APP STORE OPTIMIZATION โ€“ UNDERSTANDING ITS NEED AND KEY ASPECTS

The nip and tuck affair faced by numerous organizations in the virtual world has encouraged businesses to invest in tools and strategies to attract a greater number of the target audience. It is a proven fact that a well-developed and user-friendly app plays a critical role to extend the reach of the business and enhance the user experience of the targeted audience. However, for businesses to enjoy the benefits of having an innovative app, it is important to ensure that they can be easily found by potential users in the app store. Thatโ€™s why app store optimization has gained much significance from organizations seeking better growth prospects.

An Overview Of App Store Optimization

App store optimization can simply be defined as the process of ensuring that an app meets the ranking criteria on the app store and is displayed among the top search results. It is quite similar to business website optimization and involves the use of different tools and strategies for improving the discoverability rate of the app both in Appleโ€™s App Store and Andriodโ€™s Play Store. Having the right app store optimization strategy is as essential as developing an app that truly stands apart. This helps in improving the brand value of the business besides enhancing its credibility and reliability among the end-users. Most importantly, it ensures a great competitive advantage for the businesses by enabling them to easily connect with their current and potential clients.

Need For App Store Optimization

Just like the world wide web is crowded with countless business websites belonging to a similar niche, the app stores have countless different apps for businesses operating in the same field. This naturally makes it difficult for potential clients to find the app for the brand favoured by them. This is one of the key reasons for businesses to invest in app store optimization services as they help in enhancing the visibility and ranking of an app that maximizes its download rate. The process can prove extremely beneficial for apps launched by brands that are still trying to establish a strong foothold in the market.

Some Factors Impacting App Store Optimization
Keyword Usage In Title And Description

The presence or absence of the right keywords in the title and the description of the app impacts its visibility and ranking quite significantly. It is advisable to use keywords having a high search volume, low competition, and high relevance.

Localization Of The App

Localizing apps easily attracts the attention of the local users and this can, in turn, help in enhancing traffic volume and the geographical reach of the app. Translating the app name, its keywords and screen-shots into multiple local languages will effectively localize the app and boost its visibility.

Managing Negative Ratings And Reviews

Negative reviews and ratings for the app can reduce the visibility and ranking of an app by a significant margin. The best way to overcome this problem is to encourage the satisfied users of an app to upload reviews and give ratings as per the experience.

Proper Use Of Icons And Screenshots

Icons and screenshots are extremely helpful in describing the app to uninitiated end-users. That is why the professionals handling app store optimization need to ensure that the icons and screenshots are perfectly clear, appealing, relevant, and descriptive enough to impress the potential users at first glance. 

Best App Store Optimization Practices Suggested By Experts
Choose An Appropriate Name

The name of the app is the first and most important thing that draws users attention. Hence, choosing the right name is the key to maximizing the success of app store optimization strategies. The name should preferably be crisp and should feature at least one relevant keyword. Long titles should be avoided as they get automatically truncated in search results.

Provide Compelling Description

Apps’ description helps potential customers gain a better understanding of its purpose and usage. A compelling and interesting description of an app raises the curiosity of its users and enhances popularity. The description should contain detailed information about the features and functionality of the app besides highlighting the various benefits of downloading it.

Create  A Unique Icon Design

A unique icon design ensures that the app stands apart in a crowd of similar apps. That is why the digital marketing agency offering app store optimization services should scrutinize the created designs as per the set standards of size, geometry, and colour for the app store.

Include Screenshots And Videos

Including screenshots and videos in the appโ€™s description can enhance the impact of app store optimization strategies quite significantly. Such screenshots and videos showing the real-time usage of apps help to establish the authenticity of the claims made by app developers. They also help potential users to visualize app usage before they download it.

Place The Apps In The Right Category

Placing the apps in the right category is essential to enhance their visibility and ranking among the right set of target audiences. While it is possible to upload an app in multiple categories, the publishers should focus more on choosing them as per the end-users of the app.

Ensure Frequent Updation

All optimization efforts may prove ineffective if the app is not updated frequently to match the changing user needs and business objectives.  Such negligence tends to make the apps outdated and useless for prospective users.

Related Posts