Building an app for your business is a great way to take your brand to a whole new level. Having it has a number of benefits, from bringing mobility to your business to increasing customer loyalty.
But launching an app is not an easy task. First, you need to be prepared to put lots of effort into building it. The process involves conducting extensive market research, finding a great app builder, creating an MVP, etc., which can take months.
Then, once your app is ready to launch, you’ll face a new challenge. Over the years, the app market has become very competitive, which makes it difficult for businesses to get discovered in the ocean of competition.
Having a comprehensive launch strategy is crucial for good positioning in the mobile app marketplace. In this article, we’re sharing 6 things that will help you successfully launch your app.
Research Your Industry and Competition
Market research is the first and probably the most important step in launching a mobile app as it helps you figure out whether there is a demand for your app. In addition, the results of your research will show you how to set yourself apart from your competitors.
Running a thorough competitive analysis means identifying exactly who your main competitors in the app space are and what they are offering, but it will also show you what you can do differently in order to be successful in the marketplace. Go through mobile apps that gave similar visual styles, features, and themes, and see how they are doing in the app stores.
When assessing your competitors’ apps, ask yourself the following:
- What mistakes have the competitors made with their apps that could be avoided?
- What have they done successfully?
- Are these apps missing something?
- Why do people use them?
- How are the competitors marketing the apps?
- Is your app bringing something of value to the market?
You need to make sure that your app isn’t simply a replica of a competitor’s app and that it provides real value.
Optimize Your App for App Store Search
Studies have shown that more than 55% of Android users and nearly 65% of iOS users discover their apps by browsing app stores.
If you want to rank well in app stores, you need to optimize your app. Here’s what you need to take into consideration:
- Usage of keywords in the app name and description. Research has shown that placing keywords in the app might increase the likelihood to rank well by more than 10%.
- Branding and visuals used for the mobile app. The visuals associated with each app play an emotional role and can increase the chances of downloading. Make sure to create compelling visuals and use high-quality screenshots.
- The number of positive reviews the app generates. You can encourage users you know through word of mouth to leave a positive review of your app or you could try sending push notifications to encourage users to review your app.
Get Testimonials For the App Description
If you want people to trust that your app is going to deliver value, you need something more than reviews – you need testimonials. They are the best way to start the relationship with potential users on the right foot, so don’t be afraid to show them what people who have already tried your app had to say.
Leverage Social Media
Beginning your marketing plan once your mobile app is ready to launch is a mistake. If you want to promote your app successfully, you need to start promoting it way before it hits the app stores. Once you have the core features ready, put together a marketing team, or consider hiring a social media management agency that will come up with effective ways to spread the word about your app.
Social media is a great way to attract organic growth and encourage engagement. Make sure to establish your presence on all relevant social channels ahead of time. Utilize Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as well as blogs to reach out to your target audience. You could also integrate social media into your app to enable users to share your app easily.
Create a Landing Page
Instead of limiting your presence to the app stores, consider creating a landing page for your mobile app to start spreading awareness about it and create a following. Make sure that the design of your landing page is clean and that it showcases the app’s features, screenshots, as well as the launch date. In addition, your web landing page should have proper CTAs and a contact form to help you collect email addresses of potentially interested users.
Create a Blog
Today, everyone is looking for information online. Creating a blog will provide you with an opportunity to serve your target audience relevant information while at the same time increasing your chances of discoverability on search engines as it is a great way of applying SEO techniques for your mobile app.
The good news is that blogs are very easy to design – all you need is a content management system like WordPress, which offers a great number of free templates to choose from and create a professional looking-blog without too much fuss. Even if you don’t have any writing skills, you can always hire an affordable freelance writer using platforms like Upwork or Fiverr.
Once you’ve got a solid number of followers, you can use your blog as a place to give updates about your app’s launch, but also to interact and engage with followers and blog visitors. If done right, your blog will help you create buzz and anticipation about your mobile app long before its formal launch.
Final Thoughts
When completed successfully, the above-listed tips can make a big difference to the success of your app’s launch.
Launching an app is only done once, but the journey doesn’t end there. Don’t forget to keep promoting, assessing, and improving your strategy in order to achieve real success.