With over 3.2 billion smartphone users across the world, it’s no surprise that the mobile app industry is thriving. App usage is still growing at a steady rate, without any signs of slowing down in the future. Not so surprisingly, people spend 88% of their mobile time on apps.
What does that mean for you and your business?
If you are planning to develop a new app, the market potential is quite profitable. However, the fact that people are downloading and using apps doesn’t mean that your app will be successful, unfortunately.
After all, there is a lot of competition in the market. Therefore, you will have to put effort to encourage people to download your app. Here are some ideas that will make all the difference.
1. Promote your app
If you’re fortunate enough to have a marketing budget, make sure you’ll spend it wisely.
Typical marketing is structured over a few weeks or months. But if you want to get more downloads quickly, concentrate all your marketing spending into a small time frame. It takes courage and dedication to do this, but if you do it right, you can see successful outcomes.
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. This can include social media, email marketing, blogs, magazines and more.
2. Create a solution
Nothing encourages customers to download an app as relevance does. Many companies make the mistake of creating products/services rather than solutions.
Keep in mind that customers are not interested in the features of your app. They want to know about the benefits that these features bring.
Instead of making an app similar to those which are trendy, try to think of what your customers need. If you create an app that solves an issue or satisfies a need, people will download and use your app.
3. Ensure compatibility with many devices
You can’t create an app which only works on desktop or tablets, for example. You need to dive into the mobile world. After all, most customers download apps through their mobile phones. Many app developers are focusing only on mobile app development, but this is not the best strategy too. People will be encouraged to download your app if it is compatible with the devices they are using. So, make sure you offer a smooth experience in an array of mobile devices as well as tablets.
4. Write a blog post
Are you unsure about your app description? Or maybe it doesn’t represent your app in-depth?
A great way to highlight the useful features of your app in detail, and offer potential users a proper insight, is to write a blog post about your app. Talk about its features, link them to benefits and showcase how those benefits fit into the life of your customers. Also, it’s a good idea to include high-resolution screenshots of your app.
5. Post a demo video
In today’s world, where people are always in a hurry, videos are preferred by many. While blog posts have their own advantages, videos help in encouraging those who want demonstrations. By making a demo video, you can reach more people. Remember that the video shouldn’t be too long, and you can add subtitles.
After you make a demo video about your app, you can upload it on your website, social media, Instagram stories and so on. Moreover, if you want to reach even more people, you can promote your post.
6. Offer a free trial
This idea works specifically if your app requires a subscription fee. The reason most visitors don’t download paid apps is because of the risk of making a bad investment. It doesn’t matter how less money you are asking them to pay, what matters is that your app is paid while others offer solutions for free.
Does this mean premium apps don’t work? Of course, they do! You just need to reduce the risk involved by offering free trials. Make sure to provide a tutorial as well at the start.
7. Create a tempting icon
Your app icon is the first thing people see in the app store, that’s why the design you choose is critical to your success. As users scroll through the app store, yours should be eye-catching and recognisable.
Also, make sure you use a design which gives a good representation of your app. Additionally, the icon shouldn’t be too flashy, try to keep it simple – it shouldn’t be confusing to the eye.
8. Use eye-catching photos
One of the most crucial aspects of your app description is your collection of photos, screenshots, and videos.
Photos related to your app that highlight your most popular and needed features will encourage downloads. Moreover, when people want to understand more about some app, they look at the screenshots.
Here are some ideas about how to use photos to make users more interested:
- Show what your app actually looks like for users;
- 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 emphasis on the most needed features of your app.
Conclusion
Generating more downloads for your app is not the easiest thing to accomplish. But, if you use these tips, 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 for your audience.
