However, just like many other things in life, it is the little things that can make a big difference. Luckily, you are just a few steps away from the expedition of your mobile app growth. Here are 5 essential ways that you can grow your app with App Store Optimization.

“Change is inevitable, growth is optional”

With more than 5 million apps on the app stores, standing out is only going to get harder.

1. App Store Optimization – It’s All About Keyword Optimization

App Store search is how most people will find your app.

So let’s start here.

If you want people to find your app in the App Store search tab, you are going to need to choose the right keywords to represent your app.

Without keyword optimization, all of the hard work you put in may go in vain. Therefore, make sure that you get the most of our App Store Optimization tools to get mobile app growth.

How to Find the Best App Store Keywords

The right keywords are relevant, have low competition, and a good Search Score.

Apps are meant to be downloaded, right?

The first step of receiving a download is to make your app visible to the relevant users. So how are you going to increase your visibility in the market? With App Store Optimization.

In other words, you need to optimize your keyword set, in order to increase your visibility score in the market. Only after you conduct proper keyword research, you will be able to find the optimal keywords to increase your organic rankings.

To get more keyword ideas, be sure to use our ASO Intelligence module. It will help you to spy on your competitor’s keywords and help you find more keyword ideas.

Using our keyword spy tool, you can instantly view the keywords your competitors are using in their metadata, as well as the keywords that they rank organically.

Here is a small preview of what you can access with our competitor intelligence tool.

App Titles for Mobile App Growth

The keywords that you include in the title of your app are usually indexed for keywords in both the Google Play Store and the App Store.

If you are not a big brand, your app name is your most important weapon. For instance, people might search for “cab taxi ride” to find a cab app.

That might sound weird to you now, but when you are in a rush and typing on your phone, that is probably what you would search for too.

If you do not use proper keywords in the title of your app, you are most likely to miss a lot of users. Since they will not come across your cab app in the search tab. If you are Uber, then you might not need those keywords… But it can’t hurt.

Here is an example.

As you can see this app uses relevant keywords in its metadata and therefore increases its visibility score in the market.

You should also consider using words with a higher Search Score in your app title. They would generally have a better chance of ranking well, compared to using them in your regular keywords.

Be sure to check your keyword rankings at least twice a month…and weekly, if possible.

Feeling lost? Don’t worry, Our ASO Guide goes into detail about every aspect of the process. Be sure to check it out.

2. App Icon

Be a Fruit Loop in a world full of Cheerios!

If you do not give the necessary care to your app icon, you should revise your mobile app growth and user acquisition strategies.

The app icon is the first thing that users will see. This could be your only chance to make a great impression and convince a user to tap the download button.

For better or worse, many people judge the apps by the first impression of their icon.

So make your icon the best it can be.

Here’s what makes a great app icon design:

• Simple, memorable and elegant
• Do not use text in icon, that’s what your app title is for
• Do not use borders
• High resolution image (Should be 1024×1024 for App Store)
• Give viewers an idea of what the app is used for (No need for big brands)

3. Screenshots

Once you get someone’s attention, it’s time to show them why your app rocks.

The next place people will look is your app screenshots. Let’s face it, nobody likes to read.

Keep them simple and explain a specific benefit of your app. Use text to highlight the value propositions of your app.

Don’t assume that people know what they are looking at in the picture.

Since Apple gives you ten screenshot slots, use them all. Most people may not get to the last screenshot, but using all ten slots gives you the opportunity to tell people more about your app.

Take advantage of that.

Usually, you want to emphasize your biggest selling points in the first couple of screenshots.

Moreover, a continuation of colors is a must. Therefore, using your brand colors will certainly be in your favor.

Look at what big brands have done. For instance, Nike Training App’s screenshots’ colors are based on their user interface and logo.

Never forget that your creative assets are crucial for conversion optimization and the success of your app marketing strategy.

4. The App Description Does Matter

Now that your app icon is eye-catching and your screenshots are fabulous, let’s turn to your app description.

Many developers think app descriptions are not important, but nothing could be further from the truth. Finding the best description is extremely important to fully maximize App Store Optimization.

Do not forget, you are “speaking” with your customers, and their final decision to download your app could depend on your description. So even though the description does not get indexed in the App Store, it is still important for the success of your ASO strategy.

In this manner, even though English is a widely used language in the world, speaking to your customers in their mother tongue may significantly increase your conversion rate. Therefore, app localization should not be ignored in ASO and other mobile user acquisition strategies.

Perfect App Description for Growth

The first three lines of the description have to be amazing because that is the only thing that people will see unless they click the “more” link.

So put your best foot forward.

For instance, you can do many things with the Facebook app, but the ultimate benefit of Facebook is the ability to keep in touch with your friends. So that is what they mention first.

• After your primary benefit, you can list more reasons why people should use your app.Use bullet points and short sentences. Make it super easy to read. Keep your ideal user in mind and use terms that they will understand.
• If you are thinking about cramming a bunch of keywords into the description, don’t do it. That’s always a bad thing to do and it will catch up with you later.
• Show off your great reviews from the media. Don’t be shy!

5. Rate and Review for Growth

Before downloading an app, I personally look at the app title, app screenshots, and then the app reviews. Many other people probably do the same thing.

Reviews are a great way to tell what people really think of the app. You can find out if there are any common problems that people are having, or if there is a hidden benefit that they didn’t mention elsewhere.

Remember, high app store ratings and good reviews will probably end up with downloads. So, reward your app keyword-optimization efforts and your efforts will reward you with mobile app growth.

Bad reviews can very easily drive away potential users who would be fruitful for your app.

So, how can you improve your reviews and ratings? The bottom line is that you need to pay attention to them and react quickly.

Show Your Customers That You Care

Because today’s negative reviews can turn into tomorrow’s positive reviews. Plus, good communication with your users plays a great role in improving mobile app retention.

If you listen to your customers under the review section, you will be aware of the situation.

Are people happy with your app?

What kind of problems are they experiencing?

What can you do to improve your app?

When you respond to these questions as frequently as your users ask, you will have happy users. Happy users will stay with your app, give you high retention rates and attract new users as well.

Now let’s see some common issues in the reviews section.

Problems with the UI, frequent glitches, bugs, or crashes, and poor customer support mainly lead to negative reviews. Here is what you can do to deal with these issues.

• Check your reviews for words like “glitch”, “bug”, or “crash” and see how often they are mentioned. You can use our Review Analysis Module.
• Be proactive, honest, and empathetic when it comes to customer support.
• Also look at your competitor’s reviews to find out what people want.

Tracking and analyzing your app’s reviews will definitely improve your retention performance in the app store.

Conquering App Store Optimization 

Mobile app growth is closely attached to your efforts for app store optimization. Following these 5 easy steps will significantly improve your ASO strategy.

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by Talip Sencan
source: MobileAction