The New Set of Rules to Successfully Launch Your App

business2community.com

Every day, over 1,000 apps are launched on the ever growing marketplace of mobile apps.

Take a minute to wrap your mind around that. As of 2016, there were an estimated 2.2 million apps in the Google Play store and 2 million apps in the Apple App stores. However, just a sliver of these apps are downloaded, and even fewer are used regularly. A recent study showed that almost 90 percent of apps are downloaded just once and then deleted.

The global database of app content is growing every minute, making it ever more challenging for app developers and marketers to successfully launch their product.

The App Checklist sheds light into the process of successfully launching an app and provides a comprehensive step-by-step guide to launching an app- covering everything from securing technical requirements and setting a marketing timeline, to tracking downloads and in-app activity and everything in between. It was published by the marketing analytics platform, Branch.

Branch studied thousands of apps to understand what works and how to subsequently make mobile content better. Their mission is to help increase mobile conversion, retention and engagement through deep linking, user routing and personalized app experiences. Broken down into Tech and Marketing Prep, Pre-Launch, Brownie Points, Launch Day and Post-Launch, the checklist ensures you’re on track to app success.

Here are 7 key strategies to launching a successful app

1. Create measurable goals for success

Quantifying the success of an app can be difficult if you haven’t thought about it during the pre-launch design stage. There are plenty of free analytics tools available at your disposal. Figure out which ones are best suited for your app content and create a robust plan to determine at what point in time you’ll need to call upon them. 

2. Know how much is too much

We’ve all been used to pull-information, which is the idea that whenever we want something, we can go find it. Push notifications capitalize on our reliance on technology to the point where our devices know more than we do. When setting up an app, it’s important to embed push notifications within the UX. Have a strategy to navigate the fine line between dormancy and a phone that’s constantly buzzing.

3. Enable deep linking early on

The best content is both shareable and searchable. However unlike web content, in-app content isn’t publically accessible. With deep linking, you can take charge of your mobile content strategy by getting insights into which pages perform best and helping others share your app content.

4. Don’t try and reinvent the wheel

Every month 50,000 apps are released, which gives you very little room to say “I didn’t know” when it comes to something as important as launching your app. It’s important to do your research, understand the competitive landscape and use the wealth of knowledge and examples that’s already out there.

5. Pick me, pick me!

“How do I get people to notice my app,” is one of the most frequently asked questions. Today, there is still no direct way to pay for a placement in the app marketplace. Unlike sponsored posts on Facebook or promoted Tweets in your newsfeed, the app battleground is completely fair game for those who dare to enter. However, there are still some fairly impactful strategic tactics you can deploy that will help your app move up the ranks along the way– like building an Android and iOS version, or simply pitching your app to the mobile moguls themselves. It never hurts to ask!

6. Beta launch your app

People like to be first, and Beta launches are no different. It makes users feel special and exclusive– like they have access to something no one else does. But the favor is easily returned; as the app creator, you will receive valuable feedback from real users, be notified of bugs, and maybe even score a few free marketing points from early adopters. A Beta launch can help you navigate the transition into the launch-phase.

7. Plan your next move, yesterday

As soon as you launch your app, you should have an update ready to go. Although it may seem counter intuitive– why wouldn’t you just give them the most updated version when you had it?– it’s extremely helpful for your long-term plan. Users are excited to see apps regularly updating. It’s an indicator of quality.