App Store Optimization, a relatively unaddressed area of online marketing, surprisingly has a lot of importance in the scope of branding. Here’s a beginners guide to App Store Optimization and how you can use this method to attract audiences to your mobile app.
An amazing way to get more people involved in your brand, especially through enterprise mobility solutions is by creating an app for your brand and the services that are offered. A mobile app can make your brand more accessible to users by ensuring that your services are readily available. Since people are constantly on the move, and you can offer them any type of data, information, or personalized profiles, games etc which might be useful to them.
Since people are constantly on the move, with the help of the mobile app, you can offer them any type of data, information, or personalized profiles, games etc which might be useful to them. While it is always great to have a website optimized for mobile, a mobile app always makes things better and easier.
One of the key factors to mobile marketing success is App Store Optimization. You can advertise your app on your website and tell your customers and clients about it, but you would also want to be found by others who haven’t visited your website. If you want more downloads and also want more clients at the same time, you need to have a great ASO to help you.
What is App Store Optimization and why it matters now more than ever?
Once your app is ready to go on board you’ll have to make sure that people are able to find your app on the play store (app store). There are over one million apps in the iTunes store and Google Play currently, and though that number might be smaller in your specific industry, the competition in the future is only going to grow.
By optimizing your app, you will be able to bring your app to the top of the app store search engine, web page the sooner the better. You have both the Apple iOS store and the Google Play store (for Android) to work with!
You will have to think about App Store Optimization in the same way you think about Search Engine Optimization. The app store is not really different – you’re basically dealing with the Google Play or App Store instead of dealing with Google’s search engine.
The next step would be determining how App Store Optimization differs from optimizing a web page for SEO. Your end goal should be more downloads, and that should subsequently drive more traffic to your website from people who like the app and want to learn what your company is about.
Tips for successful App Store Optimization
You will have to think about on-app or on-page ASO and things you should do externally just like SEO.
A few tips for success includes:
App Title & Description
It’s important to keep your title short and to the point, at the same time make sure it explains what your application does. In your description, utilize keywords because it will help the bots to see what your app is all about. There is a 4,000 character limit currently on descriptions, therefore make sure that you are on point and clear about what your app can do for users.
App Icon
Include your logo as your app icon always, it will help people to quickly recognize your app. Although this might not make a difference to the bots crawling the app store, it can help increase your downloads and ratings and reviews.
Deviating from your Logo and sticking to another icon can only lead to confusion among users!
App Type & Category
There are “games” and there are “applications” which will tell the bots which type of application you are currently running. You will also have to choose the right category. Unfortunately, you’ll be able to choose only one category, therefore, if your app fits into more than one category, then choose the most relevant one.
Screenshot Your App & Include a Demo
Usually, before paying a fee people will want to try your app, so giving them a demo for free is a great idea to make them download the app and increase its reviews. You should also take screenshots of your app so that they can quickly see how your app looks like. This will give users an idea of what your app is about.
The less mystery, the better.
Include a Google+ Plugin
An easy way to show the bots you have a very good product is by including a Google+ plugin with your app. It’s a crucial step that many company owners seem to miss. As you app get more followers, it will become more visible in Google Play.
App Ratings & Reviews
Earning app reviews works similarly to SEO. iOS stores and Google Play like to see apps that have a good number of positive ratings and reviews. This will help convince a lot of people that your app is worth downloading. With a decent number of genuine reviews, your app will greatly improve in the rankings in both Google play and Ios stores.
To encourage reviews for a mobile app, besides the asking your loyal customers to leave a review, you’ll have to include a review button on your website, running a contest, etc. A plugin will prompt users to review your app after they’ve used it a certain number of times.
App Downloads
Once people start downloading your app, the chances of someone else download it will get higher, this will look good in the eyes of the bots which are ranking your app.
