You submitted to the App Store and Play Store and expected that people would swarm to download and install your app once approved. But that did not happen.
Here’s the thing: The app industry has become extremely competitive over the last couple of years. This means it is getting more challenging to stand out.
Bringing attention will require a lot of work and effort than just submitting it. It would be best if you made the necessary preparations long enough before you launch.
In this post, we will walk you through a couple of helpful mobile app development tips for a successful mobile launch:
Research Your Competition and Industry
Now that you already have that brilliant idea of the app that you’re going to make, now what?
One of the first things you need to do is to research your competition and target market thoroughly.
You need to know precisely who your competitors are and what they’re doing to stand out. And that includes everything from the marketing strategies that they use and how much revenue they’re making.
Having the right competitive analysis is critical when it comes to creating your strategy. Learning from your competitors’ mistakes and successes is one of the best ways to improve.
It also increases the chances that you’ll launch a successful app by merely doing your homework.
Define Your Buyer Persona
After doing thorough research, the next thing that you should do is develop a buyer’s persona.
Doing so allows you to create a profile of your target users. This could come in handy when creating a marketing strategy, for example.
Here, you’ll be using the information that you know about your previous customers, as well as your market research. Knowing who your ideal customer is, you’ll know what and how you can serve them better.
Now, to know your ideal customer, you also need to understand what your ideal business is. That way, you can set up your business based on that image.
It’s also best that you ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is the app built for?
- What pain points or issues will your app try to solve?
- What value does your app provide to users?
Test Your App on Real Users
Testing your app with a selected group of people is crucial before its launch. It’s because some users may not use your app in a way that you intended to be.
Getting that conceptual feedback from target users allows you to make necessary changes to your app design. Mind you; feedback can even help you avoid costly errors.
User testing gives you helpful insight into how others will use your app and garnering important information for the app design and flow.
You can also use that opportunity to encourage those who tested your app to leave a review after your launch. Those who tried your app can become brand ambassadors, giving others an insight into how your app works and why it’s great to use.
Define Your Positioning in the Market
We live in a highly digital age, and people have become more and more hooked to their smartphones.
In fact, in the App Store alone, there are already approximately 2.2 million apps. So, how will your mobile app stand out amidst the competition?
Therefore, you must offer something unique and valuable at the same time. Great something that will make people’s lives easier and will solve most of their pain points.
In short, solve their problems! Be the one who will offer them a unique value proposition that they can’t resist, tempting them to download your app.
The most important thing here is not to sell them a product. Give your users a unique experience when they download your app. Don’t just deliver them a new product. Now, when launching your app, what are the things that you want to achieve?
Develop an App Store Optimization Strategy
App stores (Google Play Store and Apple App Store) are probably among the first places that users will come across your app. That’s why your app must rank well in these places.
Ideally, a great app optimization strategy should include the following:
- Target keywords: This works quite similar to SEO. App Store Optimization (ASO) uses keywords and phrasing to rank on top of search results.
- Screenshots: As they say, a picture is always worth a thousand words. Now, this is the same with app stores. Ensure that the screenshots you put there clearly indicate the benefits of downloading your app.
- Description: Try to keep things clear and concise. Explain clearly what your unique value proposition is in summary.
Have a Marketing Strategy
As we’ve mentioned previously in the points above, you need to do your market research. What are the things that exist today in your niche? Are there companies that offer similar services?
Now, is there something missing in the marketplace that you can offer, perhaps?
Use this research to develop a strong marketing strategy and figure out ways how you can set yourself apart from your competitors.
You might want to improve a particular feature that other apps already have. You must bring something entirely fresh and new to the table to be able to stand out.
Provide an In-App Feedback Channel
Nothing will kill your app quicker than a bad review, or a low rating, especially if you’re starting out.
That’s why you must develop a feedback channel that will encourage communication and resolve conflicts if there are any. Doing so helps you avoid having negative reviews from users.
Leverage Social Media
Social media is another great platform you can leverage to grow the app and increase your engagement.
Promoting your app on popular social media platforms helps you generate buzz and build brand awareness. Social media marketing can also help you drive traffic to your landing pages and app stores.
Create a Landing Page
Now that we’ve talked about landing pages, it’s also extremely vital to build a landing page that allows people to get to know your app better.
All you need to do is come up with an email id field, and for those interested in your app, you can give them a sign-up option.
Make a Video
Finally, you can make a video that will attract your target market.
You can present informative and engaging information and insight, add a couple of visuals, or add a catchy slogan.
Highlight the significant features of your app in the video as well.
Building and launching mobile apps can be a challenge. This means that you need to create a responsive and innovative app to succeed in today’s highly competitive marketplace. Enough research and planning are also vital.
