10 Best App Store Optimization Tips For 2021

App development is not as easy task as it looks. It requires a great deal of time, money and effort. But it is not enough. No matter which category your app belongs to, it will be nothing if people don’t know about it. It won’t be truly successful in the app market until you boost its visibility and downloads to survive. Here comes the need of app store optimization. Most of  you may not be aware of this. If you’re also one of them, let’s have a look at app store optimization tips to follow in 2021. But before digging into tips, let’s see the details of app store optimization and its need.

What Is App Store Optimization?

App Store Optimization

App store optimization are enhancements made on app download page to boost the app visibility and encourage more people to download it. ASO(App store optimization) mainly focuses on two leading app store platforms- Apple App Store(ios) and Google Play Store(Android). It is not a “one and done” kind of activity, it needs continuous attention and consistent updates.

Need Of App Store Optimization-

More than 5 million applications are available at Apple app store and google play store. From this, you can recognize the level of competition that your app will face. Main aim of app store optimization is to increase the number of downloads and loyal users. First step to increase downloads is to make your app easily noticeable by the right users. But how to do this? Let’s have a look at best tips for app store optimization in 2021.

7 Best App Store Optimization Tips-

1. Optimize App Title And Description-

Titles are the most important metadata that you can use to increase your downloads. So you must follow best practices to write title and description. It is recommended to write title of less than 25 characters so that the entire title is visible on the application’s view screen. Title should be unique and easy to remember so as to increase the number of downloads. Use of primary keyword and your company name in title will make your app easier to find. Once you’ve selected a name, try searching for your application. If there are lots of results, your app name isn’t creative enough. App’s description should include relevant keywords in the first 250 characters.

2. Optimize Keywords-

Keyword optimization is important step in app store optimization. You should understand which keywords are relevant to app that you’re trying top optimize, what terms are consistently searched for in mobile app stores, main competitors and their behavior. Relevant keyword selection can enhance the app’s visibility in app store’s search results. 

3. Include Attractive Icons And Screenshots-

Attractive visuals can give you an edge in the app marketplace. Select an app icon that is easy to recognize and will be memorable for your brand. Use different colors than your top competitors to avoid the confusion from potential customers. Most people search for screenshots before making a decision to download. So we recommend you to use relevant screenshots that attract user. Also, include visual features that show how your app is more valuable than its competitors.

4. Add A Preview Video-

Including a preview video to the app page can increase downloads by 35%. Each increase in downloads results increase in app’s rating. As most of the people prefer to search and download an app in minutes, add a video that shows the most valuable feature of your app. With this, user will get to know the detailed features of application without downloading it. App preview videos can be upto 30 seconds long.

5. Know Your Competition-

Knowing your competitors helps not only in business strategy but also for ASO too. Prior to adding your application to app store you should choose a category for. Here are some factors to consider while choosing a category-

• Number of competitors
• Number of apps that are constantly updated
• how popular the category is (in downloads)

Once you’ve added app to the app store, you should continually track the top performing apps in your chosen category. Analyse whether their ranking changes when they add a keyword or change metadata. Do best to rank keywords before your competitors can. Continuously track the competitors who have similar aim, app features and apps that use same popular keywords that you use.

6. Create Backlinks-

So as to create backlinks, your app must be actively linked to websites that are relevant to your application and trustworthy according to current google algorithm standards. Backlinks can be in image form using ALT tag or in text form. You must remember that “Quality over quantity” is preferred methods of backlink success.

Know more at- https://solaceinfotech.com/blog/10-best-app-store-optimization-tips-for-2021/

10 Secret Costs In Mobile App Development

 

These days, mobile apps are an integral part of our lives. We can get anything with just a few clicks of a mobile app. App industry doesn’t stop here. Mobile apps are now entered in the business world. A recent survey found that many companies are planning to build a mobile app and if so, enterprise mobile app development will outpace desktop application development. But, there are some surprises along the way. As more and more companies enter into mobile application development for the first time, many commit a crucial mistake- they go into the process with a limited knowledge of the true expenses of building up a mobile application.

Most of them believe that development cost starts and ends with the developer. But it is not true. The fact is something different from this. When building a feature rich custom mobile app to achieve your business goals- there is no such thing like cheap, app builder tools or get the app in just 2-3 days. If you’re thinking of investing in mobile app development, you must know details about it’s expenses. Having a good knowledge of required costs would be a best way to avoid financial issues later on. But before we see the details of these unexpected cost, let us differentiate between mobile app types.

