The mobile apps market is becoming more and more competitive. Recent statistics indicate the number of apps on both Google Play and Apple Store to be more than 5 million. And that’s not including the less popular app stores such as Amazon and others.
With this sea of mobile apps and the cost of developing apps increasing, what are the chances that users will install your newly developed app?
In this in-depth article, I’ll show you proven strategies you could use to increase your mobile apps downloads. Let’s get started.
It involves incorporating mechanics that entice app users to send invites to friends. Because people naturally believe friends more, this method can work wonders to boost downloads.
Make use of push notifications that prompt users to send messages to social media profiles or phone numbers. The messages could direct friends to download the app.
According to Invespcro, push notifications boost app engagement by 88% and it encourage visitors to come back to your app within 30 days.
However, avoid notifications that pop up during the first session of use. I would advise that you allow a few uninterrupted sessions before the app activates the pop-ups. That way, it will appear less intrusive.
An attractive app icon will entice users browsing through an app store to stop and make a download.
So, invest in perfecting the look of your app to make it eye-catching. The icon should also, within a second, give an idea of what the app is about. Remember, it’s competing against thousands of other apps in its niche.
ASO works in the same way as SEO for web content, only that it’s more effective and concise. It involves optimizing your app to rank high for improved discoverability.
Leading apps stores, Google Play and Apple Store, use specific algorithms to prioritize apps in search results. The algorithms base rankings on app data such as ratings, title, app description, graphics, and more.
You can leverage these factors to make your app appear in the top results. When users perform searches, your app will be among the few that are likely to be downloaded.
Research the right keywords. Drive positive reviews and a host of other things that improve your app’s presence.
With so many people using social media platforms on a daily basis, the exposure your mobile app can get from the channel is unmatched. The leading ones such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn can significantly help boost downloads. What’s more, it won’t cost you a fortune.
Create sponsored ads on Facebook as well as free pages to market your app. Tweets, too, are an effective tool to maximize app downloads. Make interesting video clips and upload them to YouTube.
Done right, marketing your mobile app through social media channels can be quite useful.
Reviews are crucial if you want your app to get lots of downloads. People often base their decisions on the opinions of others.
If your app seems to have been tried by many users, it will appear credible. App stores also use the number of reviews to rank apps, among other parameters. So, the more the reviews, the more the visibility your app will achieve.
Use creative ways to persuade users to rate you on the app store. They include plugins that pop to take a user to the app store to leave a review.
However, don’t make the plugins annoying by having them come up in the middle of a task, or during the first session of use. It should come after a few sessions and only at the end of a task in the app.
If your mobile app involves rewards or points, use them to get reviews. Entice users to rate the app by offering points in return. Also, make it easy for people to rate and write a review for your app; most users will not bother to do it if it looks like a lot of work.
This strategy involves starting a mini-website or blog and posting content that’s closely related to your mobile app. Having a blog gives you unlimited space in which to create a buzz around the app.
You will have all the information, from the app’s launch, how to use it, to news of updates in there.
But then, you will need to research your audience first, so you understand the content they will likely read. Leverage blogging to drive targeted traffic to your mobile app and increase downloads.
Once you get their attention, you can introduce the app to them. You would also need to employ traffic tactics such as SEO and influencer marketing to improve the site’s visibility.
The opportunities of a blog are endless. As soon as it picks up a huge following, you will achieve enough traffic to increase app downloads.
The good thing is, content marketing won’t cost you a lot. Only a few dollars for the site’s hosting and domain name.
High-traffic networking sites such as Quora can be highly useful as a marketing avenue for your app. Make use of them by participating in discussions that touch on the niche of your app.
Some discussion threads can get thousands of views and comments, making an excellent way to create exposure for your app.
Stay on the lookout for discussions you can join. Focus on questions that need solutions your app can provide.
You could even direct people to your website so they can learn more about the app. With this strategy, you stand to achieve an increase in the number of users installing your app.
The use of email to boost mobile app downloads may appear too traditional or far-fetched. However, it’s one of the best strategies you can use to market your app.
The people in your email list believe you more than any other random lead you may get elsewhere. It makes the conversion rate of email to be way higher compared to other strategies.
You have to start somewhere though, such as a subscription button on your website. Send newsletters on a regular basis to build trust with your recipients. Introduce your app eventually, without making it forced or too salesy. That way, you will have more people willing to download the app.
Even if your app is supposed to appear in the “paid” section, it won’t hurt to make it free for a few days.
You could also offer it at a lower price for a limited period. Doing so would make more people download it. As a result, it would get the exposure you need to allow you to sell it at its price.
Once word has gone out that your app is available, consequent downloads are bound to be automatic.
It won’t even matter whether you change it from being free to paid, you will have marketed it already during the time it was free. Only ensure the free app or discounted price doesn’t extend too much as to water down your original intention.
It involves the use of metrics to influence your app’s marketing and update actions. Employ mobile analytics tools to provide you with data on app usage, retention, ease of use, and more.
With all this data, you will improve your app to be more user-friendly.
Updates will be better to attract more downloads, and you also get an idea of how to re-strategize your marketing tactics to make them more effective. As a result, your app will become popular, leading to more downloads.
Creating awareness and increasing your mobile app downloads don’t have to cost you a fortune. Yes, you can do it on a budget. That’s why paying rapt attention to data, especially when starting out, is critical.
Without basing decisions concerning your app on analytics, your strategies can only be described as a shot in the dark. You will end up making errors, and lowering the number of installs the app gets.
Trying to increase mobile apps downloads need not be an uphill task. With these tips, you will achieve progress in the number of users installing the app. You only need to be patient enough, and implement the strategies one step at a time.
About the Author — Michael Chibuzor is a Mobile App Marketing Strategist. He’s part of Appdigitally.com; a london-based app development company. He’s also a content writer, and a lover of good music.