Four soft methods of app promotion that you may not know!

It is not difficult to develop an APP. The difficult part is to get it accepted by users and to make them use it continuously. According to the Wall Street Journal, 69% of users have used a new app less than 10 times, and more than 25% of users have only opened it once after downloading.

"Why do you want to develop an APP?" "What effect do you want to achieve?" As an entrepreneur and developer, these must be thought of before designing. According to a professional Entrepreneur website, the APP name should be simple and easy to remember, with a representative icon, a streamlined UI user interface, an interesting introduction video, a web page introduction, a press release, etc. to attract users' attention. Be careful not to develop one just because other brands have their own apps. A failed APP not only wastes corporate costs, but may also damage the brand image.

● Intimate reminder

Many developers try to design gorgeous user interfaces and backgrounds, but this often has the opposite effect. Once users feel that the app is too complicated or they don’t know how to use it, they will delete the app or give it a low rating. In addition to easy-to-understand text descriptions and a clean interface, the APP should create interactivity to remind users of the existence of its own application. Only in this way can users continue to use the APP rather than just for the temporary novelty.

●Case

The app of fashion brand Forever21 uses a clean UI interface, with a white background and black text to clearly let users understand the brand's appeal. It not only promotes its own brand, but also introduces the current week's promotional discounts, exclusive magazine content reading, outfit introductions, mobile coupons, and catwalk videos. Forever21's APP is highly interactive and has successfully penetrated the target group, and users will want to continue using it to get the latest information at any time.

User experience

Mobile apps are closer to people's lives and more influential than other marketing methods. However, too much interaction may be regarded as "harassment" by users and may be deleted. In addition, when users need to spend more than a minute learning to use a new app, the result is that they will immediately uninstall the app. According to Forbes, a professional financial information portal, three factors will affect the download rate: user-friendly interface, free APP, and download capacity.

According to Inside Business, the following five reasons will cause users to uninstall mobile apps:

●76%—Usage fluency is too slow;

71%—prone to crash;

59%—Slow system response;

●55%—Power consumption is too fast;

●53%—Too many ads.

● Intimate reminder

Whether the APP interface is easy to operate and whether the layout design conforms to user habits will affect consumers' attractiveness to the APP. Companies should prioritize their main demands rather than simply putting all their ideas into the APP. Otherwise, the excessive size of the APP will easily lead to the above factors and make it easier for consumers to uninstall it. A new app is considered successful as long as it satisfies 80% of its users. Trying to capture all users may have the opposite effect.

User testing

Developers and businesses themselves will not be able to see the shortcomings of their own applications. Ask the target group to experience the user and share their thoughts. Keep testing it over and over again until all users are satisfied. This can improve your own APP and reduce the failure rate when the APP is launched.

● ASO application market optimization - appropriate keyword search

Through keyword optimization, the number of downloads can increase by 300%. Therefore, finding the right keywords is very important for APP marketing . Which category is your brand in? Games , health, consumption, finance, travel introduction or social media? Once you find out your own category, you can do a competitor analysis. Enter the APP of your peers to view keyword search content. Or you can search from the five-star ranking list of similar products downwards to find out the most popular keywords, identify your own advantages and emphasize them to differentiate yourself.

● Intimate reminder

Google Adwords Keyword Planner is a practical tool launched by Google that can help brands narrow down the scope of keywords in order to find the most suitable keywords for their APP. Mobiledevhq can search AppleStore, GooglePlay and keyword searches around the world. After finding the keywords, make sure these keywords are included in your own APP description or even in the App title so that more users can see them.

●Create APP exposure and public relations activities—word-of-mouth marketing

Do you think that the process is over after developing and testing the APP? APP marketing also requires understanding of after-sales service. You must write a press release and ask the public relations media to release new news, emphasizing the advantages of your own APP and the differences from others. Only by creating topics and getting users to download and use the product can the purpose of word-of-mouth marketing be achieved. If you add social sharing platforms such as Facebook, Weibo, Wechat, Instagram, Twitter and other influential platforms, you can directly increase brand visibility.

●Case

In September 2012, Starbucks launched the “Starbucks Alarm Clock”. Users can earn one star by setting an alarm in this app and pressing the “Wake Up” button after the alarm rings. If you go to any Starbucks within an hour, you can get a discounted cup of coffee or a half-price breakfast. This case shows the influence of the Starbucks APP, which sticks with consumers from the moment they open their eyes. It not only improves the positive image of the brand, but also increases product sales.

For startups , developing apps can create endless business opportunities, but there are countless examples of companies failing because they don’t know the principles involved. Even if you know how to develop, test, and operate an app, don’t forget that user needs may change at any time. Keeping an eye on future trends and improving or adding new features to the app will be the key to continued activity.