More Than You KnowThe complete guide to perfecting your app store optimization

ASO

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There are countless how-to guides for mobile development; however, building a solid product is

useless if users fail to find it in the App Store. That is why, before you are tempted to invest in the latest

mobile trend, you must first cover the basics as so many app marketers and developers neglect to do.

App Store Optimization (ASO) is the single most important stage for generating quality organic traffic

for your app page. App marketers and developers must realize that mobile marketing is not just about

coming up with cool, creative ideas (although that is most definitely part of the job), but is more than

often a technical procedure that takes place out of plain sight.

Unfortunately, even mobile marketers who are familiar with the importance of ASO, tend to focus

mainly - if not solely – on keyword research. But even though it is a vital part of the process, there's a

lot more to it than that.

The purpose of ASO is not only to generate app-page traffic, but also to make sure your app is

discovered by relevant, loyal users who will not only visit the app page but continue to install your app

and use it on a regular basis. Always remember: It’s not necessarily about traffic, it’s about conversion.

In order to truly optimize your app store page, you need to pay close attention to various aspects that

will come into play during a potential user's visit. The following list details the key steps in creating a

creative, compelling and informative experience that will do just that:

App description Keywords research is great for generating the best results out of Google and Apple's algorithms. However, the

individuals who will actually read your app description and decide whether or not to install your product are

human. That's why overloading your content with keywords (and in turn creating a baffling app description) is a

terrible (yet very common) approach for ASO. Having a professional writer on board is a good idea in order to

make sure that your description is both grammatically correct (which on its own is quite the challenge when

looking to include specific keywords) as well as compelling enough to "sell" the product to prospective users.

Remember: Potential users don't know or care about keywords. They want the apps that are asking permission

to access their most sensitive information to be serious and smart. Don’t write a description that might suggest

otherwise.

Make sure your icon is, well, iconic. It should do more than just give users a sense of what the app is all about.

Choose the right colors, shapes and feel to fit your product perfectly. One way of turning a flat logo into an eye-

catching beauty is to present a smaller picture surrounded by a frame, and allow your logo to "break" the frame,

which will create a cool 3D effect. Your icon is important not only when convincing users to install the app, but

also when it comes to convincing the user to use the app on a regular basis. You want to make sure your icon is

memorable and easily recognizable so that app users will be able to easily track it on their device.

Remember: When potential users scroll and examine different options, your icon is the first (and sometimes

only) thing they will notice. You have to stand out.

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App logo

Key Steps

ScreenshotsMany developers think of app page screenshots as a features list, which is unfortunate, inefficient and above all

counterproductive. Typically what happens is the developers will present a series of bland photos and focus on

explaining their app (often poorly) instead of allowing users to really experience their product through carefully

crafted images. Instead of using simple in-app screenshots, which are probably not that impressive to begin with,

it's important to make the most out of this space and look at it as if it's another advertising space to strategically

promote your app. Newer and/or less familiar brands should pay extra attention to this opportunity to shine and

treat every inch of the app page as valuable space meant for advertising the product.

Remember: Just like you would never use a bland, simple banner, don't let such a crucial part of your app's page

become boring and predictable. A picture is worth a thousand words, so utilize screenshots to tell a compelling

story.

A video trailer is not always a good idea, and can actually have a negative influence on your conversion rates.

Not only that, but a video production can be rather costly and does not adapt easily to changes within your app,

so if you choose to make a video, make sure to create one that will still allow for a certain level of flexibility. It is

important to ensure that your video is not only informative, but also entertaining. We are well familiar with the

strict guidelines Apple imposes upon developers, so think outside the box and try to be creative despite these

limitations. A trailer that strictly consists of in-app footage might get approved by your reviewer, but on the flip

side, it also is likely to completely bore your prospective users. When in doubt – always put the user first.

Remember: Your trailer allows users to see not only what your product does, but also how creative the people

behind it are. Do your best to make a statement.

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Video trailer

Key Steps

Competitive researchKeep your friends close, and your direct competition closer. The best way to learn what you should (and

shouldn’t) be doing in the App Store is to keep an eye on what your competitors are up to. You can use this

tactic to discover keywords you might be missing, learn about new techniques and updates, and generally get

inspired. There are some optimization tools out there that will give you easy access to this information by

comparing rankings between your app and competing ones. Use these measuring tools, as well as your own

common sense, and update your app page accordingly. We assume that your mobile strategy includes a

comprehensive competitive research element; nevertheless, focusing on ASO is a crucial part of the process.

Remember: It's always good to see what the current standard is and then do something completely different in

order to become an App Store superstar.

Even in the digital and mobile age, word-of-mouth remains a powerful marketing tool, and when users visit your

app page, they examine previous users' experience very carefully. Furthermore, on Google Play, the reviews

section is highly visible and prominent. Make sure to highlight positive reviews and reply to negative ones

immediately. In the digital age, users expect a reply within roughly an hour. In some cases this will require

assigning a specific team member to monitor the reviews section on a regular basis, essentially taking full

ownership of this task alone.

