Having a successful mobile app for your business is not just about adopting the right strategy, or having the right positioning–it’s also about applying small tactics that increase app downloads one step after another.
You need to make continuous efforts to stay afloat among others in the arena of cut-throat competition from competing businesses. One of the main reasons to pay attention to increasing app downloads is that mobile is no longer a fill-in-the-gaps channel, but the primary way to promote a brand, build reputation and drive revenue.
Though your company may not be able to release the ultimate can’t-live-without-it app offering, start tactics are the key to appealing to a larger consumer base and ensure your app always gets recognized in the noise.
Here are 3 ways to increase downloads for your app:
Add real life experiences and videos
Although most smartphone apps carry the screenshot language, it’s a better idea to go beyond the plain picture and show how customers use your app or benefit from it. Give your customers the real picture – show the app in context to how it is going to be used (nearby restaurants, outdoors, around friends etc.) by using real-life pictures instead of screenshots.
It would also be a great design to create a ‘how to’ or ‘getting started’ video. If there is a 2-3 minute video demonstrating the basic workflow of the app, the visual explanation would attract a greater number of audience. An introductory video with subtitles for the local language can do wonders to your app download rate.
Follow app testing best practices
Regardless of you having a killer app, people can still drop out and get attracted to competing apps for more than a single reason. That is why it is important to test apps frequently to discover elements that are encouraging people to bounce off. For example, you could test if users are properly interacting with your app through visual reports on behind the scenes actions such as pinches, apps and swipes. This will provide insight to these gestures and inform if they are working properly and which actions users love to perform.
Mobile app testing will ensure a positive user experience while also driving revenue. Mobile apps also require device testing to make sure that the app is working on all devices. Compatibility with common devices used by the target market can significantly affect the download rate, so you would want to ensure cross-platform compatibility as well as test to confirm that the app works without lags on all major smartphone platforms.
Issue a media statement and try sponsorship
Make continuous noise about your app: positive reviews, life-changing experiences, and the whole nine yards. Get in touch with popular websites as they would provide more exposure to your app. Give them a free trial and ask them to do a hands-on review on their site – this will bring your app into the limelight. You can also offer promo codes on popular customer forums; this is a great way to drive traffic to your app, which ultimately results in greater downloads.
Also, try to get a sponsorship for your application: it can ease all the financial constraints pertaining to marketing your app on a larger scale during endeavors to increase app downloads.
Featured image credit: colorful application icons/ShutterStock
