How to Attract New Users to (L)ASO: The Secrets of App Store Optimization
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2024 8:21 am
Today we will talk about ASO , or the so-called App Store Optimization .
Before we begin, however, let's crunch some numbers .
In 2020, an estimated 200 billion apps were downloaded worldwide.
240 billion dollars was instead spent on mobile advertising.
$270 billion was ultimately spent by users to purchase apps and their internal services.
A market that during the last two years, also due to the pandemic, has seen an unprecedented boom , both in users (especially in Asia) and in spending per individual user (in Western countries). From the latest surveys for the current year, however, it does not seem that this trend - with the return to normality - is reversing.
That said, it is clear that there could be a huge business opportunity , which germany phone number library however comes up against some difficulties because the app market is perhaps one of the most complex.
Just consider that the average person has around fifty apps on their smartphone (including pre-installed ones), uses less than 30 of them per month, and just 4 or 5 per day, out of a total of hundreds of millions of apps currently available.
a cell phone with a cartoon character on it
These figures perfectly represent the difficulty of managing to enter permanently into people's lives (which is essentially the final goal of any application).
That said, the element that often makes the difference between success and failure, besides the purpose of the app itself and its quality, is promotion .
When we talk about “promotion” we are citing an infinite set of activities and strategies, first and foremost the ASO, which also plays a leading role.
In this article we will focus on App Store Optimization, defining strategies, best practices and objectives.
Let's take a step back and start with the basics. So what is ASO? How does it affect app diffusion? And how does it vary from store to store?
Definition of ASO
ASO is – in a nutshell – all those activities that serve to maximize the organic visibility of an app in the online stores that allow it to be downloaded.
How does App Store Optimization affect app distribution and how is it applied?
ASO allows you to define the interests of your audience (which keywords they search for, which images are most appealing, how they relate to competitors, what they like or dislike, etc.) and helps the marketer and the company that uses it to identify the best response to these needs.
The ASO is outlined in different activities, depending on the objectives of those who use its characteristics.
Below is a list of the most common uses of App Store Optimization strategies :
Search for keywords that can improve your app's visibility in the stores.
Optimize them after publication to ensure the best possible result.
Make the graphic assets related to the app, such as screenshots, icons and videos, beautiful and interesting.
Identify which markets and languages your app can be relevant to.
Track ratings , read and respond to reviews to gain insights on needed improvements.
Use of extra-store channels to increase the visibility of the app (articles, social, dedicated website, etc.)
Follow the behavior of competitor apps (updates, keyword changes, etc.) to stay ahead and not lose visibility.
Optimize your business with A/B testing of images, graphics, and text: The Google Play Store makes this process easy by providing an integrated platform on the Google Play Console. However, for other platforms like the Apple App Store, ASOs can run A/B tests via third-party tools.
Tool for doing App Store Optimization
Many companies – also out of necessity – use tools aimed at improving their ASO strategies. Some are free, while others are paid: in general, in many cases they prove to be very important for the success of the strategy. Let's look at some of the most popular features. We are referring to tools for:
Before we begin, however, let's crunch some numbers .
In 2020, an estimated 200 billion apps were downloaded worldwide.
240 billion dollars was instead spent on mobile advertising.
$270 billion was ultimately spent by users to purchase apps and their internal services.
A market that during the last two years, also due to the pandemic, has seen an unprecedented boom , both in users (especially in Asia) and in spending per individual user (in Western countries). From the latest surveys for the current year, however, it does not seem that this trend - with the return to normality - is reversing.
That said, it is clear that there could be a huge business opportunity , which germany phone number library however comes up against some difficulties because the app market is perhaps one of the most complex.
Just consider that the average person has around fifty apps on their smartphone (including pre-installed ones), uses less than 30 of them per month, and just 4 or 5 per day, out of a total of hundreds of millions of apps currently available.
a cell phone with a cartoon character on it
These figures perfectly represent the difficulty of managing to enter permanently into people's lives (which is essentially the final goal of any application).
That said, the element that often makes the difference between success and failure, besides the purpose of the app itself and its quality, is promotion .
When we talk about “promotion” we are citing an infinite set of activities and strategies, first and foremost the ASO, which also plays a leading role.
In this article we will focus on App Store Optimization, defining strategies, best practices and objectives.
Let's take a step back and start with the basics. So what is ASO? How does it affect app diffusion? And how does it vary from store to store?
Definition of ASO
ASO is – in a nutshell – all those activities that serve to maximize the organic visibility of an app in the online stores that allow it to be downloaded.
How does App Store Optimization affect app distribution and how is it applied?
ASO allows you to define the interests of your audience (which keywords they search for, which images are most appealing, how they relate to competitors, what they like or dislike, etc.) and helps the marketer and the company that uses it to identify the best response to these needs.
The ASO is outlined in different activities, depending on the objectives of those who use its characteristics.
Below is a list of the most common uses of App Store Optimization strategies :
Search for keywords that can improve your app's visibility in the stores.
Optimize them after publication to ensure the best possible result.
Make the graphic assets related to the app, such as screenshots, icons and videos, beautiful and interesting.
Identify which markets and languages your app can be relevant to.
Track ratings , read and respond to reviews to gain insights on needed improvements.
Use of extra-store channels to increase the visibility of the app (articles, social, dedicated website, etc.)
Follow the behavior of competitor apps (updates, keyword changes, etc.) to stay ahead and not lose visibility.
Optimize your business with A/B testing of images, graphics, and text: The Google Play Store makes this process easy by providing an integrated platform on the Google Play Console. However, for other platforms like the Apple App Store, ASOs can run A/B tests via third-party tools.
Tool for doing App Store Optimization
Many companies – also out of necessity – use tools aimed at improving their ASO strategies. Some are free, while others are paid: in general, in many cases they prove to be very important for the success of the strategy. Let's look at some of the most popular features. We are referring to tools for: