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What is Mobile App Development? It involves various activities and processes in creating software for mobile devices. Mobile app building creates apps for various devices, including smartwatches and phones. Even web developers must consider mobile accessibility and ensure their websites look great on mobile devices.
When you try to use all of the features modern smartphones have, including near-field communication and GPS, Bluetooth, and cameras, problems start. These features offer new opportunities for app developers but also make app development more difficult.
To be competitive in this market, top app developers must squeeze all features into mobile devices with less power to make their apps stand out against web applications. What are some other issues that you might face when developing mobile apps? And how can you make it more efficient?
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What Should You Know About The Process Before You Start?
Are Mobile Apps Failing: Why?
Although the mobile app development market is expanding rapidly, it generates tons of revenue for companies and reaches new customers. However, more than 80% of apps fail. How can you maximize your chances of success?
Lack Of Unique Value Proposition
Startups and SMEs often fail to find an original idea for launching apps and copying others. Your application will be lost among thousands of similar apps if it doesn't offer unique value to customers. We will show you step-by-step the process of developing mobile apps.
Bad User Experience
Intechnic's latest survey found that 80% of users will abandon an application after only three attempts if they find it difficult to use. Users have a less satisfying experience with mobile apps due to slow page loads, intuitive navigation, feature accessibility, and a lengthy registration process.
It Is Impossible To Solve The Real Problem Of The User
Many businesses don't know how to solve a particular problem for their users and fail to identify an exact user problem. Your app will not succeed if it isn't fully functional and doesn't solve the unique problem users are facing. An example of a well-defined user problem might look like this: We don't have the time or energy to cook healthy meals. We want to eat healthier and better.
There Is No Clear Strategy For Monetization
Companies do extensive research and identify the problems of users. Then they create an app to solve those problems. Yet, they fail to make any money. It is because there is no comprehensive monetization strategy. You can attract users by simply creating an app and then launching it. However, you won't be able to monetize. In the next section, we will discuss monetization strategies in more detail.
There are over 4 million apps available for download on the top app stores around the globe. This means that enterprises need to have a solid marketing strategy to be successful in today's market. Although mobile app development is key to success and building a functional app is crucial, users won't even know the product exists.
From the time they learn about the app to the point they become loyal users, mobile app marketing encompasses every interaction. Effectively marketing a mobile app involves understanding your target audience, communicating with them, and learning how to reach them. It also includes analyzing their behavior in the app to improve as they move through the acquisition process. The ultimate goal of any Mobile App Marketing Strategy is to attract users who will engage with the product again and become loyal fans.
This guide will show you how to market a mobile application. It covers the three phases of a mobile marketing strategy and the metrics that can be used to determine long-term success.
The Awareness or Pre-Launch Stage
Before the product launches, awareness is the first stage in a mobile app marketing campaign. This stage is for brand awareness and product visibility. How will your target users find your mobile app? It is essential to have a good understanding of your brand positioning and messaging before you begin the awareness stage. Customers connect with brands through their values and purpose, not product features. Users can connect more deeply with your brand if you define its position. Here are some steps and strategies you can use during the awareness phase of your marketing plan.
1. Set a Release Date
Apple is more strict than Google in its review process. This could delay your product's release or cause you to experience a setback you didn't expect. You can plan far ahead to give yourself enough time to prepare for your product's hard launch and anticipate any contingencies.
2. Do Market Research To Understand Your Customers
Preliminary market research is one of the biggest mistakes made before launching an app. Before you start any development work, it is important to identify key players within your app category. No matter how well-informed your marketing efforts are, your app will fail if it doesn't address the user's pain point or solve a problem already solved in the market. App Annie offers a wealth of valuable app market data.
3. Create User Personas
Identifying your target users, their values, and their main pain points is a key objective of the awareness stage. A mobile app can have multiple user groups, and each user will have a unique journey.
A user persona can be described as a fictionalized representation of your ideal user. User personas contain information about the user's background, mobile preferences, interests, and unique identifiers. User personas address the core goals and current challenges of the user.
User personas are a foundation for user journey design. They allow you to tailor every aspect of your mobile product according to your users' preferences. Your target user should be able to identify everything, from branding and in-app content to functionality, features, platform choice, and monetization strategy. You can answer key questions about your marketing strategy by defining your target audience and creating user personas. Take, for example:
- What is the common pain point that this audience experiences collectively?
