How to Increase App Downloads – 10 Powerful Strategies for Mobile Apps

You’ve finally built your own app.

You love your design, your app icon, and it works flawlessly on every device you tested it on. The niche you found is unexplored and competition-free.

There’s only one problem (and it’s a big one):

No one is downloading your app.

If that’s the case, you’ve run into the same problem many developers encounter after they publish their apps. But don’t be discouraged – if you have an app you want the whole world to use, you can make it happen.

Once you get downloads you’ll be able to make some real money.

All it takes is a little effort and the right know-how to bring your app to the attention of the masses. So, to learn the best ways to boost your mobile app downloads, let’s first understand how apps are downloaded in the first place.

How App Store Optimization Works

The first thing you need to grasp to generate more app downloads is how the app stores you publish your app to actually work. Your mobile app marketing strategy will vary slightly when you’re dealing with the Apple App Store vs. the Google Play Store.

Let’s go over some basic app developer language.

You may have heard of SEO – Search Engine Optimization. But have you heard of ASO – App Store Optimization?

The two are very similar in relation to your app’s success, but ASO has even greater impact on its listing than SEO does for Google search results. ASO is specifically what increases the visibility of your app in the marketplace. The higher its rank, the more users will find your app when they search.

And once a user finds your app, ASO also helps determine whether they actually download it. There are quite a few factors that affect your ASO:

Positive reviews: The more positive reviews an app has, the higher its rating will be. When users rank an app highly, it will also be ranked highly, which naturally improves downloads.
App downloads: The more downloads you have, the more downloads you’ll get. App publishers should aim for a steady amount of downloads to rank highly.
Keyword relevance: Apps with popular keywords in their title and description may see more downloads.
Revenue: Apps with a good record of revenue generation will get more visibility from the app store.
Country: Regional success can influence your ranking in that region. Boosting your ranking in multiple regions can have a snowball effect.
Backlinks: If you can include backlinks to many relevant pages, you can improve your app ranking.
Social proof: Your app’s popularity across social media platforms can affect its app store ranking – especially on Android. Shares and +1’s on Google+ can determine whether users notice your app or ignore it.
App starts: The number of times users actually open your app also has a significant impact on ranking.
Retention: The number of people who uninstall your app vs. the amount who keep it within 30 days also affects rankings. To ensure retention, cater heavily toward your target audience in the app description.

Taking all of these into account can dramatically alter the way your app is perceived by the general public, and how it’s treated by the app store algorithm.

For more information on App Store Optimization, check out this blog post.

Now that you have a better understanding of where your app lives once its published, let’s look in more detail at the 10 best ways to boost your app’s downloads.

1. Create an Enticing App Icon

Your app icon is the first thing someone sees in the app store, so the design you choose is critical to your success. As users scroll through the app store, yours should pop out as eye-catching and recognizable.

Make sure you use a design that serves as a clear representation of your app. It should provide as much of a clue as possible to what users will find after they install it.

With that said, you should keep the app icon as straightforward as possible, and not too flashy. Simplicity is best – you don’t want it cluttered and confusing to the eye.

Tip: For more information on designing a perfect app icon, check out this blog post.

App developers must expand their online presence. Before you decide on which social networks to use to build your app’s public persona, you have to decide what angle to start from. This means your social media voice must match your app’s personality.

Who is your app? If it were a person, what would it sound and act like?

When posting, use that voice consistently. If your app is edgy and “cool,” don’t bore your fans with bland business language. But if your app is geared towards young professionals, that business speak might suit your audience well.

The social media platforms where apps tend to get the most attention are:

Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Pinterest
LinkedIn
FourSquare

But don’t just post information and promotions concerning your app to these platforms. Create conversations and engage with your fans. Reply to comments in your app’s voice to increase engagement. Such a relationship will increase word-of-mouth praise of your commitment to users, and increase downloads as a result.

One word of caution: each social media platform has its own terms of service regarding contests, giveaways, and advertising. Be sure you’re never in violation of them while you draw attention to and build loyalty for your app.

3. Name and Describe Your App Appropriately

A good title means the difference between people knowing your product by name and referring to it as “This thing on my phone.” Having a great name on the app page can really encourage users to download your app.

So, if you want your app title to stick in people’s heads, the name needs to be unique and appropriate. And while no one can give you the perfect name, here are some evergreen tactics for coming up with your app name:

Don’t use names that are already in use – Search extensively before you settle on a name and click Publish, or else you might end up face-to-face with a lawyer.
Keep your app name short and sweet, easy to spell, and memorable.
Do your best to choose a name that reflects what your app Users should not scroll past your app when looking for something to fit their needs.

And while app stores give you a 225 character limit, you should only use around 25 of them. That’s all that shows up in a search result, so be sure those characters are used wisely.

Your description, on the other hand, is where you need to be most strategic about ASO. It works similarly to the meta description tag for a website but isn’t searchable on the app store.

So, while you don’t need to pack it with keywords, you do need to be strategic with it. By listing important information, benefits and features, social proof, and a call-to-action, you can greatly affect your ASO.

4. Market Your App Effectively

If you’re fortunate enough to have a marketing budget, don’t be too conservative with it.

Typical marketing is structured over a few weeks or months. But if you want to get a sharp spike in downloads for your app in a very short time, concentrate all your marketing spending into a small time frame.

It takes some courage and dedication to roll out a full marketing campaign all at once, but if done successfully, you can see some awesome returns.

Depending on your total budget, you should spend the money within a few days or a week at most. Spread your advertising across the channels that are most popular with your target audience, which could include:

Social media channels
Sites like Reddit and Digg
Email Marketing
SMS marketing
Content Marketing
App directory sites
Relevant blogs/magazines
Influencer marketing

A lot of your downloads will come from organic searches, but many downloads will come from your web-version landing page. That’s why you should also create a webpage dedicated to your app with a clear call-to-action directing users to download your app.

5. Using Eye-Catching Photos and Videos

One of the most important aspects of your app description is your collection of photos, app screenshots, and videos. Your app store page must be appealing.

Photos related to your app that highlight your most popular and needed features will immediately encourage downloads. Screenshots from your app itself are what users will typically look at after they first find you in search results.

A good combination of these two is crucial to encouraging users to click that download button.

Here are a few ways you can use photos to make users more interested:

Show what your app actually looks like for users – not splash screens.
Make sure your screenshots contain different aspects of the app in action.
Include explanations, captions, and arrows that show users what they can do inside your app.
Put extra emphasis on the most popular and needed features of your app.
Convince users that your app has a better design than that of your competitors.

If you have the necessary tools, you can even design a video for your app. If you don’t have the tools to make your video, you can hire a professional agency or find mobile specific video editors like the creators at Apptamin.

And if you can, have your app subtitled and translated in several different languages. Reaching out to as many people as possible is key to increasing your download rate, after all.

6. Encourage User Reviews

If you can draw positive user reviews from fans of your app, you can see your downloads increase exponentially.

Reviews from existing users that declare your app a valuable download or say it provides a great user experience are “testimonials” that let other potential users know your app is worth downloading. This can also help enhance your app store visibility.

You might be tempted to purchase fake reviews just to increase the amount of attention your app is receiving as a whole. But if the app store finds out you used this tactic, you may have your app suspended entirely.

Organic reviews from real people are far more valuable to your app than fabricated ones because you as the developer can learn from it as well. Not only will the feedback provide other users with an understanding of your product, it can also inform you about what needs to be fixed or changed.

So, send out requests to a variety of people with real influence. Popular YouTubers and critics on major tech websites with large readership are some great targets for your requests.

In your press releases, mention the fact that you’re looking for feedback. In some cases, the media outlets you’ve sent them to will already have someone on their staff specifically there to review apps.

Because you took the time to alert them to something related to your product, they might return the favor by reviewing you positively. And once a publication writes about you, contact every smaller outlet you’ve reached out to in the past. Refer them to the new article and they might write their own with the initial reviews in mind.

You can also offer incentives to users who leave you reviews. This is a great method to increase the amount of users who actually choose to do so. Coupon codes, tangible prizes, or redeemable points to be used within the app can all be great encouragement for people to leave you positive reviews.

7. Devise Clever Promotions

If your app is available with a pay-to-download monetization model, you can experiment with temporary price drops to drive downloads.

An analysis by Distimo compared downloads and revenue data estimates for 12 games from the week of their price-drop promotion to the previous week without the promotion.

The games were able to increase total global revenue by an average of 437 percent in the seven days during the price-drop promotion.

Sure, this might not work for every app or game. But if you have loyal users and powerful word-of-mouth, people might jump at the opportunity to snag your app on the cheap.

8. Hacking the Press

According to a story from Entrepreneur.com, one app developer was able to dramatically increase his downloads and drive impressive revenues by “hacking” the press.

Iliya Yordanov, founder of the personal finance app MoneyWiz, first tried to get publicity by contacting US media and app review sites. To his disappointment, none of the media sites got back in touch with him.

He then realized that if he sent the same press releases to select foreign markets – Russia, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France – he could get reviews and write-ups on his app. The response from the media in these countries drove his app all the way to the number one spot in the finance category on the App Store.

As a result, his app got noticed in the US, which led to Apple featuring his app. After that, the US media quickly took notice.

You can take a similar approach in boosting your app downloads. When you make a list of media outlets to send your presses to, include many in Europe, Asia, Australia, and any other substantial market. If you think users there might love your app, tell them about it!

9. Sharpen Your Keywords

Remember when we talked earlier about the difference between SEO and ASO?

We’ve covered a lot about ASO so far, so here’s how to make sure your app is optimized for search engines.

Say you have a finance app called “Modern Finance.” When choosing your keywords, you’ll want to include the word “finance” as many times as possible in any relevant copy or descriptions found by search engines.

What other terms do you think users are searching for when looking for the need that your app fulfills? Take the time to perform keyword research to see which words tend to get the most traffic.

You can also use the normal Adwords Keyword Tool to search for lateral keywords to use as well. Lateral keywords are the ones suggested by Google after you’ve located your app.

But remember – you shouldn’t just choose any keyword because it has high search volume. Any keyword you use should be accurate and relevant to your app and audience. If you pack your descriptions full of irrelevant keywords, your app could lose credibility and your downloads might suffer as a consequence.

10. Focus on the User

It’s not all about the number of downloads you get. It’s also important to know how, when, where, and by whom your app is used.

Analytics are very important to determining what your users want the most out of your app, and how you can deliver that. They’re also the key to generating continuous downloads.

Analytics should inform you of your users’ behaviors from download until deletion (if they ever do delete your app!). They should also facilitate A/B testing to determine what works best based on certain trigger points you set up inside the app.

The most used analytics on the planet is undoubtedly Google’s Universal Analytics.

Universal Analytics allows you to connect to multiple devices and associate multiple sessions with a unique ID. When you send that ID to Universal Analytics, you can get an accurate user count, analyze the signed-in user experience, and get access to a huge amount of other helpful data.

There’s also Flurry Analytics, a service that boasts huge clients like Yahoo!, EA, and Groupon.

Flurry provides you with loads of info about your app, including:

Usage: Active users, sessions, session lengths, frequency, retention, and more.
Audience: Your users’ interest, personas, and demographic breakdown.
Technical: Device information, carrier data, firmware versions, and details on bugs and errors.
Events: Define events, see user paths, and create funnels.

