In today’s world, there’s an app for just about everything, and the process of creating new apps is becoming increasingly streamlined. Best practices to launch an app in an app store, on the other hand, are constantly evolving. It’s critical to consider your app’s launch strategy when the competition is fierce – the App Store has 2.2 million apps available for download, while the Google Play Store has 2.8 million.
Google Play alone saw 111,000 new app releases in September 2020, and the App Store saw over 1,000 new app submissions every day. The launch of your mobile app must be optimized now more than ever due to the abundance of mobile apps catering to customer needs. Before releasing your app to the public, you’ll want to do everything from market research to monetization. App development and app launch are two separate but related endeavors.
Market research may assist app developers in the early stages of producing a new app by helping them make crucial decisions about your marketing plan for launching your app, integrating revenue methods, and testing your mobile app.
Read more: How to Patent an App Idea
22 Best Ways to Launch An App
1. Do research on the market
By January 2020, a total of 1800,000 apps were anticipated to be accessible in the Apple App Store. This amount does not even cover Android apps in Google App Stores or in Windows App Stores.
So — what do you think this means? You undoubtedly have a tonne of competitors already. A thorough market study is important to differentiate your application.
It is important that you get to know the leading apps in your industry, understand where they are short, and use them to make your app even better.
You may wish to undertake primary research for prospective users, depending on your budget. However, even secondary research can provide you with many insights. See evaluations of competitor app sites in the app stores, as well as reviews on YouTube and blogs to see what true competition people are talking about.
2. Identify success
If you are seeking a successful launch of mobile apps, you must define how successful it is.
Set some measurable objectives surrounding how to launch an app. We recommend tracking success using your active install rate — this metric indicates your retention rate, or the percentage of users who install your app but do not uninstall it — the number of ratings you receive, your average rating in the app store, and if you’re selling your app, revenue generated from it.
The majority of open app markets have a higher active install rate, generally around 50 percent, to assist set some benchmarks in the first month. The average app store rating is 3-4 (out of 5) and you absolutely should endeavor to maintain a healthy active installation rate.
Later in the article, we will discuss how to ensure that after launch an app you receive high app store ratings.
3. Consider the application’s cross-platform and browser versions
It is not enough to stick to one platform anymore (typically Android or iOS). Now, it is crucial to be able to extend your reach across different platforms.
As of January 2020, the market share between mobile operating systems amounted to 74.3% for Android, 24.76% for iOS, and 2% for other operating systems.
It is not just the approach to reaching cross-platform development, it is more cost-effective over the long term, especially if you employ high-quality IDE tools to expedite application development. Most IDE programs let you develop web browser versions of your mobile apps, which allow users to utilize your app on any device.
Budgeting app Goodbudget, for example, is available for iOS, and Android and can be accessed flawlessly on a web browser.
4. Take control of your social media accounts.
Pre-launch, you’ll want to claim your social media accounts and actively use them to drive interest and even early sign-ups, as we’ll go over in more detail in Step 7.
While the software is still under development, you can utilize your social media profiles to promote it and solicit feedback and ideas from potential users. However, after your app is released, be sure to update the link in your social media bios to point to the app store download. Remember, the goal isn’t to increase site visitors; it’s to increase downloads.
Don’t forget about newer social networks like Pinterest when it comes to launching applications- the highly visual social network is a terrific place to show other mobile app developers your product in its final phases, and they might have some amazing UI/UX suggestions. Unless you’re attempting to outrun a competition to market!
Finally, if you’re a HubSpot customer, you can use another tool – HubSpot’s Facebook Welcome app — to assist with your mobile app launch on Facebook.
Customize a page that allows visitors to sign up for an alert when the app is released to generate some pre-release attention. We’ll go over some interesting pre-launch and app promotions that will help your app get traction, which you may link to this email alert in the future.
5. Develop Content
Spend time generating information that describes how to utilize your mobile app in a clear and concise manner. Blog posts, press releases, social media content, website copy, and email marketing copy should all be included in this content.
All of this can be scheduled to go live on your debut day, but you should check in on social media frequently during launch an app week to provide real-time updates on support issues, reviews, and user recommendations.
6. Make a Demo
Create a video that demonstrates how to use your mobile app using a user-friendly application like Camtasia, which enables screen capture and vocal recording.
Explain what your program does and why it’s valuable in real-life settings in your video.
Because there are so many mobile apps out there, standing out will require clear communication throughout all of your marketing materials. One of the simplest methods to demonstrate the usefulness of your mobile app is with a short video demo.
7. