How to successfully launch a mobile app? This might sound like something simple to do as you only need an app store, right? Wrong. Once you are past the “how to make an app” phase and you already have the final product in your hands, you need to think about the launch phase, which is extremely important for your app’s success.
This phase requires a whole well-thought strategy and, preferably, planning it should start before you even start developing your app.
Let’s take a look at everything you need in order to launch your mobile app.
1. Start with Market Research
The mobile app market is flooded with thousands of apps and is constantly changing. What was trendy yesterday may no longer be trendy today.
Conducting market research will help you figure out what kind of apps are most popular at the moment. It will also help you find your niche and figure out how to make your app stand out. Check out your competitors as well: What do their apps lack? Can you add that feature to your app to differentiate it?
2. Determine Your Target Audience
Every mobile app caters to a distinct category of users, so in order to decide how you’re going to market your app, you have to define who your target customers are. Understanding your target users’ mindset will contribute significantly to steering the performance of your app and help you make your app popular much faster.
3. Optimize Your App for the App Stores
The process of optimizing your app so that it ranks better in the app store search results is called app store optimization (ASO). Why is this important?
Most people discover apps through app store searches. The better your app’s rankings, the more downloads you’ll get. A higher ranking means greater visibility and this, in turn, means more traffic on your app store page. Here are a few ideas to help you optimize the app store presence:
- Your app name is the first thing people will notice, so make sure it carries your app’s meaning and essence. In other words, the name should tell the audience what your app does.
- Keywords also play an important role in the ASO process as they are basically the phrases people use to search for a specific app. So, make sure to conduct keyword research as including your selected keyword in the name will make it easier for your app to rank higher in search results.
- To enhance your app’s visibility and rankings in app stores, consider collaborating with an agency that can provide expert ASO solutions. Specialized agencies have the expertise to optimize your app effectively, conduct keyword research, create engaging app titles and descriptions, and improve your app’s search results performance.
4. Use High-Quality Screenshots for The App Store
The screenshots of your app serve as a visual description and therefore, they need to be of the highest quality. Besides offering visual appeal, they also need to tell users how the app looks on a smartphone screen.
App screenshots also provide users with a short description of how the product works and what it’s used for. So, although videos might have taken precedence over visual descriptions, high-quality, aesthetically pleasing screenshots go a long way when it comes to persuading people to give your app a try.
5. Create a Landing Page & Website
A landing page is a vital part of your marketing plan as it is the entry to your website and a channel of communication between you and your customers. A good landing page will inform your website visitors about your mobile app, and the proper use of CTAs could even convince them to register for early access.
In addition, your landing page will help you to gather customer details and this, in turn, will help you get to know your users better and enable you to identify their needs.
Of course, you’ll also need to build a website. A well-designed and properly marketed site can attract a big amount of traffic, which means a larger number of users for your app when it finally launches.
6. Improve Your Social Media Presence
Regardless of who your target customers are, social media is the best way to reach them.
Start by creating an account on each social media platform. Next, add social media sharing features within your mobile app to enable people to share it. Keep posting promo videos and images of your app in order to keep in touch with people on social media and get them interested in your app.
You should also consider collaborating with influencers who have big follower bases. This way, your app will be exposed to a huge number of people who will be ready to download it when it launches.
7. Define the Success Metrics
Which metrics will define your app’s success? The rating on the app store? The revenue it generates? Or how many downloads it has? Whichever it is, you’ll need to determine your app’s success metrics, and then focus on building them up.
If you fail to do this early in the process, you’ll have no way of determining whether your app is successful or not. What if it has stellar ratings but generates little revenue? How can you count that as success?
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it. The mobile app ecosystem is more competitive than ever and even though there is no secret formula on how to launch an app successfully, having a solid launching strategy in place will help set you on the right track. Even if you have already launched your mobile app but the traction isn’t where you hoped, hopefully, these 7 tips will help you improve your results.
Also Read: Challenges That Most Mobile App Developers Face Nowadays!!