There are a lot of other resources out there for analytics for your app. Here are a few:

Any of these are great options to know how your app is used and what you can do to improve the user experience. The data you’ll get along with your download tracking will help you adjust your app marketing and improve your tactics for boosting those downloads.

Final Thoughts

Increasing app downloads for your app is not always the easiest thing to accomplish.

But, if you make use of these tips and best practices for app promotion, you’ll see a considerable boost in downloads and app store rankings.

Always remember to keep your target audience’s preferences in mind when trying out these strategies. What works best for general consumers might not work as well for your audience – so use these tips while keeping their best interests at heart.

And here’s one last tip: the iTunes App Store and Google Play sometimes change what they consider most important for apps to feature. So, always stay on top of on industry trends and update whatever elements of your app are necessary to deliver exactly what your users need. That way, you’ll always stay high in app store rankings.

If you do all of this successfully, you can feel pretty confident knowing you’ll be able to drive some serious app sales.

Which of these methods for boosting mobile app downloads are you most excited to try? Share below in the comments section!

14 Useful Business Apps to Help Small Businesses Grow in 2016

There’s a good reason why business growth is one of the most popular topics online today.

It’s the #1 goal of most business owners. After all, business growth means more money, and just about everyone wants to make more money.

But what actually makes a small business grow?

Things like good management, good employees, a solid marketing plan, and…

Mobile apps?

That’s right.

And I’m not just talking about creating a cost-effective mobile app for your business (although that’s a great idea too). I’m talking about downloading apps to your smartphone and using them on a daily basis. Who knows – you might even want to recommend certain business apps to your employees too!

Bottom line:

By using apps to boost your productivity or otherwise improve your business, you can propel your business to greater success than ever.

So today, we’re going to discuss 14 business apps that’ll help you do just that.

Let’s get started.

BONUS: 14 Business Apps to Help Small Businesses Grow in 2016 Get My Bonus

1. Evernote

Have you ever felt frustrated after losing an important notebook or document? Or wished for a more effective way to take notes at meetings, organize your thoughts, and plan your content (like blog posts)?

If so, you should consider using Evernote.

Simply put, it’s a digital notebook you can use to quickly keep track of your ideas so you can revisit them later and avoid forgetting the important stuff.

But don’t dismiss Evernote if that benefit doesn’t make it sound useful – you can use it for so much more than jotting down random ideas. For example, you can use it to take notes on client calls, outline blog posts, and organize all of your business information.

Best of all, Evernote Business (the $12 per user per month version) allows you to easily collaborate with everyone on your team. You can invite co-workers to join specific notebooks and leave their own notes on what you’ve written.

And you don’t have to worry about not having access to your notebooks when there’s no WiFi nearby – you can access them any time. No internet connection necessary.

2. Square Register

Imagine what your professional life might be like if you had to haul around a clunky cash register everywhere you went to accept payments. What if that was literally the only way you could accept customer payments when you’re out of the office?

It’d be ridiculously difficult – so much so that you’d probably avoid accepting payment altogether.

Fortunately, you can use the Square Register app to easily turn your phone into a credit card reader so you can accept payments without invoicing or using a physical register.

Want to offer a discount of accept a gift card? No problem – the app allows you to do both.

On top of that, Square Register app allows you to send digital receipts to customers, track your inventory and sales history, and download previous transaction information as an Excel file. You can even use the app to allow merchants and customers to give each other feedback if an issue arises with the product sold.

3. Wunderlist

Paper to-do lists are a thing of the past. In today’s business world, it’s often better to go digital. That way, you can reduce paper clutter (and go green!), keep track of your lists more easily, and access your lists conveniently from anywhere.

Interested? If so, download the Wunderlist app.

Not only is it great for creating digital to-do lists – it allows you to share those lists, sends you reminders for tasks that need to be completed soon, and let you re-arrange your list items as your priorities change.

Worried that your many to-do lists will get lost and start to overwhelm you?

That won’t happen if you use the Wunderlist features to their full potential and filter your tasks by due date (or other specifications).

And guess what? The app is free to use. But if you want more functionality, you can download the premium version, which allows you to assign unlimited to-dos, upload large file sizes, and more.

BONUS: 14 Business Apps to Help Small Businesses Grow in 2016 Get My Bonus

4. Slack

If you’re researched communication apps for your small business at all, you’ve probably encountered Slack. It has become wildly popular for its simple, intuitive interface and useful collaboration features.

But don’t think that you’ll be able to use Slack to its full potential right away – there’s a bit of a learning curve, so you and your team might need to devote a week or two to figuring out the best way to use the app based on your business operations and customize your Slack experience.

Don’t let that stop you from using the app though.

Once you and your team figure it out, there’s a good chance you’ll notice improved productivity due to the way the app streamlines the way you collaborate.

For example, instead of digging through your emails for a conversation/document, you can simply use the Slack search tool to find what you need. You can also create multiple groups for different departments, projects, etc.

You can get the Lite plan for free if you want to try Slack out. From there, you can always upgrade to the paid plan, which starts at $8 per month per user.

5. HipChat

Similar to Slack, HipChat is an app that makes it easy for you and your team to collaborate using group messaging, instant messaging, and file sharing.

One of the biggest differences?

The price. HipChat offers more in the free plan, and the HipChat Plus option is only $2 per user per month. A perfect option for a small business on a tight budget.

If you’re not sure whether HipChat or Slack is the better option for your team, consider checking out this study that examines the pros and cons of each app based on employee responses.

You can always try the free version of both apps. Once you’ve done that, you should be able to see what works best for your team and choose one app or the other based on that.

6. RescueTime

Any business-related app that receives an “Outstanding” 5-star rating from PCMag is worth talking about and considering. That’s why RescueTime is on this list.

But what is RescueTime, exactly? And how can it help your business grow and improve?

Simply put, it helps you stop wasting time – no more wondering where your day (or week) went.

With the RescueTime app, you can track how you spend your time and see reports/data based on the information collected by the app.

That way, you can learn more about how you really spend your time during the day and make adjustments that allow you to be more productive. And, as seasoned business people everywhere know, improved productivity can easily lead to improved profits.

If you also want features that allow you to block distracting websites, alert you when you’re not being productive, and log time away from your desk, try the Premium version of the app. It’s $9 per month.

7. Wave

There are a lot of accounting apps out there aimed at businesses – and many of them come with a shocking price tag. Often, these apps do far more than what the average small business owner needs, which means that those business owners end up paying extra for unnecessary features.

Wave is a better accounting option for small businesses on a budget. While it’s not as robust as an app like Quickbooks, it gets the job done for business owners with simple accounting needs and a handful of employees.

Plus, it’s free. But there is a paid version available if you need premium support and payroll.

If you need more from your accounting software than what Wave can offer, consider an app that offers more features, like Quickbooks or Freshbooks.

BONUS: 14 Business Apps to Help Small Businesses Grow in 2016 Get My Bonus

8. Basecamp

Picture this:

You’re out of the office, but you need to get some work done remotely. The problem is that you’re being pulled in a million different directions due to all the programs you need to use to complete tasks, collaborate, and share ideas.

If that situation sounds familiar, Basecamp can help.

It’s a project management app that helps you manage your tasks (and your employees’ tasks) so you can stay involved in all the activities going on at your business, whether you’re in the office or not.

And it’s not a one-size-fits-all experience – you (and everyone on your team) can look at tasks in a calendar view or list view depending on personal preference. You can also upload and share documents directly in Basecamp – just pick the storage size that best meets your business needs.

The best part?

A Basecamp account will help your business without destroying your budget. You can get the smallest monthly package for just $20 per month, and even the largest package they offer is just $150 per month. That’s a small price to pay for a project management tool that helps you and your team stay on task and get organized.

9. Spark

If you’re like many business owners, you probably have multiple email addresses. You may even have different email apps on your phone.

If that’s the case, you probably get a bit overwhelmed just by looking at your phone screen. The little red notification showing you how many unread emails you have can cause serious stress.

While you may not be able to get rid of those unread emails, you can take the hassle out of email with the Spark app.

Think of Spark as a unified inbox that allows you to view your inbox from each email account in one place and takes the pain out of having many different email addresses.

It also allows you to categorize and filter your mail, set up notifications for your most important messages, and pin messages to the top of your inbox for easy viewing. Plus, it’s compatible with the most popular business apps, including Dropbox, Evernote, and Google Drive.

It’ll even work with your Apple Watch so you can use your watch and voice dictation to acknowledge and respond to emails quickly.

10. TapeACall Pro

Imagine this:

You and your team are sitting in the conference room talking to a new client. The onboarding call is going well, and everyone is taking notes and figuring out how they can best serve the client.

Then, the call ends, and everyone starts working on their tasks. There’s just one problem:

Some of your co-workers forgot to write down important details of the client call, and now they’re not sure what to do. They don’t want to call the client back and bother them.

The solution?

TapeACall Pro.

With this app, you can easily record client calls for later reference. And the recordings don’t even have to take up storage space on your phone – you can simply upload them to Evernote, Dropbox, and Google Drive or send them to your email address.

The app also allows you to stay organized by labeling your recordings. For example, you might choose to label a client call recording with the client’s name and the date of the call.

If you’re interested, you can get the app in the App Store for $9.99.

11. iTranslate

Do you ever travel out of the country for business?

If so, you know how frustrating it can be when you don’t speak the local language. Thankfully, the iTranslate app is available to make your travels much more enjoyable and manageable so you can accomplish everything you need to.

To use the app, you just open it and speak into your phone in your native language. Then, the app repeats what you said back in the other language of your choice.

That’s right – you don’t need to type a single word into your phone to use this app (although typing is an option if you’d prefer that). You can even use the Phrasebook feature to save your most commonly used phrases so you can easily access them later.

You can download the app for free or opt for the paid version for $2.99.

BONUS: 14 Business Apps to Help Small Businesses Grow in 2016 Get My Bonus

12. Hootsuite

If you’re a small business owner in 2016, you need to market your business on social media. Period.

Now, I know what you might be thinking:

Social media marketing takes up too much time! And it takes too long to see any results from it, so I’d rather spend my time on something else.

You’re not alone. In fact, 1 out of 3 small business owners don’t think social media is important for their business.

It’s true that social media marketing, much like content marketing, requires some time and effort before it pays off. But fortunately, you can use the Hootsuite app to majorly cut down on the time you spend posting to your social media accounts.

Hootsuite allows you to schedule your posts ahead of time, which means you can get all of your social media marketing done at once rather than having to constantly worry about it. You can even post to multiple social networks at once and shorten links (this really helps when you’re working with Twitter’s character limit!).

You can use Hootsuite for free, but you also have the option to upgrade to a paid plan if you want other features, like premium app access, multiple users, real-time analytics, and priority support.

Plus, they’ve got an amazing app icon.

13. Pocket

Have you ever come across a blog post or website you wanted to look at, only to get sidetracked by a more urgent business-related task?

It’s a common problem for busy business owners. If you’ve ever experienced it, try Pocket.

This easy-to-use app allows you to save videos, articles, blog posts, and pretty much anything else you’ll find online so you can view it later.

