The Apps Market is growing faster than ever and with so much competition, it’s getting even harder to find app success. Recent research shows that over 90% of mobile apps are abandoned within a year. Only a select few will make it through to become indispensable to a number of users – and even fewer will become global sensations.
So where’s the disconnect? It’s amazing how often we see developers overlooking essentials. We see super technical developers not understand the concept of marketing or promotion, or we see market-minded entrepreneurs ignoring great UX/UI basics.
The good news is there’s SO much free information out there now, so you don’t have to be left in the dark or launch your app with a half-assed plan.
In fact, we recently read a super extensive guide from our friends at Apadmi.com. They’ve been in business since 2009, and have worked with a variety of developers and entrepreneurs, which has helped them acquire a lot of “dos” and “don’ts” over the years.
Their newly released (and free) advanced guide to making your apps successful is for independent app developers and startups, and we wanted to share it with you. The guide includes tips that Apadmi has learned through creating apps for clients such as the BBC and the Guardian. It contains over 200 tips and tactics on creating, marketing and gaining users for your app, even one with a small budget.
Since their guide is super extensive, we invited them to share their top 8 best pieces of advice for our community:
Top 8 App Success Essentials
1. Develop on iPhone first, Android second
It’s easier to develop for iOS because there’s less devices to support and it’s a more standardized platform. Android devices have very different hardware capabilities (screen size, memory) and their users are traditionally less willing to pay for an app. iPhone’s users were often early adopters with more disposable income so are more willing to pay for quality. Ultimately both platforms have their strengths – the final decision should be based on what your app’s users most commonly have.
2. Don’t just focus on the English language markets
Japan and China have huge markets for apps. Don’t make the mistake of only translating thought – you’ll need to optimise the user experience for each market. That means new layouts, screenshots and being able to offer support in that language.
3. Use price drops and special offers to drive word of mouth.
Forty one percent of people surveyed by Apadmi in August 2014 indicated that they mainly chose apps based on word of mouth. Your customers can be your ambassadors. Many successful apps use tactical price drops at weekends or special occasions to drive downloads and get people talking about their apps.
4. Integrate with other platforms
You should understand what other platforms and apps your potential customers are using and integrate with them. An example of this is offering them the ability to export information to Google Drive or Dropbox. This works both ways – your app’s cloud based APIs can be shared with other app publishers and you can pick up users from the convenience this offers.
5. Simplify your app to remove repetition
Analyze your apps usage to uncover areas where users are forced to take more steps than necessary. Part of Tinder’s success has been how it simplifies the process of sorting through a list. Often steps within your app can be removed by using the mobile device’s hardware features intelligently, i.e. the GPS or accelerometer. If new features are added to mobile devices, you should consider how they can benefit your app.
6. Focus on retention
A majority of apps are abandoned within 3 months so keeping people using your app should be a key consideration. Push notifications are an essential part of modern apps and can keep your app from being forgotten about – but be careful with them. They’re also one of the top causes for getting your app uninstalled so must be used intelligently, with easily accessible methods to configure or switch them off. An innovative method to retain users is trying to find some way of gamifying your app or unlocking benefits and new features over time.
7. Monitor your competitors’ coverage and react
Google Alerts are a great way of tracking mentions of your app’s competitors. If they’re getting coverage on a website, it’s very likely that the writer will be willing to review or recommend your product too. You can also use backlink tools like Ahrefs or Open Site Explorer to see which websites are linking to your competitor’s homepage or app store listings.
8. Don’t neglect paid channels
Interesting apps and games have had great success from advertising via social media channels such as Youtube, Facebook or Twitter. Twitter’s promoted Tweets can even be targeted at people sharing hashtags from other apps or even the followers of your competitors. One tactic we’ve heard used is targeting accounts who have tagged themselves as app reviewers in their bios using a tool like Followerwonk (example).
To get your hands on the full guide and the other tips, visit http://www.apadmi.com/
Now it’s your turn. What is the most impactful tip you’ve learned thus far?