This presentation covers app store optimisation tips and tactics. The topics are:
1. App store icon
2. Screenshots
3. Ratings and Reviews
4. App Store Assets
5. App Store Optimisation - description, name, keywords
6. Analytics
7. Translations
8. PR
This presentation has been updated for iOS7 and the latest app store updates on iOS and Google Play. There is also an appendix which contains links, references and additional resources.
This presentation was delivered at the "Advanced Online Marketing Training Course" in Sydney, Australia on 16 July 2014.
If you are interested in building an mobile app, please get in touch with us at http://tapmint.com.
2. About Us
Matthew Ho
● Love TV series, movies & sports
● Digital Producer background
● Worked online for 7 years
● Next Digital, Deloitte, Airbnb
● Twitter: @inspiredworlds
Head of Product Development at Tapmint
3. About Us
Tapmint
● Innovation, rapid experimentation,
complete solutions
● Native Tongue - First winning team in
Startup Weekend in Australia
● 4 language game apps
● 400,000 downloads
● Twitter: @tapmint
4. Rule No.1
● There are no tricks
● Just blood, sweat, and tears
● Three years of learning, testing,
experimenting
10. 1. App Icon Design
App Categories
● Icon is first thing that a
consumer sees
● Displays icon, ratings, name,
price
● Consumers are attracted to
visually appealing icons
11. Wunderlist
● Design - texture, colours, red
banner, star, 3D effect
● Stands out visually and can be
recognised
1. App Icon Design
13. iOS Icons
● iOS automatically:
○ round corners
○ add gloss
○ can opt for no gloss and add your own
● See Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines
1. App Icon Design
14. Tips
● Stand out visually in a sea of apps
● Don’t need words
● App icon template
● We do app icons last, screens first
then icons
● A/B test app icons
1. App Icon Design
15. Tips
● Study app icons on:
○ app store
○ dribble.com
○ scoutzie.com
○ How does it stand out?
○ Consider the overall design of the app
○ See appendix for more resources
1. App Icon Design
21. 2. App Store Screenshots
iOS search results display
search result
price
icon
ratings
1st screenshot
search term
22. 2. App Store Screenshots
iOS7 Mobile App Store
● iOS7 app store search results presentation
● Previously: stacking the apps up, vertical scroll
● Visual card style, horizontal scroll
● First screenshot is even more important
● Consumers can decide based on image
23. 2. App Store Screenshots
Tips
● Study what works for the top apps
● Communicate unique value proposition visually
● Tell a story with screenshots
● 1st image is very important
● Use all the screenshots available
● iTunes - 5 images for iphone and 5 for ipad.
● Google Play - 8 images for phone, 8 for 7 inch tablet,
8 for 10 inch tablet
24. 2. App Store Screenshots
Tips
● Use text annotation to
communicate feature/benefits
● Consumers look at images first
before app description
● A/B test images
● iTunes images can be updated
with a version update
● Process of constant
improvement
25. 3. Ratings & Reviews
What influences you when you
buy from a vendor on ebay?
30. 3. Ratings & Reviews
Request Ratings
● Typically bell curve distribution: 1 or 5 star ratings
● Request ratings from users
● Could be 5 plays or 50 plays
● Get more 5 star ratings from people that love your app
● Use Appirator
● Encourage users to leave app reviews
31. 3. Ratings & Reviews
Customer Feedback
● Have a way for people to contact you send you
their questions/ feedback
● Listen to app store reviews
● Post feedback online - facebook, twitter, blog
● Post positive AND constructive feedback
● Address constructive feedback
● Turn negative reviewer into an advocate
● On google play, the app developer can respond
to feedback
37. 5. App Store Optimisation
● App name
● Up to approximately 25 characters including spaces
will display on iTunes app store. After that its “....”
● Relevant keywords
● Do you appear in search results?
● “Mandarin Madness” to “Learn Chinese with
Mandarin Madness”
Optimising Name and Description
38. 5. App Store Optimisation
● Elevator sales pitch
● First two lines are critical
● Keyword density
● Length of text - keyword density in relation to the
length of text
● Reviews from articles, prominent people
● Separate paragraphs with symbols eg ***
● Readable and clearly explain what you do
App Store Description
39. 5. App Store Optimisation
Dropbox vs Google Drive keywords, https://sensortower.
com/
40. 5. App Store Optimisation
Top Keywords http://www.appannie.com/
41. 5. App Store Optimisation
http://www.apptamin.com/ASO_Cheat_Sheet.pdf
42. 5. App Store Optimisation
● Related apps from a developer
● More apps in your network
● Single function apps - better UX for mobile
● Keeping them simple
● Facebook app & Facebook messenger
● Google Mobile Apps: Drive, Docs, Sheets, Maps,
Google Plus, Search, Youtube and more (170+ apps
in ecosystem)
Network effect for ASO
43. 5. App Store Optimisation
● http://copyhackers.com/2012/06/how-to-write-an-app-store-
description-for-itunes/
● http://www.apptamin.com/blog/optimize-play-store-app/
● http://www.internetmarketingduru.com/app-marketing-how-
to-write-a-killer-mobile-app-description/
More Resources
48. 6. Analytics is Your Friend
● Downloads
● Retention rate
● # of sessions (weekly vs monthly)
● Time spent per session
Mobile Metrics
49. 6. Analytics is Your Friend
● Conversion funnel analysis
● Track events (progression, share high score to facebook)
● Comparison to industry averages in Flurry
● Upsell rate (dropbox 4%, evernote 3%)
Mobile Metrics
50. 7. Translations
● Not all app stores are in English
● Your customers might not understand English
● Need to translate your app description & in app
text to multiple languages
● Use gengo.com for human powered translations
● Consider translating the app name
52. 7. Translations
● Native Tongue is a language learning company
● We choose professional translations:
○ Translator passes higher level of language
testing and proof read by 2 translators
● API for string text (translate directly from
website or app without manual effort)
● Can do 30+ translations from English
● 1 day delivery
How we use Gengo.com
53. 8. How to get PR
● Journalist don’t usually write about one app
● Write about segments of apps (e.g. travel,
productivity, finance)
● Introduce yourself to journalists
● Targeted and customised approach
● Follow up articles about other apps
54. 8. How to get PR
● Media kit can contain:
○ Product pics: app icon, screenshots
○ Photos of “everyday” people using the app
○ Company logo
○ FAQ & press release
● Enables journalist to have the info and assets
they need for an article
Media Kit
55. 8. How to get PR
Cinderella App Media Kit http://nosycrow.com/media-
kit/cinderella-app
56. Contact Me
● Matthew Ho, Tapmint
● Email: hello@tapmint.com
● twitter.com/inspiredworlds
● Personal blog: http://inspiredworlds.com/