And you don’t need an internet connection to view your saved items – all you have to do is open up the app, and it’ll be there waiting for you.

That means no more missing out on the things you’re most interested in that can help you power your business forward. It’ll all be stored in your digital Pocket.

14. Swype

If you didn’t grow up using a smartphone, you might find typing on your phone tedious to the point where it significantly slows down your productivity.

With Swype, you can make typing on your smartphone easier than ever.

That’s because the app relies on gesture-based input as opposed to the normal keyboard, which relies on tapping of individual letters.

In other words, with Swype, all you have to do is drag your finger across the keyboard. Then, the app identifies the word you’re tracing and adds it as text.

That might sound like a recipe for disaster as far as accuracy is concerned if you’ve never used the app before, but Swype is actually known for its accuracy. On top of that, the app includes an emoji keyboard and allows you to customize your keyboard layout for easy use.

It’ll cost you 99 cents to download in the app store, but it’s completely worth it if you find yourself regularly frustrated with typing on your smart phone.

There you have it – 14 apps that’ll help you grow your small business.

Start downloading, and take note of how much each app helps you. Who knows – you might be surprised at the huge difference a simple app can for your business.

Which of these apps will you plan to download? Share in the comments!

App Store Optimization 101

Do you remember how you found the last app you downloaded on your tablet or smartphone? If you’re like most people, you probably searched for it in the App Store or Google Play. As it turns out, the battle for app discovery is being won (or lost) in app store search results, according to research by TUNE, an ad analytics company. Take a look at these interesting charts:

charts courtesy of Tech Crunch

This study shows pretty clearly that app developers need to focus on app store optimization (ASO), as opposed to other mobile app marketing channels, if they want their app to be discovered. If you’re about to release your new app, or want to get better organic download numbers from an existing mobile app, here are the basics of ASO to help you the best results.

What Is App Store Optimization (ASO) Exactly?

Simply put, app store optimization are the steps you take as a mobile app marketer to help your app rank higher in app store search results. ASO functions as a tool to drive traffic to your app in the app marketplace and prompt more users to download your app. You can liken it to SEO for your mobile website, because the general idea and overall strategy is the same, but the tactics are somewhat different.

ASO requires a good understanding of your buyer persona; it will shape your keyword strategy. You need to know what keywords your target customers are using to search for apps so you can choose yours wisely. Because keywords matter just as much for ASO as they do for SEO, perhaps even more so, since you’re working with smaller, more tightly focused fields.

Basically, app store optimization is one of the most crucial components of your overall mobile app marketing plan. So…let’s get started.

The 8 Basic Parts of App Store Optimization

While there are a few variations between optimizing for Google Play versus Apple’s App Store, the process for both rests on eight basic elements. For simplicity’s sake, you can break them out into three main categories:

Optimizing Keywords

➤choosing the right title

➤writing an optimized description

➤including localized keywords where appropriate

App Store Visuals

➤your app icon

➤the screenshots you use

➤the promotional or preview video

Offset Factors that Affect ASO

➤number of downloads (and uninstalls)

➤number and quality of your app ratings and reviews

We’ll look at each of these elements in more detail and break out the differences between optimizing for the App Store and Google Play.

Choosing Keywords for App Store Optimization

You probably already know how important identifying the right keywords are for ASO, but you may not know which factors are most important when it comes to choosing them. Don’t make the very common rookie mistake of looking for keywords with the highest search volume—your top priorities should be choosing the most relevant keywords and the ones you have the best chance of achieving a higher rank. After all, it isn’t going to do you a bit of good to choose a keyword that gets 500,000 searches a month if your app ranks 699th for that term.

If you need help with keyword search, try tools such as Sensor Tower, TUNE (formerly MobileDevHQ) and App Annie. You’ll find a wealth of useful app analytics to shape your marketing efforts.

Of note: Keywords are more important for Apple’s App Store ASO than for Google Play, but you should still choose wisely.

Title Keywords for App Stores

Simple rule: Use a keyword in your title. Period. The graph below gives you ample reason to do so:

Image courtesy of MobileDevHQ via Kissmetrics blog

As a matter of mechanics, the App Store displays 25 characters in the title, while you can use 30 characters for Google Play. Don’t use special characters ($,%,&, etc.) in your app title; keep them all URL friendly. And don’t use category words (free, game, puzzle, etc.) in your app name, because you already select those when you list your app.

The App Store also gives you 100 characters to list your keywords; here are some tips:

➼Separate words by a comma, but don’t use a space after the comma. Use your 100 characters wisely.

➼Don’t repeat keywords.

➼Use numerals, don’t write out numbers.

➼Skip stop words like “the,” “at,” etc.

➼Don’t repeat the app name in this section.

Optimizing Your App Description

This is the space where you sell your app by offering compelling copy about all the features and benefits they user can expect if they download your app. Since the recommendations for optimizing the app description are quite different for the App Store and Google Play, we’ll break them down here by marketplace.

The App Store	Google Play
First three lines visible; make them count	Focus on first 167 characters for web search
Prioritize compelling copy over keywords	Watch keyword density; don’t keyword stuff
Include social proof (awards, reviews)	Don’t use testimonials
Highlight features/benefits list	If possible, get backlinks
Include press releases and updates in the “what’s new” section	Use long-tail keywords and take advantage of all 4,000 characters
Don’t overuse keywords, it will lower your rankings	Use main keywords a maximum of 5 times each

One other important note about optimizing your app description: This is a good place to do A/B testing and find the copy, keywords, and features or benefits that do best with your target customers. You can also A/B test your icon, screenshots, or any other part of your app page. Google has added improvements to Google Play so that you can A/B test your app page elements right from the Google Play Developer Console.

