App Promotion: How to Take App Screenshots to Influence Download Conversion Rate?

App screenshots are the most direct way to showcase the functions and features of an app. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Especially for gaming apps, the graphics and operability can often be seen at a glance. Good screenshots can directly affect the download conversion rate of the App.

As graphic and UX designer Andy Watts points out, in the mobile industry, screenshots aren’t just about art design; they’re also a great opportunity to tell the story of your game. Andy Watts said that every screenshot of the app conveys an important message to users, which can help users understand the advantages of the app. He also recommends that the text you add be concise and clear.

Since the screenshot production of the App is always led by the operation personnel, this article mainly introduces the general principles of screenshots and also briefly explains the specific screenshot processing methods.

First of all, it should be noted that to upload screenshots and previews of the App, you only need to provide a set of screenshots and an App that supports the largest device size. Devices of other models and regions will be automatically adapted. Before August 2016, iOS developers needed to prepare multiple sets of screenshots when uploading apps, such as 3.5-inch, 4-inch, 4.7-inch, and 5.5-inch. This was just for the iPhone. If the app also supported iPad, 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch versions would be required. Without any one of the pictures, it cannot be submitted, so many developers will use some online services to upload a set and then convert them into screenshots of different specifications. Now that Apple itself provides similar services, there is no need to be so troublesome.

Screenshot Tips

The key to taking screenshots is to figure out which 5 pictures to choose as the display pictures for the Appstore . I don’t think anyone would think of uploading just one picture. Of course, this is also allowed by Apple… Apple's restrictions are mainly that "screenshots must faithfully reflect the actual content of the game, and do not use official Apple product images in your product."

Generally, apps will have 5 screenshots, but the first one is often the most important. Many players will subconsciously judge your game based on just one screenshot. If the first screenshot is well designed, players will be attracted and interested in clicking on your game, hoping to get more experience. The following is an introduction to screenshot techniques in two categories: games and applications.

Application

The selection of app screenshots is actually similar to the writing of the introduction. The first picture generally corresponds to the most core features of the app, so that users can directly understand what the app does. The next four pictures correspond to more specific app features.

Let’s take Tantan as an example. The first screenshot is as follows:

Tantan's first picture

As you can see, the first picture corresponds to the description of "a social app popular among Chinese people all over the world. Swipe left to show no interest, swipe right to like, and if you like each other, you can pair up and chat", which is also the core feature of the App. We also noticed that Tantan’s video ads also highlight its core concept of “Swipe left to show no interest, swipe right to like, and if you like each other, you can pair up and chat.”

Screenshot of Tantan’s video ad

The 4 screenshots after "Tantan" correspond to the specific function list:

The 2nd and 3rd pictures of Tantan

The following pictures correspond to some special features listed in the description, such as "【No Harassment】You can only chat after pairing, and you will not be harassed by people you don’t like", "【Safe】Your feelings will not be revealed, and he/she will not know your choice unless he/she likes you too".
Game Apps

For games, screenshots are like a virtual cover that can tell the story behind the game or summarize the main functions/features of the game.

The first picture should show the type of game, such as tower defense or role-playing, and choose the best scenes, images and the most exciting moments in the game. Taking Tianxia as an example, the first screenshot is as follows:

The first screenshot of Tianxia. This picture is actually two screenshots stitched together. This method is more commonly used in game screenshots.

This picture corresponds to the core feature in the introduction: "True 3D ultimate graphics, seamless big world! 3D MMORPG mobile game ", and you can tell at a glance that this is a role-playing game.

The next four pictures are also the most distinctive parts of the corresponding games, as shown below:

Screenshots of the last few pictures of Tianxia

They correspond to the features "Big World" and "Panoramic View" mentioned in the introduction respectively. Of course, the function of game screenshots does not mean that you must show the screenshot of the last level of the game to the players. The key point is to tell the players what experience your game can provide.

Screenshot processing

If it is an original screenshot without any modification, the effect will be the same as posting it on WeChat Moments without any retouching. Therefore, most screenshots of apps will modify the original pictures, which is also allowed by Apple.

The most common thing is that many screenshots of apps or games in the AppStore have text added. If the screenshot itself cannot perfectly convey the information you want, then you need to consider adding text. Screenshot text can generally consider the following functions: emphasize app features, explain operations, emphasize depth, etc. The text or title in the screenshot must help users better understand the function or gameplay.

"Simplicity" is the most important principle of screenshot captions. In the screenshot, you don't need to add a lot of text. Generally speaking, a sentence or even two or three words are enough.

"Clarity" is the second key point of screenshot text. Put the text directly on the screenshot, and make sure there is a color difference between the text and the image so that it is easier for players to read. When the color contrast between the image and the text description is insufficient, it is likely to make users not want to continue reading. Two examples of screenshot text are shown below:

Two examples of screenshots plus text. In the screenshot on the left, the small characters in the second line are not very clear, while the color contrast of the text in the picture on the right is very clear.

When making it specifically, if you want to add text, it is best to place the screenshot on a background image and edit it with graphic editing software. Photoshop is the most common one. If the requirements are not high, " Meitu XiuXiu " is enough. Apple's requirements for game screenshots are that they must be JPEG or PNG type, 72dpi, RGB format, and transparency cannot be set. If you only want to upload one set of screenshots, you can use a 5.5-inch (1242×2208) background image.

In addition to adding text, application screenshots can also be further embellished, but they must not be exaggerated or fictitious. App screenshots should mainly display the real information of the APP. Some domestic game apps only use CG animations as screenshots, but no real screenshots of the game. Now players are not fools, and this will only ruin their reputation.

After taking the screenshot, it is necessary to preview the screenshot, because the screenshot may look good alone, but it may not look good when it is actually placed on an iPhone or iPad device. You must ensure that the screenshot looks good when it is actually used.

The author of this article is @APPBK Wang Liang and it is compiled and published by (Qinggua Media). Please indicate the author information and source when reprinting!

Product promotion services: APP promotion services, advertising platform, Longyou Games