Mehul Rajput, CEO, Mindinventory, shares insightful tips on how to increase the number of downloads for your mobile appÂ
In 2017, there were 178.1 billion app downloads. Statista estimatesOpens a new window that this number will shoot to 258.2 billion app downloads by 2022. These large numbers reveal that apps boast a large market. However, it’s such a crowded market that there are high odds that your app doesn’t get the attention it needs and deserves.
The chief executive of Onavo, Guy Rosen, highlightsOpens a new window that roughly half of the folks who download apps use them only one or two times. The company also establishes that only about 1000 apps have about 50,000 users.
A reportOpens a new window by App Annie reveals some good news though. It digs out that the time being spent on apps now is more than ever before. The report also outlines that each person uses 30 plus apps in a month. On a daily basis, nine apps are used per person on an average.
This revelation is at odds with previous studies though. A 2015 Forrester Research found out that each person heavily used only five apps. Time spent on these apps was estimated to stand at 85%. Similarly, an investigation by Nielson concluded that only 26-27 apps were used monthly.
The key takeaway from these surveys is that a slim number of apps are regularly used. This means that your app has to stand out to become a part of the league of apps that are downloaded by users. In the US, people spent an average of two hours and fifteen minutes on apps daily. It’s best to use this information as your encouragement and work to improve the downloads of your app.
Here is a look at eleven ways to increase the downloads for your app:
1. Choose your app’s name strategically
If you are starting out, then this tip is a useful one. The name of your app plays a significant role in its ranking in the app store. So, you will need to pay some attention here. It mostly runs on the currency of creativity, so you don’t have to be spending extensively.
Ensure that the name of your app contains keywords of the category to which it belongs. The golden tip to bear in mind is that the keywords should be used naturally. If they aren’t applied subtly, they give off signs of spam.
So, you need to take care of four factors while brainstorming for a name for your app. These include the simplicity, relevance, visual experience, and availability of the title. Some examples to pick inspiration include Indeed Job Search, musical.ly, and genius scan.
2. Focus on App Store Optimization (ASO)
ASO is an essential way of determining app downloads by enhancing your app’s visibility in the app store. It revolves around optimizing each metadata element including title, screenshots, keywords, and more.
It amps up the chances of discovery of your app in the store, which is how more people will find it, thus multiplying downloads. Although ASO is a critical factor, several app developers don’t pay enough attention to it. You can use this to your advantage. Numerous online tutorials teach the a-z of the optimization process.
3. Research keyword
The efforts that you put into ASO for your app are fated to go down the drain if you don’t concentrate on thorough keyword research. A simple tactic to see if your research work is heading in the right direction is to check what your competitors are doing.
Additionally, keyword search is not a one-time activity. You should keep up with the keyword selection process to monitor the progress that each keyword makes in the store search.
4. Increase brand awareness
Developing an app is one thing. However, putting it in front of the potential audience is an entirely different matter. To that end, you need to enhance your online presence and spread the word. Start by creating a unique landing page. You can do it for free via platforms like WordPress.
Ideally, it is best that you a get domain name and hosting space, which does not cost much. This is a useful step for informing your users about all the key features of your app. Try to be creative here by using your app’s color palette and fonts on the web page. This will strengthen your app’s identity.
Simultaneously, run a blog on your site to convey news related to your app’s updates, features, etc. 6 out of 10 marketers confirm that blogging has brought them more customers. In your case, this translates into more downloads.
5. Enhance your social media process
This is a part of increasing your app’s awareness. Once you have an up and running blog, you will also need to have the content to share on your social media channels. It’s best to engage with your audience and encourage them to share your content.
This tip demands time alongside a proper strategy. Getting more followers on your social media profiles will help increase downloads. A case in point is the Facebook page of Uber Eats that harnesses the potential of social media for reaching out to more people.
6. Encourage user reviews
Getting your first round of downloads is immediately followed by showing users that your app is valuable enough to be downloaded. This brings reviews into the picture. A surveyOpens a new window by Nielson indicates that people highly trust word of mouth suggestions such as those made by online reviews.
Therefore, your goal is to encourage users to review your app via in-app messages. Be careful not to annoy the user with too many notifications. Reviews are an excellent means of engaging with users and boosting the quality of your app. Both of these factors help spiral app downloads.
7. Plan a free app launch
This is an incredible means to dramatically boosting downloads. If you have a paid app, then you can list it for free at its launch. On the other hand, if you have a paid app that is already live, then present it for free for a day or two. Lastly, if you have a free app that offers paid in-apps, then offer those for free for a limited time.
This trick helps encourage downloads. It also increases your user engagement, which pleases the app store. The store, in turn, rewards you by taking your app’s ranking higher.
8. Nurture positive terms with influencers
Social media influencers have a large following, and they are called influencers for a reason. People follow their recommendations. Research outlines that 70% of millennials are influenced by the suggestions put forth by their influencer peers.
To push up the number of your app’s downloads, get in touch with social media influencers. You don’t have to invest vast sums of money in this sector. You can offer other incentives too in place of cash.
9. Make sure that your app doesn’t crash
Develop a proactive approach to digging out any issues in the performance of your app. For one, you can learn about the mishaps via customers. Users tend to share their concerns online so you can resolve the issue then and there.
However, this approach is a bit slow and it upsets users as well who might even pass on word of the problem. It’s best to have a mobile performance monitoring strategy in place. Test your app for any bugs and resolve matters before they make it into the public. Doing this will improve your app’s retention rate, which will push up downloads.
10. Use photos and videos
This is another useful trick. Pair your app description with good quality video, screenshots, and pictures. These visual representatives for your app encourage immediate downloads. In fact, app screenshots are among the first things that people look at to decide if they want to download an app.
At the same time, app-related photos highlight the essential features of your app. Therefore, use a combination of these visual aids for ballooning downloads. Use them for highlighting essential and necessary features, showcase what the app looks like, and take screenshots of the app in action.
11. Localize
Although English is extensively used across the globe yet lots of people, prefer using apps in their mother tongue. Research confirms that localizing apps by using other languages is a sure way of increasing downloads.
A study goes on to reveal that you can generate seven times more traffic by using keywords in local languages. In this way, you will be reaching out to more and more people, which is critical for increasing download rates.
Wrap up thoughts
Summing up, these eleven ways can help you generate more downloads for your app. Your efforts to market your app start from the day it’s ready to go the store. Give it an ASO-friendly name and take the steps for boosting your app’s rating and retention.
Ensure that there are no bugs and encourage reviews. Take measures to improve your online presence and use app screenshots to showcase your app’s features.