Localizing Your Keywords

Depending on your app and your target audience, it may well be worth your while to localize your keywords. What does it mean to “localize” your keywords? It just means to translate your title, the first sentence or two of your description (including a call to action), and even your screenshots. Is it worth it? Check out these charts based on one developer’s experience with keyword localization and the “Harlem Shake Yourself” app:

Before localization, approximately 3,000 downloads

After localization, approximately 23,000 downloads (760% increase)

Of course, your results may vary, but if you are marketing an app that targets customers in more than one country, you should definitely do keyword localization.

Getting the Visuals Right for ASO

Technically, your visuals aren’t going to really impact the ranking algorithms, but they are going to make a huge difference in how your app is perceived by potential users and how many of them will be interested enough to click through and ultimately download your app. So yes, you do need to get them right for ASO. Let’s look at the three main visual elements in detail.

The App Icon

This is the first (and sometimes only) visual impression you will give potential customers, so it needs to be powerful, yet simple, and consistent with the rest of the app design. This is also a great place to emphasize branding. Some tips for icon design:

?Don’t use words or text in the icon design.

?Borders help your icon stand out.

?Focus on one idea; don’t let the icon get “busy.”

The Right Screenshots for ASO

With the App Store, you get slots for up to five screenshots, and Google Play allows up to eight. Use them all, but give special attention to the first two slots, because they are the ones that searchers will see when they visit your app page. Best practices for screenshot ASO:

?Avoid generic screens such as menus.

?Add explanations if necessary so people know what features/benefits the screenshot is illustrating. Localize your screenshots if applicable.

?Don’t neglect A/B testing.

?Consider combining two or four screenshots in one slot if you need more images to explain app flow.

One note about Google Play: You must submit a “feature graphic” if you want your app to be featured anywhere in Google Play. Use this space to tease or highlight some feature of your app, don’t load it down with text or make it too fussy.

The Promo Video

You can add a preview or promotional video to your app page in both stores; there are separate guidelines for the App Store previews and for Google Play promo videos. While these aren’t mandatory, they can be extremely compelling and give you a leg up on branding and promoting your app. Some tips:

?Write a script and stick tightly to your video plan.

?Get to the “magic moment” right at the beginning; this is especially important with the App Store, since you only have 30 seconds to make your point.

One major difference between App Store and Google Play videos: You can localize your video on Google Play, and in fact, you can add a separate video for each language translation. You only get one video on the App Store, so it has to work for all countries you are targeting.

Off-Site ASO Factors

These are the most difficult ASO factors for mobile app marketers because they have a relatively high impact on rankings—and they are pretty much completely out of your direct control.

Both app store algorithms factor in the following offsite stats:

?average rating and total number of reviews

?number of downloads and uninstalls

?user engagement (how many times they open the app, session length)

?growth trend line

Moz did some research into just how important each of these factors were in each of the two app marketplaces; one of the key takeaways was that ratings and reviews matter much more to the Google Play algorithm, and there are almost 16 times more rankings on Google Play apps than iOS apps (3.1 million versus just 196,000).

Downloads and Uninstalls

This is difficult metric to influence, but obviously, all your app marketing channels need to be oriented toward achieving as many downloads as possible—your website, press presence, social media, and app website should all be focused on this goal.

But downloads aren’t the be-all end-all for offsite ASO, either. The Moz study referenced above showed that monthly active users (MAUs) was one of the best indicators of rank, the keyword being “active.” There are several steps you can take to increase engagement and reduce churn, not least is using push notifications to keep users involved.

Ratings and Reviews

As we mentioned, there are two factors involved in weighting this offsite ASO criteria: Total number of ratings or reviews, and the average review quality (number of stars). Rating quality, in particular, is important, because few potential customers will download an app with a poor review rating.

You really have no choice but to ask users to rate your app, but some ways are better than others when it comes to posing the question:

➼Don’t ask users to rate your app when they are in the middle of doing something; keep the overall user experience in mind and time the ask with sensitivity.

➼Give users an alternate channel to communicate with you if they are having trouble or need technical support with the app. You do not want feedback in the form of a crash report on your page.

➼Consider offering an incentive in exchange for an app review. This could be a one-time discount, an extra life in a game, a free product—whatever works with your business.

Image courtesy of DanCounsell.com

Once you’ve taken care of all the basics in your quest for ASO, you can’t afford to rest on your laurels. App store optimization is a process, and regular testing, tracking, and optimizing every element of your app page and listing. It’s also a good idea to take a look at what your most successful competitors are doing and see if there are elements you can recreate for your own app.

If you’ve done your work with ASO, you’ll go a long way toward ensuring that your app is getting in front of your target audience as often as possible. Are you using any app store optimization tactics we didn’t cover? Share them in the comments below.

Marketing Influencers to Watch 2016

This year promises to be another fast-paced ride for marketers trying to keep up with trends and best practices in the world of online marketing. It’s no surprise that emerging trends—especially in the mobile sphere—are changing the way we consume content and communicate with one another.

Successful marketers today understand these evolutions and have their fingers firmly on the pulse of the modern consumer. Online marketing is fortunate to have a wealth of true gurus, individuals with a broad scope of knowledge and fine-tuned intuition, who influence the way digital marketing is done. They are the trendsetters, the experts who’ve racked up success after success and rank at the top of the field.

Want to know who to watch for wisdom in online marketing in 2016? Check out our list of 15 thought leaders and influencers who are shaping digital marketing this year.

1. Rand Fishkin

Image courtesy of Moz.com

If you’re in marketing, you know Rand Fishkin, Wizard of Moz and founder of the company, stands head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to SEO—and most things related to inbound marketing and entrepreneurship. He’s an author of marketing bibles such as SEO: Insights from the Moz Blog, and Inbound Marketing, as well as the co-founder of Inbound.org.