Types Of Mobile Applications-

There are three types of mobile applications-

• Mobile web app- These kinds of apps are generally referred to as an “HTML5 app”. These are cross-platform apps that are accessed through a device’s web browser. 
• Native app- Native apps are those apps that are installed on the device itself and distributed via platform’s app store/market.
• Hybrid app- These kinds of apps are the combinations of two apps- Native app and mobile web app. They look and feel like a native app, but are web apps in native wrapper.

Let’s get started with secret costs  in mobile app development.

Types Of Secret Costs In Mobile App Development-

1. Functional Cost-

Functional cost is the cost of implementing an app’s functionality. To work a specific functionality, you need to subscribe to a service that provides a delivery mechanism. There can be a “n” number of services used by applications. As for the cost of these services, it might be hundreds or even thousands of dollars for every month. Push notifications, email, social media integrations, and also sms notification are some examples of paid services.

2. Administrative Cost-

Administrative services provide you continuous access to data so that you can update application’s content and manage users without need of the IT department. It is difficult to predict the cost of administrative services because it depends on the type of mobile app that you are developing. These costs increases, and you’ll need to pay them on an ongoing basis to keep apps alive on a platform. Dashboard emulators, functional services management, dynamic updates, access controls, data segmentation, analytics/event collectors are some of the examples of paid administrative services

3. IT Support Cost-

IT support services/Continuous technical support is important for maintenance of any kind of application. And you can’t make a high quality app without this. Just an issue is that support costs increase with time. API maintenance, bug fixing, app update submissions, ios and android updates, are examples of IT support services.

4. Infrastructure Cost-

Infrastructure costs incorporate costs for data delivery, application hosting and data storage. These services need redundancies and load balancers for security servers and backup. Data storage, image data, servers, content delivery networks, development tools, libraries and support are some of the examples of infrastructure cost.

10 Secret Costs In Mobile App Development-

1. Cost Of Application Design-

Before going in detail of app development, you should decide the level of UI/UX that you’d like to have- Bare(simple with just main functionality), stock(app like most of the apps on store), custom(good design with unique icons, buttons, backgrounds, gestures). Most of the companies assume that app developer will handle the design as well. But it is a big mistake. A good designer is necessary for a mobile app’s success. Why? 

A confusing interface and poorly designed app are the main reasons of uninstalling the app by users. So must invest  in a good designer. If you want to test the app idea, develop an MVP first, see the results and then go further. 

Also know- Top 10 mobile app UI/UX design trends in 2020.

2. Publishing App To App Store-

Most of the companies don’t realize that publishing/ keeping an app in app store is not free. Microsoft and apple charge $99 per year whereas, google charges a one time $25 fee. Remember that before your app get published on app store, it has to go through the approval process. And this may take extra time with some extra app development cost. Why? Because, if your app doesn’t meet the app store requirements and guidelines- it will not be accepted by app store. So you need to do some changes in the app so as to get it approved. Additional changes always implies additional costs. This only applies to native and hybrid apps because mobile web apps are not distributed via app store/market. 

3. Cost Due To Change In Requirement-

At the initial stage, cost estimation is given on the basis of initial specifications. But sometimes, there is possibility of change in specifications because business users want extra features or others want to change the design. And each change increases the cost. Underestimating what developer or a development company will end up costing can be a biggest mistake. Generally, they came with a reasonable estimate, but many projects take much longer because of various changes/updates that need to be done. This cost varies by the type and amount of changes in mid of the project. 

know more at- https://solaceinfotech.com/blog/10-secret-costs-in-mobile-app-development/

What you should do to get more downloads to your app(app store optimization tips)?

User acquisition is a big challenge for app marketers. From the many surveys it has been concluded that, smartphone users download an average of three apps per month. It is a small number in comparison to how many apps are currently available. As of June 2016, the Google Play app store and Apple’s App Store sell over four million apps combined. There are many options are available so attracting user interest is a difficult task. Fortunately, there are numerous successful ways that can encourage more users to download your app. Here are nine tricks to help you boost your marketing efforts, and metrics you should track to gauge your success. Let’s discuss one by one.

App store optimization tips-

App Store Optimization

1. Encourage User Reviews- 

Increasing the visibility of your app is one part of improving downloads. After user found your app, you’ll need to convince  

Them to download. And here reviews are most important because users normally trust to word of mouth recommendations, for eg., user reviews.  Reviews not only shows the quality and importance of your app to potential downloaders, but also provide an excellent opportunity for you to engage with customers. If reviewers provide suggestions or even complaints, you can respond and show potential users how responsive you are to feedback. By doing this all the time, you’ll inspire trust and encourage more app downloads as a result.

2. Check that your app is crash- free –

If your users are facing any problems with your application, they’ll share their experience online so you can easily detect if your application is defective. After you react to their complaints, your developers should fix the problem quickly so that your app never crashes again.

