9 effective techniques to get more mobile app downloads

It has been a long journey and you have finally arrived at your destination: your brand new app is published in the app store.

But as you may be well aware, now follows your app’s litmus test: getting it to be downloaded. Unfortunately, having developed a good app does not guarantee per se that users will get to download it and use it. 

If you can’t make it stand out, it will be lost in the vast “ocean” of apps that flood the app stores. And it would be a shame for all the effort you have put into it to be in vain… Don’t you agree?

If the number of downloads is not as expected, we have good news: there is hope for your app. Mind the tips we’ll give out in this article to boost your app’s downloads. Keep reading and put our advice into use.

 

9 ideas to get more downloads for your app

The way to obtain more downloads for your app is closely intertwined with ASO positioning. Are you acquainted with it? Even if you are not versed in the world of marketing, you may know about search engine optimisation (SEO) at least somewhat superficially.

As you will see later, SEO can also be useful for your app, but what you really need to improve first is your app’s ASO positioning in the application store.

Don’t hesitate to put the following ideas into use if you want to improve your app’s ASO positioning.

Icon

Its icon is one of the first stimuli that potential users will receive regarding your app. It’s what they will see in the store’s categories section and what will be always present on their devices.

If the icon has a poor, outdated or unsuitable design for your target users, you’ll probably miss a golden opportunity to grab their attention.

Make it attractive and different from the rest. But give some clue about the purpose of the app behind it. And don’t overlook simplicity along the way. As you know: less is more.

 

 

Use captivating images and videos

If your app’s icon entails the first impact on its users, your app’s images and videos come in second.

Create attractive images that enthral users and encourage them to download your app. And don’t limit yourself to a few screenshots: go further and include real screenshots within a context, creating compositions and highlighting the app’s strengths.

You can also create a video that impresses your potential users. There are multiple ways to achieve this and they’ll always depend on the kind of audience that you are targeting. As a rule of thumb, go for a “teaser” video format that quickly highlights the app’s main features. This will leave users wanting to know more.

Take a look at this promotional video for an app to discover events, HeyYa!

 

 

Polish your keywords

As in SEO positioning, keywords are also crucial in ASO positioning. Make sure to carry out a proper keyword study in order to include them in the most important fields of your app’s store profile.

However, be honest about it. Avoid using certain keywords just because they give rise to a large number of searches. Choose only those relevant to your app so as to not disappoint users and make your strategy backfire by offering an app that’s not what they expected.

 

? You might be interested | ASO: Boost your Visibility in the Google Play Store with Localization

 

Optimise your app’s store profile

Make sure your app’s store profile is optimised to the largest possible extent. Include the keywords with which you want to position it in the profile’s key fields, i.e. title and description.

And bear in mind that each app store has its own rules. Be sure to abide by them, adjust the contents to them and respect the maximum recommended number of words or characters.

You can do this work yourself, but it doesn’t hurt to use a copywriter to find the right words to give a boost to your app’s downloads.

 

 

Encourage reviews

Positive reviews rank among the most important aspects when it comes to achieving good positioning in the application stores. Encourage your users to leave a review.

It will depend on the kind of app, but why not give something in return instead of just launching a push notification? It can be some kind of bonus if the app is a game. Or give out some extra points to users who post a review if you have implemented a loyalty programme.

Besides, you can highlight in the press releases that you send to the media that you’ll be happy for users to post their opinions in the app stores. And finally, you can also resort to the advice of influencers or YouTubers… Let your imagination run free.

 

 

Landing page

Even if we are discussing how to improve ASO positioning, don’t neglect organic traffic coming from other sources such as search engines.

Users often search the internet for something that meets a need that they have. Give this a thought. Let’s say you have created an app to find someone who walks dogs. A potential user of this app will probably search for this service in Google rather than the app store. Would this user be able to find you easily by using Google?

Create a simple website of the landing page kind that contains basic information about your app. It will work as a hook for your users. This will certainly provide a new source of downloads.

 

?? Here is an example landing page for Citymapper, an app for public transportation. ?

 

Draw attention to your app

Being clear about who you are addressing is essential. This is the reason why choosing the brand’s tenor is important. It will be influenced by the kind of positioning you pick and by which social networks you choose to be present in.

Although the goal is to increase your app’s downloads, you must create a community around it. Foster conversation among your users and unveil extras on social networks (or tricks if your app is a game, for instance).

By creating a community of followers, you will be generating content in the form of user conversations that will reach out to more people. And this will increase the chances of your app being downloaded.

 

? Related content: What Are The Best Mobile App Marketing Strategies? [2020]

 

Go international

The feasibility of going international will depend on the kind of app, but sometimes we focus on a single country and disregard that our app could be used in other countries without any problems.

Try selecting other markets and finding specialised media to talk about your app. Do you recall the saying “No man is a prophet in his own land”? You may often be quite surprised about what you can achieve in other markets.

 

You might be interested in | What is Neuromarketing and How to Apply it in a Company?

 

Are you already clear about how to promote your app?

Put our tips into use to skyrocket your app’s downloads. Nevertheless, if you want your app’s success to be assured, surround yourself with the best possible digital partner.

Yeeply is an expert in launching applications. If you need a team to promote your app and improve its ASO positioning, get in touch with us.

Let us know your project’s details and our algorithm will find the team that suits you best. Contact us and make your app’s downloads get off the ground.