You can follow him and get access to his marketing wisdom here:

Follow Rand on Twitter

Read Rand’s personal blog

Check out Rand’s presentations on SlideShare

2. Joe Pulizzi

Image courtesy of JoePulizzi.com

Joe is the founder of the influential Content Marketing Institute and a respected author and keynote speaker. He literally wrote the book on content marketing (Get Content Get Customers) and is one of the top influencers in the world of content marketing. His fourth book, Epic Content Marketing, was listed as a must-read business book by Fortune Magazine. He’s a prolific author, columnist, and podcaster (check out This Old Marketing and Content, Inc.).

Access Joe’s amazing online marketing insight here:

Joe Pulizzi on LinkedIn

Joe Pulizzi on Twitter

Joe Pulizzi’s blog at the Content Marketing Institute

3. Jay Baer

Image courtesy of JayBaer.com

Author of five books, advisor to over 700 brands (including over 30 in the Fortune 500), and founder of Convince & Convert, a leading strategy consulting firm, Jay Baer also runs the world’s top content marketing blog, according to the Content Marketing Institute. Jay is recognized as an expert and thought leader in all aspects of digital marketing, including social media, content marketing, and customer relationship management.

Don’t miss Jay’s insights—he’s the top most retweeted person by digital marketers all over the world.

Jay Baer on Twitter

Jay Baer’s blog and podcasts

Jay Baer on the Social Pros podcast

4. Ann Handley

Image courtesy of AnnHandley.com

Ann Handley is the chief content officer at Marketing Profs, one of the most trusted training resources for marketing pros, and the author of a Wall Street Journal bestseller, Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide for Creating Ridiculously Good Content. She writes widely read columns for Entrepreneur, the Huffington Post, the American Express OPEN Forum, and Mashable. Ann is considered a pioneer in the field of digital marketing and co-founded ClickZ.com, one of the first sources for news and commentary for digital marketers.

You’ll want to follow Ann and keep up with her insights at:

Ann’s Twitter page

Ann’s LinkedIn Influencer page

Ann Handley on SlideShare

5. Neil Patel

Image courtesy of NeilPatel.com

Kissmetrics, Crazy Egg, Quick Sprout—if you’re a marketer, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the excellent blogs of these three companies founded by Neil Patel and look to them often for marketing advice. Entrepreneur called Patel the number one marketer in the world and household name brands like Google, GM, and eBay are among his clients. Colleges and universities teach Neil Patel’s marketing strategies. If you want to know what’s hot in marketing, you’ll want to follow Neil.

Here’s where you can find him:

Follow Neil on Twitter

Read Neil’s blog

Read Neil’s articles on Entrepreneur.com

6. Jeff Bullas

Image courtesy of Twitter

There’s not much about content marketing and social media marketing Jeff Bullas doesn’t know. He’s been called the number one content marketing influencer by Onalytica and ranked as the eighth best social media marketing talent in the world by Forbes. Jeff is also a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and marketing consultant; his blog consistently ranks as one of the best social media marketing blogs by Social Media Examiner.

If you want to know how to make social media work for you, or stay on top of trends in social media marketing, you should follow Jeff’s insights and opinions here:

Jeff Bullas on Twitter

Read Jeff’s blog

See Jeff’s presentations on SlideShare

7. Dan Zarrella

Image courtesy of DanZarrella.com

If you are all about the data and the science behind marketing, if numbers and statistics are more fascinating to you than simple words, you want to follow Dan Zarrella. Dan got his start as one of the first marketers at Hubspot, but now he’s got his own following as the science guy behind online marketing. In fact, he holds the Guinness World Record for the largest webinar ever and his “Science of…” webinars draw tens of thousands of registrants (watch the Science of Social Media for free here). Zarrella has also written four books on Internet marketing, including The Science of Marketing and Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness.

If you want to follow Dan’s data-driven insights and marketing wisdom:

Follow Dan on Twitter

Read Dan’s posts on the Hubspot blog

8. Larry Kim

Image courtesy of MobileMonkey.com

There’s not much about the world of PPC advertising that Larry Kim doesn’t know (or didn’t come up with himself). As the founder of Wordstream, Kim’s a master of online ads, and he knows SEO like the back of his hand. Kim has written four books and is a featured blogger for some of the premier business and marketing websites in the world (Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Moz blog, Search Engine Journal among others). He also wrote the most socially shared article on PPC, according to SEO.com.

Catch Larry at one of his many speaking events, or follow his work at:

Larry Kim on Twitter

Larry Kim’s LinkedIn page

Read Larry Kim’s posts on the MobileMonkey blog

9. Rohit Bhargava

Image courtesy of RohitBhargava.com

Rohit is the CEO of Influential Marketing Group and one of the foremost experts on corporate storytelling and branding. A former Ogilvy exec, Rohit’s new consultancy brings deep insight into marketing strategy and helping brands and brand leaders become more influential. He’s also the author of five best-selling business books (check out Non Obvious, a number one Amazon book and Wall Street Journal bestseller). As a teacher of marketing at Georgetown University and a frequent keynote speaker, Rohit is shaping and influence the next generation of marketing strategists.

Keep up with Rohit’s marketing and branding advice here:

Follow Rohit on Twitter

Read Rohit’s blog

Watch some awesome videos on Rohit’s YouTube channel

10. Shama Hyder

Image courtesy of ShamaHyder.com

Entrepreneur Magazine calls Shama the “Zen Master of Marketing,” which is highly appropriate for the CEO of Marketing Zen Group, a global online marketing and PR organization with Fortune 500 clients. Hyder is the bestselling author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing and was named one of the “Top 30 Under 30” entrepreneurs in the country by Inc. Magazine. She’s also one of LinkedIn’s “Top Voices” in Social and Marketing. Even President Obama has honored her entrepreneurial zeal.

