So you’ve just built an Android app one. You’re really proud of your design, the app works on every device you tested and there seems to be no competition in your niche. After publishing it, you go ahead and share it on your Facebook Profile page. You feel you’re onto a winner!
Next day you’re eager to check out how many people have downloaded it. "12 downloads" and give android reviews. Hm… something must be wrong! So you start to really promote it now. You spam your friends constantly with Twitter and Facebook updates. A month later, you’re still below 500 downloads.
Where possible, your description should be localized in most common languages such as Chinese, Korean, Spanish or French. Google Play has a nice feature (which won’t be available with the new Developer Console update, so hurry up) which will let you do the translation automatically using Google Translate. However, some translations do come up weird, so make sure you double check Google’s work.
For the App Store, you could do it yourself or look into human translation; it’s worth the money, or just use the browser-version of Google Translate.
Your description should contain certain keywords you’re targeting with your app. Say you have a camera app named “Funky Camera Tricks”. Use the word ‘camera’ 3-6 times in your app description, (while keeping it relevant) and also use the words ‘tricks’ and ‘funky’ a few times.
Go on the normal Adwords Keyword Tool and search for lateral keywords to use as well. Using lateral keywords (the ones suggested by Google after you’ve done your main search) will improve your app’s chance to get into the search results for those main keywords. You want to create a Goldilocks description: not too much keyword usage, not too long or too short. Keep it balanced.
Don’t forget to talk about any permission your app is requesting upon installing. The user will see them anyway so it’s better to be honest from the start. List all your app’s features, while also being transparent about any monetization models you have in place.
Making a video for your app is a must. If you’re going down this road, I would advise you to hire a professional agency, or a video editing (freelance) plus a voice talent.
Most of the traffic from searches on both Google Play and the App Store will go only as far as the 50th app in the list. Naturally, developers strive to make their app reach the highest spot. One tactic is by making use of a CPI (Cost-Per-Install) Campaign via different advertisers.
You’ll pay a certain amount of money for each install. The idea is not to make a positive return on your money, but to propel yourself in the list of Top 50 apps in your niche. If you reach that spot, the effects will last long enough for you to get your money’s worth.
You can offer your app for free or at half price for a period of time. Couple that with the beforementioned CPI campaign and a medium-sized user base already in place, and the effects can be mind-blowing. There are also android app promotion which can help promote your app Downloads and android ratings.
There are some services out which can handle press release distribution for you such as PRWeb or MarketWired. Just write your press release and send if out. There are even mobile specific agencies such as AppShout which can help you contact a massive number of blogs and publications.
Having analytics is a must. You’ll want to keep your active device numbers as high as possible. That’s the key to continuous downloads. Good app analytics should offer multi-app options, give you the ability to compare between them, let you see the user’s behaviors, from download until app deletion. You’ll also want to set up key trigger points inside the app in order to run A/B testing.
So many Android developers forget to do the simplest things, such as creating a cover image for their app. Don’t make the same mistake. A cover image can really boost user downloads. Make it unique, and don’t use the same picture from the screenshot. If you do use the same picture, at least take the time to resize it so it won’t look weird. You want users to trust you before they will be willing to download your app.
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