- Which mobile operating system is this audience using? Which mobile operating system do they use? Android or iOS?
- What content is this audience interested in?
- Which tone, voice, and content style resonates with this audience?
- Do you see any visual branding patterns in this audience's online activity?
- Are these users following any influential people in the product's vertical on Social Media?
- Which platforms can you use for paid advertising best?
- These users are known to make in-app purchases or pay for apps.
Personas can be used to help you coordinate design and business decisions to attract the right customers to your product. You won't be able to deliver a product that meets their needs if you don't do enough research on your audience.
4. Do a Competitive Analysis
Your app will be competing. You should make a list of the top five competitors. Include their current prices, monetization models, app store ranking, user experience (UX), pros and cons, and notable reviews. You could even create a competitive matrix to compare your app to others. You should ensure that your app does not repeat poorly designed features or UX elements that users have criticized. Consider what makes your app stand out from your competitors. These are crucial considerations that should guide your app marketing strategy.
5. Make A Website Or Landing Page
App installs are most likely to be made via mobile websites. Creating a landing page for your product before launch or at least a teaser clip is a common practice. You can reuse the video content in paid ads, app stores, and social media.
Pre-launch websites are a great way to create hype about your app and build your domain authority. Set up your website and collect email addresses to keep your followers informed. Let them know when the mobile app launches and any new features. You can also showcase 5-star reviews on your website. Otherwise, it will make your brand seem fake.
6. Outreach Initiatives
Outreach initiatives are a key part of marketing a mobile product. Contact influencers, bloggers, and publications to get backlinks and honest reviews. You should compile a list of contacts in your niche and relevant to your industry that may be interested in reviewing, writing about, or reviewing your app. Your pitch should be concise and include a link to your landing page or press kit. They will have all the information they need if they are interested in writing about your application.
7. Promote On Social
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow you to expand your web presence and communicate directly with your target audience through social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. If you are targeting specific age groups with your app, find the most popular social platforms among them and focus on these platforms. Some of the things you should think about are as follows:
- Do you see an app in your profile picture?
- What is the app's purpose?
- Is it possible to get the file from the link?
Followers will be excited to see Mobile App Development Company updates and feature announcements. Use the hashtag in your posts whenever appropriate. To build a community around your app, share promotional and entertaining content.
8. Create A Content Marketing Strategy
It would help if you started writing blogs months before you launched. You'll be an authority in your chosen niche and have many followers when it comes time to launch. Write a simple launch post. Highlight the app's features and showcase photos and videos. There are many benefits to content marketing your app:
- Content can drive traffic, conversions, and brand awareness.
- You can build a brand around it by being an expert.
- Content can build trust with users.
- You can use blog content for email marketing, re-engagement, and social media.
The Acquisition Stage
The possibilities for user acquisition strategies are limitless. You should be flexible, creative and constantly improve your strategy. Ensure you get as many downloads as possible in the first week of your launch. The faster your app is downloaded, the better it will rank in search results for the App Store. When users download your app, it is crucial to track from where they came. You can then focus your efforts on the most lucrative channels and improve the rest. Here are some strategies to attract users.
1. Paid Strategy
Start advertising on social media platforms such as LinkedIn once the app has been launched. These ads are very effective in user acquisition. Depending on your target audience, you should consider other platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter. Although the reach may not be as wide, it is still very effective, particularly for millennials.
LinkedIn's advertising platform allows businesses to target the right audience based on their interests and location. Social ads are a great way to target your audience. People have shorter attention spans, so ads should communicate the purpose of your product in just a few seconds. Google Search Ads may be an option if you provide the solution your users seek.
2. App Store Optimization (ASO)
App Store Optimization is optimizing your App Store page to rank higher in search results. It also converts at a higher rate. App Store searches are responsible for discovering over 65% of all apps. Your app will rank well in searches for a particular keyword for several months. Potential users will see your app more if it ranks higher in search results for a particular keyword.
More downloads will result from the greater visibility, which will aid in getting editors to take notice of your software. App store optimization depends on various factors, including title and keyword selection. The title of your app is an opportunity to grab users' attention and encourage them to download it. For best results, include a keyword in your title. These keywords should be strategically placed in your listing to ensure you appear when users search those words. Include the benefits and features that the user will receive from the app.
Include screenshots and videos to add value. Many people would love your app but won't be able to find it in their language. Localizing your app can change this.