Remember: Negative reviews can provide valuable insights as to what users are looking for when they download

your app.

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Reviews and 5 star ratings

Key Steps

App nameYour app's name should be memorable, catchy and informative. Not only that, but it should also include leading

keywords as part of your title. With a strict character limitation on Google Play and an unpredictable approach

by Apple – choosing the right name for your app is one of the biggest challenges of ASO. Don't be tempted to

choose a title based solely on what sounds attractive and fun. Devote the time to research your category and

see how your chosen keywords can influence ranking. Similarly to your app description, the title should be

optimized regularly according to the most researched results.

Remember: Only the first characters of your chosen title will be visible to users, so make it short and sweet.

In addition to different App Store categories, Apple introduced subcategories as part of iOS 8, thus dividing the

App Store into micro segments allowing apps to rank highly in specific fields. Many app marketers are still not on

board when it comes to choosing the right sub-category to influence their app ranking for a specific arena. It is

best to choose the right category based not only on what is most relevant, but also based on the level of

competition and generated revenue. And yes, like every other aspect of the ASO process, this too requires

serious thought and research.

Remember: Your chosen category gives potential users a better sense of what your app does, and allows them

to find you in a relevant search.

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Category

Key Steps

PriceWe're sure that your product is priceless to you, but determining your app's worth to users is tricky for other

reasons. With so many free apps available, asking users to pay for yours seems almost insane. However, in order

to be featured in the "apps on sale" or "free app of the week" section, you must first name your price. Make sure

to put a price tag on your product that makes sense to both users and your business plan, and launch special

offers and sales during the holidays.

Remember: If your app is on sale, make it part of your PR plan as well, and get featured on an "apps gone free"

post.

App developers and marketers must speak their users' language, literally. Even if two geographic locations speak

the same language, the cultural references and preferences might be profoundly different. That is why even the

UK App Store and the U.S. one require separate keyword research. Furthermore, if your target audience speaks

Korean – so should your app description. The localization procedure should take into account every aspect of

your app page, very much including visuals. It is about far more than just translating content: you must pay

attention to the language aspect and only trust native speaking pros (not Google translate) to do the job.

Remember: There's no "one size fits all" in ASO. Include local phrases and slang to match each specific location.

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Localization

Key Steps

Keyword researchA thorough keyword research is the foundation of your ASO strategy, and is an ongoing effort of the highest

priority. Your page content should be comprise of relevant, sought-after terms that will lead potential users to

your app. The trick here is to hit the right balance between the different levels of traffic and difficulty. Naturally,

words that are ranked high in traffic tend to be more competitive. Some words are worth competing for, but

choose your battles wisely. It is important to remember that the ASO process is never truly over, and always keep

an eye on the ranking, optimizing and learning from mistakes. Please take into consideration that without the

right know-how, ASO tools can produce contradicting results that will leave you mostly confused as to which

keywords you should include in your app page.

Remember: Including the right words in your app page will generate most of the organic traffic to your app, so

give it all you've got.

There is no rest in optimization. In fact, once your description, screenshots and title are all in place – you can get

started. Make sure to constantly measure and optimize your results to gain insight. The keyword (see what we

did there?) is "testing", especially since Google and Apple's algorithms are constantly changing. Try different

keywords and change your description and visuals repeatedly. We recommend implementing dedicated tracking

tools to see where and possibly why you've lost users' attention. With Apple's new analytics tool, you can learn a

lot about your app page visitors and make smarter decisions.

Remember: It's a trial and error business. The saying "if you don't try, you will never succeed" has never been

more fitting.

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Analytics

Key Steps

Conclusions

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A properly executed ASO process is no easy task. It requires creative talent,

analytical skills and a whole lot of patience. But the reward is more than worth

it. It is no exaggeration to say that optimizing your app page can make all the

difference between App Store success and failure.

For app developers to fully understand what drives potential users to install an

app, they must think of the app page as a storefront on the busiest boulevards

in your area, and apply each part of this guide as if it were a way of attracting

window-shoppers. It is best to focus on creating an emotional shopping

experience for users in order to see results.

About us

Moburst is a full service, global mobile marketing agency that helps companies

grow their mobile business. After redefining hundreds of apps and A/B testing

every possible feature in every vertical, our team knows what works for each

product, and how to deliver the most relevant experiences for each user. We love

solving clients’ tough mobile challenges and believe that the combination of

creative thinking, advanced technology, and data drives success at scale.

Hundreds of companies, from local startups to large global brands such as:

Microsoft Accelerator, Get-Taxi, Conduit, Sony Music and Nielsen Innovation, have

leveraged our product refinement, app store optimization (ASO), user acquisition,

and mobile consulting services to enhance their product and maximize their KPIs.

Every day, our team’s mission is to innovate creative solutions that connect brands

with highly targeted audiences that convert into loyal users.

Moburst has offices in New York City, Israel and San Francisco.

To learn more, visit www.moburst.com or contact us at hello@moburst.com.

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