Boost your downloads with these App Store Optimization tips

In this era of digitization, almost everyone is a smartphone user, with the count increasing every passing second. This is actually one source of economic generation in today’s market. Do you know why? It is simple. Every smartphone user uses an Apple App Store or Google Play Store, to download apps for their daily need and purchasing of apps is also an option. If you have a start-up which has its own app in one of these app stores, it is very obvious you would want your app to feature in the top of a search results page. How can you make this possible? Let us look at it.

What is App Store Optimization (ASO)

App Store Optimization, or ASO, is the method of optimization by which you improvise your mobile app to ensure that it reaches the ultimate goal of getting the most number of downloads and, ultimately, ranking the best in the top-charted lists for applications. There are over four million applications to choose from these App Stores. Who does not want their own app to rank the best but also one has to confront a huge competition! It is very important for your app to have a good amount of organic downloads and is the front-runner in the market. 

To ensure this one must go through these certain procedures or rather App Store Optimization Tips so that your App reaches to the zenith:

1. Relevant keywords

One should know what are the best and essential words for the app for the audience to search for. Understand the mindset of the potential viewers or even customers, in other words, one must mark the keywords that have relevance to the app so that the customers when searching for that keyword, your app should get in the top list.

Using non-relevant keywords for your app, can be a downfall for one’s app ranking. One form of a keyword is to be used which is either singular or plural. Using keywords with the word “app” or one’s competitor’s brand names can be penalizing.

Google Keyword Planner is a great help for analyzing keywords. Mobile Action and Sensor Tower are great app store optimization tools.

2. Improvising title and description

One can use metadata to get a good number of downloads and using a proper Title is one most important metadata. A short but relevant and also under 25 characters Title is the best and helps your app to be visible to a large audience. One’s own company’s name and top keyword will make the app easier to search for.

Relevant keywords under 250 characters can make a great description for the app. Anything additional to this description should be in the “read more” section.

3. Maximizing the keywords

Maximizing the Keywords are very differently approached by the two app stores: Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

In Apple App Store, there is a 100-character keyword field, which utilizes the perfect title of your app, as suggested earlier, along with the specific keywords (which describe your app well) within 100 characters. It helps to determine where one's app lands while a customer is actually searching something at a given time.

Whereas, Google Play Store uses another form for maximizing its keywords which is very much similar to Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. Compared to the Apple App Store, it does not use keywords and instead scans one’s app well with the description given. Hence, you are given 4000 characters to use to describe your app in the most natural, local language a customer shall use.

4. Suitable icons and screenshots

Use suitable icons that can give you a shape to your app in the market. An icon which is easily discoverable and unique helps the audience remember and easy to recognize the company’s brand better. 

Screenshots are also a great source of getting attention. Usually the audience makes decisions on the basis of looking at the screenshots. Uploading a number of screenshots will be all the more helpful.

A colorful template should be used to give the app a professional and classy but admirable look altogether. Using proper fonts for the app is one section to be well looked upon. Visual features are very essential in an app.

5. Video descriptions

Uploading a video can help describe one’s app better and also increase downloads by 35%. This a great optimization in the entire improvisation of one’s app. Increase in download means increase in the app’s ranking.

Video description is more valuable than a better Title or Visuals. A good number of audience download apps within a few minutes, so a good video description helps you to get a better number of downloads.

6. Know your Competition

Knowing your competitors is one essential thing, you must know. Analyzing their business strategy is one important thing for a business to reach ultimate heights. 

Pinpoint the best category for your app and find the number of competitors in that field. Next, the number of apps that are updated recently and the download ranking of the apps in your category.

You need to monitor and carefully analyze the popular apps in your category. Also, analyze the difference in the ranking on adding a keyword or metadata. Use a competitor analysis tool, to get better results.

7. Backlinks

One’s app must be actively very well linked to a number of relevant websites keeping in mind Google's current algorithm standards. Backlinks can be in any form; be it text or image.

8. Positive reviews

Positive reviews which are honest and compelling are very essential for an app to reach better heights. But one must know the way to keep your customers happy and only then can expect a positive review.

One of the best ways to keep your customer happy is to keep engaged and using ways to make loyal customers for your app. Automatically, this will help your app rise in the competition.

9. Updates

One most crucial way to keep your app in the visual is by updating the apps frequently. Updating apps keep the way in the view of the customer and is marked as a high-value product. 

Also, the app must remind its customer to update the app. Just by updating the app will not help. The customer should be reminded to update the app to the latest version.

10. Crash-free app

Make sure that your app is free of any such fault, because if the fault comes into the notice of the customers, you shall have to face the abundance of dislikes on various online platforms and in the review section. This is going to ultimately affect your own app standards. 

Ensure that the development team fixes all issues pinpointed by your customers so that your other customers do not have to face future crashes. You can use Metrics to analyze your app crash rate as well as retention rate. 

Satisfaction of the consumer should be the first priority for an app to grow to the heights.

11. Localization

When we talk about the app getting the best ranks, we consider the competition in the world scenario. An app has to be compliant to every corner of the world. On this level of competition, language barrier arises which needs to be curbed so that people of any local can use your app without any problems faced.

Both the App Store and the Google Play Store give the option of localizing the listing so that one can make their app more readable and discoverable to audience worldwide.

These eleven tips can help make your app reach ultimate heights in all such lists you want your app to rank in. These are the ultimate mantra to the success of the most popularly downloaded app.