However, it’s more effective to take a proactive approach—your app should undergo vigorous testing so that your developers can identify all bugs and resolve them before you make your app available to the public.

Metrics to track:

• Crash rate
• Retention rate

3. Motivate users to make referrals-

Referrals are another approach to exhibit quality, relevance, and trust, which will help to increase downloads. You can transform your existing users into brand ambassadors by giving them an incentive to refer your app to their friends.

For example, for a ride-sharing app, you can provide free ride credits in exchange for a referral.

Metrics to track:

• Number of in-app referrals
• Number of downloads

4. Pay attention to content-

Creating attractive and relevant content to promote your app can help you to engage more users. You can use online articles, videos, or infographics. For a gaming app, you can upload walkthrough videos to show off your game’s high quality visuals and gameplay to impress your audience. You can also share user-generated content to help community.

5. Engage on social media-

Social media is there to help you to show off your app. It is an effective way to extend your reach and introduce your app to new clients.

However, your intended target group will spend time on one platform over another, so analyzing the attention of your users demographics is important. Responding to your followers and encouraging them to share their thoughts exhibits that you care about your audience’s sentiments.

6. Measure, analyze and optimize-

It is important to continuously analyze how users are interacting with your app in order to ensure that they remain engaged. Are they effectively utilizing the application the manner in which it was intended to be utilized? Are there any issues that are restricting you from monetizing your app? You can use these analysis to optimize your future campaigns. Perhaps you’ve seen that many users from a specific source stop interacting with your app after a day or two. This can be because they weren’t a qualified audience, so you can decide to redirect your battle endeavors to other securing sources.

7. Put your mobile-best foot forward

App stores are only becoming more saturated, and with the industry moving toward the convergence of mobile web and mobile apps. It’s careful to consider how your brand translates across multiple channels instead of focusing on just your app experience. 

8. Influencer and community outreach-

Surveys from perceived specialists carry more presentation to your application, however they additionally impart more trust in your app. By researching the right specialists you can set up a helpful organization that will construct your brand and boost application downloads.

9. App store optimization-

App store SEO is the process of optimizing mobile apps for achieving a higher rank in the app store search results. It is similar to Search engine Optimization for websites so it is also referred as App Store Optimization.

App Name and Keywords-

Use of keywords in your title can result upto 10.3% boost in the rankings. Both Google and Apple’s search algorithms scan the app name for keywords when user performs a keyword search. Both the platforms give high priorities to apps with app names that have search input. 

App Name Format-

Keep the actual brand name short and sweet. You can then append this short brand name with a few keywords, typically preceded by a dash or a semicolon. App Name Format – Use the format – “Brand Name – Keywords” or “Brand Name: Keywords” For eg., Google Maps – GPS Navigation, Amazon – Shopping made easy, eBay: Buy & Sell – Find Deals.

App name length-

Apple limits the app name to a maximum of 30 characters in iOS 11 whereas, in Google Play Store App name is limited to 50 characters.

App Subtitle-

This field is available in the iOS App Store only. App subtitle appears under your app name, and is limited to 30 characters only.

App description-

Near about only 5% of the users click on read more button below the short description. So use each character to specify your product and also to grab the attention. Avoid blank lines and interrupted sentences.

App Promotional Text-

Your app’s promotional text appears at the top of the description and is limited to 170 characters. Despite the fact that the promotional text is NOT indexed in the app store search, the good news is you can change this text anytime without releasing a new version.

App Icon-

A good icon can increase your app downloads up to 560%! Keep your icon design simple and eye-catchy. Do not squeeze the small space with many items or words. You want people to remember the icon after the first impression. Likewise, guarantee that your symbol will even now look great when it is downsized to the littlest size required by App Store/Google Play. It should also look good against light and dark background.

App Screenshots-

 60% of users won’t swipe your first two screenshot images. A better version of your first two screenshots can boost your conversions by 25%! Make sure each screenshot is telling a single message about your app. Show your strongest messages in the first two screenshots. The best apps use all five screenshot slots to impress their users, and you should do the same. Adding short caption texts on your screenshots can help, but make sure they are on a clean background. And try to create a positive impression in the viewers’ mind at all times.

Also there are some ways that you can use to boost your app downloads. These ways are- App store keywords, App preview video, App store ratings, App indexing, app conversion rates, App size, App pricing, App updates. Know the latest trends of mobile app development at- Best Mobile App Development Trends in 2019. 

Do you want to develop an effective mobile app for your business. Then Solace is the right place. Expert at solace are well trained to develop an application that will be the face of your business. Contact us for mobile app development that helps you to boost your business to the next level.