The whole purpose of creating an app is to make people download your product. Creating an interesting app is not enough; you have to make the users notice it. But how can the users find your app in this competitive landscape where each and every app is vying for attention. Let’s discuss about some effective methods.

ASO: the most effective way to market your app

App store optimization or ASO is probably one of the most effective ways to increase the ranking of your app in the search results. Let’s say you search for ‘Fitness Regime’. You will be surprised to see the number of results. Never bother to look at all the results when deciding to launch an app. In fact, no one will look at all of them. They do not have time to decide on the best. On a practical note, we will only look at the top results. Rarely will we go beyond the first 10.

ASO functions just like SEO. It applies the same search engine optimization techniques using phrases and keywords to redirect the customers to the specific product. But the process is not very simple. The search algorithms will never be explained by Apple or Google. And you never know what might work. It is difficult to find what might strike the right chord with the users. But there is a silver lining to it. You will at least get to know about the competitive apps when you give a search term. You can also have a look at the ranks. This research will help you to find the best ways to describe your product. Half of your work is done, when you know your competitive landscape. Pitching your product becomes easier to your customers.

Design and colour of the app should be eye-catching

Before we know what the app is all about, it is the visual image that catches our attention. Humans rely mostly on sights and sounds to evaluate a product. That tiny icon which first appears on the mobile screen can create the much needed impact you are looking for. To know what might just click with your users, take a look at the popular apps in Google Play and App Store. Take note of the fact of what the big players are doing. Take ideas from their design and format. For example, in game apps, often the head of the popular characters can appear as icons.

Zoosk for instance is a dating app, and they have used the quintessential heart to represent their service. It is a smart move, and it has worked. Slotomania for instance shows the icon of slot numbers as it is an app for a casino game. The basic idea of the icon is to capture the essence of the product. Research shows that we connect emotionally to the icons on first impressions. The logic is simple. If people like it on the first instance, it is a hit with everyone!

• It is best if the apps work on different platforms like Android and Windows
• The apps should have push notifications; if the customers choose to download the app, they will automatically receive the coupons and offers from you
• Customers love it if the apps have GPS direction
• If it is a mobile ordering platform, it should integrate seamlessly with the existing platform
• With the recent buzz of e-commerce, the shopping cart feature becomes a must for the mobile app
• If the app is not integrated with social media, you are going to miss out a lot of activities

Is your app paid or free?

We as users are always partial towards free apps. If you can have it for free, why pay for it? There are thousands of apps. Some of them may have a longevity of not more than a few seconds. So why waste money on an app when you can have it for free? To make your app popular, you might actually give it out as a free app. This generally garners popularity. For making money out of it, try out other methods like advertising or in-app purchase policies. This will automatically make your app a popular one in ASO.

Can reviews help your apps?

Yes, good reviews can actually help. There will be a boom in sales with massive downloads. But for a good review, you might have to do something strategic. First, you need to find out the publications or analysts whose reviews matter a lot to the users. There is a risk involved in it. The analysts may make or break you, but that is a chance you have to take. Connections to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook can help to boost the popularity factor. The app should be engaging in such a way that it is subtly competitive and create interest among you and your friends alike.

Think about the markets

The marketing of apps can largely depend on where it is marketed and how it is marketed. Different countries are divided by different languages and cultural activities. This difference is often stark between western and eastern countries. In Japan, for instance mobile apps are largely advertised in televisions to generate interest. Advertising techniques will also vary based on the country and usage of the apps. In Brazil, for instance Android-based apps are more popular. In-app advertising can be more effective as a revenue-generation method here. The same can be said about countries like India, where money becomes an important matter of concern when it comes to buying apps, as opposed to affluent nations.

With a little bit of research and a little bit of experience, you might have an effective method to popularize your apps!