The 10 Ways You Can Uplift Your ASO Game
Looking to boost your app store optimization? You love your design, your app icon, and it works flawlessly on every device you tested it on. But no one is downloading your app. If that’s the case, you’ve run into the same problem many developers encounter after they publish their apps.
App Store Optimization is a concept that every developer is already well aware of. It is what we have been vouching for as the secret of the app’s success and visibility. Every Mobile app development company views ASO as the direct route to enhancing app performance and increasing your app visibility.
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| 10 Powerful Strategies to Boost Mobile App Download |
For those who are extremely new in the App Store game and are unsure of the concept, let us quickly glance it through -
What is App Store Optimization?
App Store Optimization (ASO) is the process of bettering the app visibility on App Stores - Play Store and Apple Store.
It also engulfs the process of converting app views into app conversions. The process that iOS app developers to make your app rank on top among the millions of other apps in the stores takes you through the technical route of finding the right set of keywords and altering your app’s title, description, icons, and screenshot to gain enough attention from the onlookers to convert them into loyal users.
I hope now you know what is ASO, it is time to look into ways you can take the basics of App Store Optimization to the next level.
The 10 Ways to Up Your ASO Game
It is important to know the tricks to Optimization your App Store. Here are the 10 tips to improve your ASO. Let us begin!
1. Keep your Keywords in Under 100 Characters
In iOS, you have the freedom to add keywords along with your app description. The Apple Store uses search algorithms on these keywords to rank your app in its list. So, it is very important to use these keywords very wisely.
Now, Apple allows you to keep your keyword character limit up to 100 characters, so what you should aim for is keeping them well within the 100 character limit.
While setting the keywords, avoid keeping a long tail keyword, your app name, plurals, etc. Also, separate your keywords with a comma and no spaces.
2. Keep Your App Title in Under 50 Characters
Assuming that yours is not a very famous brand, chances are users are not aware of your existence.
So, the right strategy with your app description would be to not highlight your app’s USP but instead use keywords that explain what your app does.
Ideally, along with your app name, you should weave in keywords in the form of a short one-line description. E.g. - Clear - Tasks, Reminders & To-Do Lists
Let your title be clear enough for the users to know what they would be getting and for Apple search algorithms to rank your app on top.
3. Make Your App Details Different From the Generic Apps
The number one black hat tactic that app developers follow and Apple frowns upon is keeping app names similar to the ones that are famous among the iOS users.
Along with the app name, you should aim for keeping dissimilar app screenshots as well.
Keeping a similar sounding name or having a similar looking app image will work very negatively for your individual brand image.
Another practice that can adversely affect your brand image is using celebrities’ names or trademarks in your app name or using their picture as your app photo. So, unless you have permission to use the names and trademarks, avoid using it.
4. Choose App Categories Wisely
Go with the app category that describes the primary function of your app and not what it can also do. In the primary category, go with your app’s main purpose and in the secondary category go with one that is the USP feature of your app.
Among the 24 app categories that are presently there in the Apple store, decide your category as the one that -
- Describe the main function of your app
- The category that has similar apps as yours
- Your users will search for
5. Write Descriptions for Human and not for Apple Search Algorithms
Your one chance to show how amazing your app is by drafting your app description in a way that best explains your app’s USPs and is easy for humans to read and understand.
Here are a few hacks to up your app description game -
- Include bullet points
- List out the benefits
- Add in Social Proof-like mentions and press coverage
- Detailed information on the update
- Links to Support or Website
6. Optimized Description Opening Lines
In Apple, you only get limited space where you can describe your app, the rest remains hidden until the user presses on Click More.
Keeping that into consideration, the opening line of your app description should not just be optimized for the Apple search algorithm but should also be engaging enough for the users to install the app without any second thoughts.
7. Stay Away from High Search Keywords
Don’t get carried away in the mesh of most searched for keywords when your application is awfully new in the industry.
For the first few months, even a quarter, aim at keywords that have low competition and low search volumes.
Once you have created a market standing for those keywords, aim for medium search, and medium competition keywords for another quarter before moving to the high volume high competition ones.
The idea is to build high social credibility before moving on to the next set of keywords.
8. Make your First Two Screenshots Count
A Storemaven report suggests that over 60% of the users don’t move past the first two screenshots when in the decision cycle of whether to install your app or to let it pass.
So, it is very important to make those two screenshots extremely attention-grabbing and at the same time the best description of your application.
When finalizing your app screenshots, go with the ones that are -
- High Resolution
- Shows the Best App Features
- Have a Plain Background to Ensure Easy Readability
- Uses Annotations and Overlay Text
9. Localize to Reach Masses
If you look at the app revenue charts, only 31% of the revenue comes from North America while over 41% of revenue gets generated from the Asian users. By restricting your app to English, chances are that you will be losing out on a number of users that don’t understand the language but come with huge revenue potential.
Start with first localizing your app’s codebase and once you are through with that, localize your app title, the keywords that you have selected, and the first lines of the app description. Once you see the conversion rate rising, localize your app’s videos, images, descriptions, reviews, and currency.
10. A Special Focus on the App Icon
Your app icon is the first thing that users notice and base their install decision on.
There are a few time validated app icon design elements that are known for their high attention and high conversion benefits -
Let’s quickly go through them -
- Limited Color Palette
- Shadow and Transition Effects
- Line Icons
So here were the 10 ways you can up your ASO game to generate maximum conversion and witness a peak in the app install rate. But, know that App Store Optimization is an ongoing process, there will always be new keywords to target, better images, and videos to upload, and more competition to study.
However, by implementing these 10 ways, you will already come on top of the mad visibility race every developer is on.
Tripti Rai
Being in the writing business for several years now, Tripti Rai is presently focussing on unfolding the elements that make mobile devices interesting. Currently associated with Appinventiv as a Content Manager, she is keeping herself well read with how lives are about to change in the wake of world entering the Mobile Era and how to prepare the world for the race. When not writing, you can find her slurping chocolate shake in a stray dog’s company..
10 comments
It is knowledge sharing article, Very useful to increase apps downloads. Now a days millions of apps are live and all of them we have to come out in top ranks. Promotions are very necessary to improve ranking and downloads.
This article has written by Tripti Rai. ;)