Apps are becoming one of the best ways to reach your audience and user base. According to Statista, there are about 1.5m and 1.6m apps available in the iTunes and Google Play app stores, respectively. Companies are realizing that if you can provide a better mobile experience for users, then developing an app can be a good idea.
The Salesforce App cloud launched in September 2015 and is focused on making app development and creation as easy as possible for our clients. But after you build an app, the work doesn’t end. There are several aspects of app store optimization (sometimes called ASO for short) that need the combined forces of developers and the marketing team to create a robust app store listing that will entice potential users.
Below are the main areas of high importance that need to be optimized and ready to be published at the same time the app is launched.
Title and Description
Because the majority of apps are found via search discovery in the app store, any ASO expert would argue that the app’s title and description is the most crucial part of the listing as a whole. KISSMetrics recommends using a title that’s 25 characters or less so it doesn’t get cut off in the user’s mobile view. Descriptions can be longer, but need to stick to the key features and main points of the app. Company history or awards likely won’t be of much importance here. Create your content based on what users are searching for, not necessarily the “fluff” copy that often accompanies content pages on normal websites.
Additionally, Google Play recommends not abbreviating key search terms and double-checking your spelling. The mobile app store environment is much different than the “regular” web (mobile or not).
Default Artwork & Icons
Xerox found that colored visuals make users 80 per cent more likely to read a piece of content, compared to one with no visuals at all. It also increases attention span and retention by up to 82 per cent. These statistics are just some of the many found in studies across multiple organizations that show that visuals make an astounding difference.
This is why the default artwork (called Icons by Apple) of your app makes a big difference. By choosing artwork that is eye-catching, fresh, and appealing to your target users, you can significantly increase app downloads.
Screenshots
Along the same lines, screenshots also need to be easy to understand, high quality, and focus on the main unique attributes of the app. Users want to see how intuitive the UX looks before they download it. Choose screenshots that showcase what makes your app stand out from competitors and what users can do in the app that they can’t otherwise using a mobile browser. Users like to see how an app is going to make their life easier.
For instance, if users can save favorite orders on the app, but are unable to do so on the mobile version of a restaurant’s website, that would be key to include in a screenshot. Google Play has some good suggestions for uploading the best screenshots.
Getting Reviews
Many seasoned app searchers will often look to reviews to figure out how effective or trustworthy an app is. Make reading, collecting, and responding to reviews your number one ongoing priority for the marketing and customer service aspect of your app. Reviewers will often share if an app is buggy, which is helpful to the development team, and they should fix it quickly in order to avoid additional negative reviews.
To get more reviews, add a pop-up notification in your app asking for one, but give users the option to not receive a reminder again (to avoid annoying them). Appbot has some other good suggestions, such as asking for reviews in customer service responses. Craft a sincere request and make sure it doesn’t interfere with how the user is interacting with the app.
The App Cloud can help you build your app, but it takes careful consideration of your artwork, other visuals, and app store landing page content to ensure its success. Build a cohesive marketing and dev app launch strategy and maintenance plan to focus on continuous improvement and loyalty by users.
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