App Store Optimization (ASO), as we all know, is the process of getting the high visibility and rank of your app within a mobile app store. There are already 2.1 million plus apps in app stores and thousands are added day by day. You have to optimize your app to stand out in this cutthroat competition.
I have listed 8 tips that can be helpful to optimize your app.
App Store Optimize tricks to follow in 2019:
1. Create a Well-planned ASO Strategy
If you don’t know where you are going, you will end up someplace else.
Understand your market audience in your industry. It is very important to understand what your customers are looking for and which keywords they are using while searching for similar apps to yours. Create a client persona including gender, age group, location and language. These will help you to optimize your app as per user requirements.
Once you gather all this information, you can go to the next level.
2. Choose the Right Name for Your App
The name of your app is very important because everyone sees that first. So choose an appropriate name. This is also going to be to your app title so make sure it is unique, readable and related to your app. Users remember the appealing title and that can help you to get a higher recognition.
Make sure you consider character count as well. Google play store allows you to put 50 characters and Apple App Store allows for 30 characters.
3. Keyword Research for Your App
The Keyword research process is very important part because you are going to select a set of keywords for which you want to rank within the app stores.
Here are some pointers you should consider while doing keyword research:
- Main features of your app
- synonyms describing the features
- App category
- Terms that people use in this category
Keyword research is not a one time activity. It’s an ongoing process that aligns with what people are looking for in the app stores. Consider getting help from App Store Optimization tools for keyword research. App Radar, for example.
App Radar provides a good interface which allows you to track your keywords and provides customized tips to improve your rank in the app stores.
4. App Description
This is also essential when it comes to App Store Optimization. The App description outlines what your app is about and provides an overview of all features included.
App stores have their own algorithms to identify the relevance of your app with users search terms and app description plays a big role in that. Google play store will find your keywords from the app description to index your app. Keep in mind not to stuff all your keywords in the description. Try to place your keywords naturally in the app description which should be informative and attractive for users.
Finally, your app description should be informative and encourage users to download the app. Your character limits are 4000 or less for both play stores.
5. Get the Best App Icon
Visuals are equally important as writing. An icon is the first eye-catching visual that can attract more clicks and downloads.
Think about the message your app conveys and what it’s about while designing an app icon. For example, if you are designing an app icon for a non-profit organization, it should reflect that.
Try not to add more text in the icon. Remember, less is more. You can also create different variations and determine what works best for your app.
6. App Screenshots and Videos
By clicking on an app icon, users come to your app page where they are looking for more information. Your app description helps them to understand your app, but visuals work better. Create app screenshots and videos to demonstrate how your app functions. Although they are not direct factors in app store optimization, they can help drive more conversions.
The First impression is the Last Impression.
Around 50% of people make a decision to download based on their first impression and that is why you must be focused on creating good visuals.
For screenshots, you can choose portrait and landscape layout.
7. App Localization
Now, everything is prepared and it’s launched, but everything you did is in English. If you want to target international markets, create app data in different languages to localize. This helps you to target potential users who are looking for apps in their mother tongue and improves your search visibility. App developers can help you create some dynamic content e.g. dates, currency symbol, price.
You can use existing metadata to localize your app.
8. Reviews and Rating for Your App
We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.
Reviews and ratings are integral parts of ASO and both Google Play Store and Apple App Store use them in ranking their search results. Your app reviews are directly proportional to the relevancy of your app.
Generally, users love to give feedback if they like your app. You can also encourage them to provide feedback within the app. Make sure you don’t push them too hard or you will be penalized.
Wrapping up
In short, app store optimization is a must and an important part of marketing for your app. Remember, a higher number of downloads will increase app visibility and more visibility will drive more downloads.
