App store optimisation, otherwise known as ASO, is something that is overlooked more times than not, by many app developers and marketers. Once the initial development is done, and the app has been uploaded to all the major app stores, mobile app marketers tend to focus their attention on other marketing techniques. For example, blogging, social media, paid advertising and any other way possible to drive potential customers to the app store page.
Don’t get me wrong - these tactics are all very effective in their own right. But, have you considered the possibility, that after all your hard work in getting your user to the app store, it was your poor choice of screenshots, ambiguous description or negative reviews that resulted in them choosing not to follow through and download your app?
These are all factors that impact upon your ASO. No matter what channel your visitors come from, this is the final stage of the app marketing funnel and so definitely the most crucial.
If you have a desire to increase the visibility of your app to relevant users on the app store, resulting in increased downloads, but yet don’t want to spend huge amounts of money on marketing techniques then ASO is your new secret weapon.
You’re welcome.
With well over 2 million apps available on the major app stores getting your app in front of the right users amongst all the competition remains one of the biggest issues. A simple app store search drives a staggering 67% of app downloads, making search within the app stores the most common method for discovering and downloading new apps.
However, if your app store page isn’t optimised well then it will fail to appear in many relevant searches and you could be losing hundreds, maybe even thousands of potential downloads as a result.
A little time and effort spent each week on improving and updating your app store will enable you to reap the benefits in the long run, and keep those organic downloads coming in.
Brittany Armour from Clearbridge Mobile explains that “ASO will help ensure that your app gets seen in the App Store and will help amplify your other marketing efforts.”
Recommended Reading - ASO: What The Industry Experts Have to Say
What is ASO?
App store optimisation is the continuous process of improving an app’s rank and discoverability in an app store. The higher your app ranks in an app store’s search results, the more visible it is to potential users.
Think about the process of search engine optimisation (SEO), or in other words, how websites compete for rank on Google or other internet search engines. Well, ASO works in a similar way, except with apps competing for rank on the app stores. When deciding which apps to show first in their search results they take into account numerous factors such as app store keywords, app-usage, app downloads, uninstalls and reviews.
In short, ASO involves continuously tweaking and updating your app’s page on all the app stores, ensuring it is ranking as high as possible and being seen by all the right people.
If you haven’t already been convinced that you need to devote more time to your app store optimisation strategy then the following benefits are sure to be enough to change your mind:
Organic installs i.e. lower acquisition costs
One of the best things about ASO is that with a good strategy your organic installs will increase and cost you absolutely nothing! Once you’re optimised your app will start ranking higher for different search results, improving your visibility and increasing your organic downloads, all whilst keep your acquisition costs down.
Get your app in front of relevant users
The key word here is relevant. There is zero point in having your app seen by people who aren’t looking for it, so this is where ASO steps in to help. If you aren’t using the same keyword that your target users are searching for, or your app description doesn’t explain well what your app does, or even if you’ve chose the wrong category, all these factors reduce the chances of getting your app in front of the right user.
Increased revenue
If you monetise your app in any way, say from ads, subscriptions, in-app purchases etc., then ASO will benefit you in terms of an increased revenue from all the extra downloads you are receiving.
Stability
These extra downloads and increased revenue provide your app with a much more stable future. Whilst pumping your entire budget into paid marketing techniques at the very start may give you a burst of new users to begin with, this is not a long-term fix. Once the downloads slow down it may be tempting to up your marketing budget further but this is not always a profitable option and the money will eventually run out. However, with continuous effort and regular tweaks of your app store page you can keep those organic downloads coming in consistently over time by improving or maintaining your rank in the app store search.
For more information on ASO you might be interested in checking out our guide ‘ASO: What The Experts Have To Say’. We teamed up with 5 industry experts to create this comprehensive guide to help you ensure that your ASO strategy is up to its highest standard.
I’d love to hear from you if you have anything to add or any questions, feel free to leave a comment or reach out to me directly via emma@hurree.co.