3. App Store to Feature Pitch to Apple's Editorial Staff
Marketers can also use the App Store to get featured. Apps that are featured have a higher chance of being downloaded and visibility. This can lead to lower acquisition costs, increased engagement, and more revenue.
Professional App Store curators review a paid or free app and game daily. Apple is regularly contacted by thousands of people seeking to feature their mobile apps. If done well, this tactic can work. Create a compelling pitch that describes what your app does and why it is unique.
The Retention Stage
Although most people put a lot of thought into acquisition marketing once they have acquired users, it isn't generating any revenue if nobody is using the app. Next, you should create a plan for retention marketing that converts your new customers to lifelong users. Here are some strategies to help increase retention.
1. Establish Two-Way Communication
Your app experience should align with the user's preferences and needs. This will increase the likelihood that they will continue to use the product. Within 28 days of receiving a message, user retention for in-app messages from brands to interact with their customers will range between 61 and 74 percent.
In-app messages can be important notifications, even though they don't need immediate action. These messages can warn users about app issues, payment problems, and version upgrades. Be aware that not all messages you send are relevant to all users. Segmenting your audience lets you ensure the information they receive is relevant to them.
2. Push Notifications
Statistics show that push notifications can increase user retention by anywhere from 56% to 180%. Push notifications are 88% more popular with users who opt-in than those who don't. Higher retention rates mean higher app ranking.
Giving users incentives to use your app can be a great idea. Mobile-specific rewards, special content access, coupons, and special promotions can all help to drive engagement and increase conversions.
Steps For Continued Success
1. Ask Users For Feedback
It is a sign that people use your app frequently. You can give them a chance to voice their opinion by inviting them to review. However, this should not compromise user experience. Consider when and how you would like to request a review. Make sure that it is easy for users to use. A popup placed strategically will increase the chance of a positive review.
2. Take A Look At A Burst Campaign
Mobile app marketers looking to increase their app store ranks use a "burst campaign." Burst campaigns are designed to give your app a quick boost of exposure. Depending on your budget, you aggressively buy paid media exposure, usually for between 24 and 72 hours.
Your goal is to get paid installs, which will increase your ranking. This is done to increase the number of quality organic installations. These should occur when the app has been ranked high enough for users to find it. Paid advertising will continue to bring you more organic downloads, even if your campaign is not as successful. Keep the momentum going.
3. Refer A Friend And Get A Bonus
Promoting your app online can be a great way to encourage users to share it. Dropbox's impressive 3900% growth rate is a great example of how powerful referrals are. In 2008, the company had only 1,00,000. However, their referral program helped them grow to 4,000,000 users in 15 months.
Set Goals And Track Key Metrics
You can only determine if your marketing strategy works by setting goals and tracking the growth in app store ratings over time. You'll also need to track many analytical elements throughout your user journey's acquisition, conversion, and retention stages. This is why measuring should be an ongoing process.
You will want to monitor key metrics such as churn rate and daily active users (DAUs), session duration, time in the app, session interval, and cost per acquisition. These metrics will help you determine which tactics worked well and which didn't. Your app's downloads rise if you focus your resources and efforts on high-value strategies.
Don't Over Promise
It is important not to sell too much. Word of mouth is the best strategy to market any mobile app developer. You cannot lie or promise too much. Your messaging must be consistent, or users will become frustrated and uninstall your product.
Diversifying your app marketing strategy is important when creating a broad strategy. People will connect with videos, while others will connect with images and text. Make sure app reviewers can access diverse content at all times. Your strategy should be flexible with iterations, and continuous optimization is key to finding the right balance between different approaches.
When marketing an app, one of the most important things you should do is define KPIs. You can identify potential bottlenecks in the user journey by tracking the relevant metrics at each stage. It is crucial to focus on real-time data and use it to optimize your app's performance.
Conclusion
Your effort is not finished once the application has been released. First, monitor important input data, including user behavior, demographics, social sharing, and funnel analytics. You may use all of this information to assess your application's performance and make necessary adjustments to satisfy user needs.
Second, there is a huge need for innovation because of how fiercely competitive the Mobile Application Market is. In addition to developing, testing, and implementing new features and functionality, you also need to get user input. Due to market saturation and shifting platform policies, this process is ongoing.
Finally, promote your application to reach your target market and fulfill your company's objectives. Your product will surely get lost in the sea of available applications if you don't sell it.
