It actually shows a glimpse of your app to the user before the final download. So, it needs to be ensured that you are uploading and using High Definition Screenshots comprising of all sizes to boost visibility and bettering the app ranking. With Google App Store you can also exhibit the details of the app through the videos and inform about the highlighting features of the app. So, the users can get a pre-idea of the app. Graphics too plays a pivotal role in improving the ranking and you have to be very careful while designing it. The app icon is another important tool that will instantly draw the attention of the users. Getting Across the Right Set of Customers If the app needs to get a higher ranking, then the developer has to get across the right set of targeted audiences. You would have to take into account which age group people would use your app maximum and define your strategies accordingly. So, the job in hand is to find the right potential audience. Focusing on App Promotion App promotion is one of the

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Vital Factors Taken into Consideration Before Publishing an App to The App Store

Maybe you think that you have created an outstanding mobile application. However, the end users may have contrary views. You only get to know the final result once the app gets published into the app store. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to predict anything towards the beginning whether your app will be successful or not. However, if you want to get more consumers on the board, you have to ensure a few vital steps before publishing the app in the app store. You must know that both iOS and Android have provided detailed guidelines or checklist for the developers, which must be strictly adhered to. Thoroughly Go through App Store Polices and Guidelines In fact, Apple, in its official blog has cited a number of reasons that ultimately leads to an app rejection. It follows a very strict policy related to app publication and if you don’t stick to it properly, you will surely miss the bus completely. Similarly, the Google Play Store has also given a list of launch checklist on its official blog page. All the tasks must be followed sequentially, so that you don’t miss out any step. Deciding whether it’s a Free or Paid App One of the pivotal decisions you have to take is regarding the app monetization policy. This means you have to decide whether you are offering the app for free or the users will have to pay a fee to subscribe it. If it is priced, then you have to decide upon the pricing model of the app. However, before that, spare some time to ponder whether your app is really worthy of getting a status of the paid app. It is recommended to go for the freemium model in the beginning if you are aiming to get large customers to your app. However, if you are offering any painstaking service such as live consultation with the doctor, then it has to be subscription-based app. Also, it must be remembered that most of the popular gaming apps are also not free but it’s completely your call. Extensive Research of Market and Competitors This is one of the most time-consuming jobs; but there’s no other option, you have to undertake it. The research is one of the most vital steps, which probably goes parallel with every step of development process. You have to get the impulse of the market and find your competitors when you are planning to launch the app. This will help in understanding what features and functionality of similar apps are popular and what percentage of users is using such apps. Conducting the App Testing Before Publishing Well, this goes without saying; you must conduct a test before publishing the app in the app store. It must be ensured that it meets the basic requirements and expectations of the concerned Operating System. The app should literally pass all quality checks with ease without showing any error. In case the app has been designed for the tablets and iPads, it should have flawless graphics and shouldn’t comprise on the User experience and User Interface. So, the suggestion would be to go for the app optimization. The content of the app should be apt and to the point. It should be attractive to satisfy the needs of the customers. Optimizing the App App optimization is important and it needs to be done before you are making your app live on the app store. It must be noted that both Apple and Google follow the same variables when it comes to ranking. Thus, when you are optimizing the app, you have to mainly focus on four important factors that include the branding and visuals of the app, the number of app downloads, the keyword and app description and the number of positive app reviews etc. You should remember that keywords play a vital role in influencing the customers of the app as they find your app through a particular set of words. In fact, according to a study, it has been found that keywords placed in title increased the app’s ranking by 10.3%. Building the Brand Value of your App It is important to create some hike in the market before publishing and launching an app. It is a kind of pre-promotion before actually entering the market to build a brand value. You can take the help of media tools and frame a viable social media strategy. However, the first step would be to find your target audiences, who could relate well with your app. Start searching for the bloggers, journalists, and writers who would connect you to your users. The social media could be a great platform for establishing the value of the app. Go for regular Facebook and Instagram posts and updates and tell people how your app is different from others. Choosing the Location for App Distribution The decision on app distribution solely depends on your choice. It means you have to decide which are the countries and regions where your app will be made available. You can even choose a global presence like Facebook or Whatsapp. It all depends on your business needs and the number of audiences you are targeting. This is one of the crucial aspects that you have decided early as you can finalize the app content based on it. Counting on your Web Presence So, what else you can do to spread the word about your mobile app apart from framing marketing strategies and social media platform. It is by developing a landing page or a website that gathers the emails of users, which could prove more than handy in getting the important data. In addition to that it also helps to communicate the idea of your app and the users find it easy to navigate the content. The collection of emails in the beginning would also help in driving people to download and review your app as more as possible. The Importance of Screenshots and Visuals Another marketing tactic that you can employ

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