App Store Optimization

Have you ever wondered why when we search for apps in online stores, we see them in a certain position? There are a million applications that were created and that are available to download. How can you make your target customers see your product in this million? Here ASO comes with help. The ASO method might be a bit time consuming, but it is definitely worth introducing. As the name says, it is a process of optimizing mobile apps.

               The first step made by you in ASO should be a choice of right keywords. You have to know which words your competitors are using in their app titles or app descriptions. Let’s take into consideration beauty industry. Let’s assume that you have an application in which you can buy products for hair. You can think about few words that could be used as a keyword. The first few words that let’s say came to your mind are herbal, gentle and organic. It might be something completely different from what your customers are typing in an online store. They might use for instance words like enriching, frizz-free or smoothing. You see now that there might be a difference between what you think and what your target group thinks. Even though words are coming from the same field they differ from each other. Now, if you would use one of the words that your customer used, it would make your product more visible while searching process. It’s the first step to make people interested in downloading your creation. In fact, the objective of ASO is to generate more traffic to your program and in effect to gain customers. That’s why it is important to know what words are the most used in your industry. This was the first method of ASO called Keyword Optimization.

               There is also a second method called Conversion Rate Optimization. After you increased visibility of your app in-store search, now it is the time to make people to download it and to make them your new users or maybe even customers. After app-seeker will see first few apps in a list, he will make a decision which one to download based on what will catch his attention. It means that icon, screenshots, and videos have to be made in a way that it will attract the customer’s attention. The icon needs to be eye-catching and connected with what you are offering. Make sure that whatever is on the icon it’s in good quality and that it’s obvious what appears on it. Next thing that people can see in a store before even downloading are screenshots from your soft. In this part you can show how your store works. It is a crucial step that is worth mentioning. To simulate how your mobile application works or to show the main features, the page layout, screenshots and videos will be needed. You have to remember that depending which OS you are using, there might be a difference in what you can change in-store to optimize conversions. For instance, Android offers a short description of your application but iOS doesn’t. Instead iOS offers subtitle which for Android is not available. That’s why it would be great if your app would be optimized for both types of operating systems. Android and iOS are the most popular mobile OS so it is worth to suit the app not only for one operating system but for both. In this way you are going to gain the maximum number of downloads and users. People nowadays are searching for new apps in App stores, Internet search is no longer popular in this case, that’s why it is crucial to introduce ASO.

               After these two methods are used and you still feel like your app is not performing it’s best, it’s time for A/B testing. It is a process of testing two versions of one soft with just one variable that differs these two versions. Later, the conversions from both apps are analyzed. You can see using this method that sometimes one small thing like one word, means a lot.

               It is not always under your control what people are looking for. For example, these can be rankings and numbers of downloads. In the world of threats that are coming from the Internet, people like to know if they can trust your software and if it is safe to use. Next reason why people are looking at rankings is basically the app quality and the User Experience that they are getting. If your soft is too slow or it is loading for a long time will make people leave negative comments and low ratings. The number of downloads doesn’t always show that the app is safe, but it will convince people to download and they will be under Social Proof influence.          ASO is still pretty new compared to SEO, but don’t underestimate the power of this marketing method! It might be the reason why your app will become one of the most popular ones!!