Regardless of the platform that an app developer gets, discovery of the app by the users is one of the main challenges that are encountered. With such a sea of applications out there, being able to stand out is decisive in the success of an application. It has become increasingly important for developers and app publishers to market their app, make them more popular and visible, and further improve the download of their application. Here is a look at all the things that you should know when starting out with app marketing.
Your Online Presence
Most of the app promotion occurs on the web, and social media is one of the key tools in doing so. Using social networking sites like twitter and Facebook to your benefit is one of the easiest ways you can employ to promote your app. Following people and pages about app development, marketing etc, making connections, and getting together with like minded people is the start.
Validating the Idea
Building an app requires a tremendous amount of time, money and not to mention efforts. Thus, it is important that the app serves a purpose, and that there is demand for it. You need an audience that you can target. A thorough market research is essential in order to validate the idea behind your app. This gives you a clear picture of the other players in the market; the other apps that fall under the same category as yours, what you can do to make your app different and better than these, and finally it will give you a good footing on how to further market your iOS app.
Monetizing the App – The Revenue Model
There are a lot of ways to generate revenue from your apps, and if you’re not building your app as just a hobby, you will want your app to make money for you. Paid apps, advertisements, subscriptions, in-app purchases, selling services or products – either one of these, or even a combination are great ways to generate revenue from your app.
Feedback from Customers
If your app has a great rating and positive user reviews, more people are bound to be converted to customers for your app. Now to keep the users happy, so that they give you a good rating, it is important to take care of their complaints. There needs to be a mechanism in place to identify the problems that the users encounter, and a way to handle those issues with your app. Users should have an option of contacting you, and their suggestions should be considered to make your app better.
Online Presence of the App
An app store page for your app is not enough, there needs to be another place which can be referred to people interested in your app. A website is a must, and blogs and other social media are good tools too. Every app needs a web site eventually for branding and support. Since the website is the ideal place to show off everything about your app, it is important to do so in the best light. The app name, app icon, screenshots, demo videos, the devices on which the app is available, the calls to action, social proof elements, links to your other apps – everything needs to be featured on the website.
App Store Affiliation
Apple takes 30 per cent on every app that you sell or the in-app purchases you generate. Even if it sounds a little unfair, the point is that they give you permission to distribute your product on their store, reaching a much greater audience. Associating with the affiliate programs of the app store is a great way to make some extra money too.
App Store Optimization
App store optimization is important to give your app as much visibility as is possible on the App store, and covert viewers to users. A few simple things like choosing the right keywords, designing a great app icon, selecting the screenshots that best capture the essence of your app, writing a good, catchy description can go a long way in improving your chances of being seen and liked.
Getting Your App Reviewed
Not everyone has the funds to invest in advertising, and thus your app needs to get as much coverage as it can. An article, a recommendation from a well known website is a sure shot way of getting people to learn about your app. pitching your app in the right way is very important while trying to get your app reviewed by the major sites.
Cross Promoting Your App
If you have only one app so far, reaching out to other developers with apps in the same niche and promoting each other’s app is a great way to increase the number of people accessing your app. If you already have multiple apps, then chances are that people who like one of your apps, will like the others as well, providing you with a huge opportunity for cross promotion.
Launching the App
The launch day of your app will be the peak of the hill; all the planning and marketing will lead up to this. Making as much noise as possible about your app will bring people to notice that your app is now officially in the market for them to use. Getting bloggers and journalists to write about the app, and letting everyone who has been interested know that the app is ready is important as it will help build momentum for the app.
Building a great app is only half the battle, marketing it in the right manner is just as important. Marketing is not an one-time effort and neither can be left as an afterthought. Every little detail matters, every step of the way. It is definitely not easy, but keeping the right things in mind, it can be highly rewarding, also letting you learn a great deal of stuff along the way.