Look for Shama’s insights in the following places:

Shama Hyder on Twitter

Shama’s LinkedIn page

Read Shama’s blog

Reserve a copy of her new book Momentum, coming May 2016

11. Justine Jordan

Image courtesy of LinkedIn

Justine is Vice President of Marketing at Litmus and an “email evangelist,” a master of the channel and winner of the 2015 eec Email Marketing Thought Leader of the Year award. She was doing email and content marketing before content marketing was really even born. She’s a frequent blogger on all things email and organizer of the Litmus Email Design Conference. Justine is one of the country’s leading experts in email design and analytics—all things email.

If you want to know what’s going on in the world of email marketing, follow Justine at:

Justine on Twitter

Justine’s LinkedIn page

Justine’s posts on the Litmus blog

12. Adam Singolda

Image courtesy of LinkedIn

So…what’s the logical next step for an alumnus of the Israeli Defense Forces’ elite mathematical unit and the Israeli National Security Agency with a heavy background in analytics and computer science? If you’re Adam Singolda, it’s developing a mathematical predictive engine and launching a new company, Taboola. Taboola is the world’s foremost content discovery platform, dishing out some 300 billion (yes, billion with a B) recommendations every month to over 750 million web users. Taboola is the go-to platform for major web publishers such as USA Today, the Weather Channel and NBC. If you want to know how to drive traffic and monetize content, you’ll want to know what Adam Singolda is doing.

Keep up with Adam’s thoughts and insights:

Follow Adam on Twitter

Adam Singolda’s LinkedIn page

13. Scott Yates

Image courtesy of LinkedIn

Pretty much every business has one, but not that many are living up to their promise. No, we’re not talking about Hayley, the summer marketing intern…we’re talking about the company blog, that most fundamental and basic of your content marketing channels. Scott Yates is an award-winning writer and founder of BlogMutt, one of the most successful and innovative content companies with a laser-like focus on blogs.

If you want to know what’s new in the world of blogging, just ask Scott Yates.

Scott’s LinkedIn page

Follow Scott on Twitter

Read the BlogMutt blog

14. Oli Gardner

Image courtesy of LinkedIn

As the co-founder of Unbounce, Oli Gardner has seen more landing pages than anyone on the planet (or at least that’s what he says). He’s also the author of a pretty successful eBook, The 23 Principles of Attention Driven Design. So if there’s anything you want to know about landing pages, A/B testing, and conversion optimization (or the time he almost got trampled by a bison), you’ll want to keep tabs on Oli Gardner. He’s also a keynote speaker at marketing events all over the globe and contributes to highly respected sites such as Moz.

Here’s where to find Oli Gardner:

Follow Oli Gardner on Twitter

Oli Gardner’s LinkedIn page

Read Oli on the Unbounce blog

15. Mari Smith

Image courtesy of MariSmith.com

Mari Smith (Mari like Ferrari, as she likes to say) is a thought leader and influencer in Facebook marketing and an expert in all things related to small business marketing. Fast Company called Mari “a veritable engine of personal branding, a relationship marketing whiz and the Pied Piper of the Online World,” and Forbes named her a Top Ten Social Media Power Influencer. Look for her live training events held each year at cities all over the US, catch her at Social Media Marketing World, or register for one of her highly respected webinars.

If you’re in small business marketing, or want to boost your Facebook and social media marketing efforts, see what Mari has to say:

Follow Mari Smith on Twitter

Watch Mari’s videos on her YouTube channel

Read Mari’s blog

Check out Mari’s posts on Business.com

There are a lot of experts and influencers in online marketing who can give you great advice, but if you want to know what’s trending now, or what’s on the horizon for digital marketing, you can’t go wrong following these 15 marketing giants and thought leaders and using their insight to improve your online marketing plans.

Did we skip any of your favorite marketing influencers or thought leaders? Is there someone you’d like to add to our list? Tell us in the comments below and let us know why you follow him or her.

How App Store Optimization Works

1. Create an Enticing App Icon

2. Social Media Outreach

3. Name and Describe Your App Appropriately

4. Market Your App Effectively

5. Using Eye-Catching Photos and Videos

6. Encourage User Reviews

7. Devise Clever Promotions

8. Hacking the Press

9. Sharpen Your Keywords

10. Focus on the User

Final Thoughts

1. Evernote

2. Square Register

3. Wunderlist

4. Slack

5. HipChat

6. RescueTime

7. Wave

8. Basecamp

9. Spark

10. TapeACall Pro

11. iTranslate

12. Hootsuite

13. Pocket

14. Swype

What Is App Store Optimization (ASO) Exactly?

The 8 Basic Parts of App Store Optimization

Optimizing Keywords

App Store Visuals

Offset Factors that Affect ASO

Choosing Keywords for App Store Optimization

Title Keywords for App Stores

Optimizing Your App Description

Localizing Your Keywords

Getting the Visuals Right for ASO

The App Icon

The Right Screenshots for ASO

The Promo Video

Off-Site ASO Factors

Downloads and Uninstalls

Ratings and Reviews

1. Rand Fishkin

2. Joe Pulizzi

3. Jay Baer

4. Ann Handley

5. Neil Patel

6. Jeff Bullas

7. Dan Zarrella

8. Larry Kim

9. Rohit Bhargava

10. Shama Hyder

11. Justine Jordan

12. Adam Singolda

13. Scott Yates

14. Oli Gardner

15. Mari Smith

Powerful app builder

iOS, Android & PWA

Unlimited customization