Let’s face it, you want your app to be successful. We don’t think any developer is just building an app just for a couple of people to use. While the developers job is mostly the coding of the app and features. They also need to market their app. It’s a very important part of the entire process here. And we have some tips here that should help point developers in the right direction and help get even more users using their app.
Pre-Launch
Before you launch your app into the Play Store, there are a few things that you need to get rolling ahead of time. Similar to smartphone manufacturers, app developers need to build hype for their upcoming app. A couple of ways to do this is to create a website. It doesn’t need to be a big one, just a few web pages. The site should include a page teasing what the app is, as well as what features it’ll have. Of course there should be a Google Play button so users can download the app. You should also have a blog attached to the site. This is a great way to post changelogs as well as ask for feedback and such, on your app. Something else to look into is some app monetization tips. Because who doesn’t want to make a little extra cash? And building in ads, or monetization before the app is launched is much easier than after it’s available on the Play Store. Now this can be in ads, or In-App Purchases, or sponsorships.
Social Media is another big thing to get rolling before launching your app. You will want to create an account for your app on at least Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Those three are necessary, and for extra outreach, we’d recommend utilizing Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope. You can create posts on these sites that link to your website teasing the app. This way users can learn more before you launch the app. Always a great thing to do.
Press releases are another thing that need to be done before the launch. You can also send this press release to sites, like ours, and also include a video demoing the app and some screenshots. By having your app displayed on various Android sites you gain extra engagement, as well as discoverability. Always good for a brand new app. Your screenshots and video trailer or video demoing the app are also needed for Google Play. So this way you can kill two birds with one stone.
At Release
It’s launch day for your shiny new app. But there are still plenty of things that need to be done to ensure a successful launch. Google Play Store optimization. Yes there is such a thing. What you’ll need here is a descriptive title for Google Play, as well as a brief, but descriptive description. While it’s a good idea to list all the features and such of your app, a description that’s too long won’t get read by most people. You also need to choose a good thumbnail, one that will grab users attention, last but not least you will also need to upload screenshots and a video. You can get a bit creative with screenshots and point out unique features in your app in these screenshots.
Getting your app promoted out there is a big deal as well. App promotion services, like the one we offer here at Android Headlines, is a great way to get more users interested in your app and get more eye balls on your app. It also gives you a genuine app review, which you can grab quotes from and place on your Apps’ website or even Google Play listing. Another way to drive more installs into your app is cross promotion. If you have another app on the Play Store, you can add an ad into that app to direct people to your new app. This is great because its essentially free advertising for you, as you are advertising in your own app and to your users. Additionally you can pay for ads in other mobile networks, which is a very good way to drive installs. There’s also Google Play’s advertising which just started rolling out.
After Release
Now that your app is out there and gaining coverage and publicity. Your not quite done. Basically what you need to do now is keep promoting your app across different channels, including your blog, Twitter, Google+, Facebook and other social media mediums. It’s also important to reply to reviews on Google Play. As this gives your users the ability to interact with the developer. And also the developer can fix something that may not be working well in the app. Which in-turn will drive more users to using the app.
Another way to keep driving installs is to pick up ads in Twitter and Facebook to promote your app. But to also put out a press release when you hit 100,000 downloads or even a million. Similar to what Rovio did with Angry Birds 2 when that hit 10 million downloads.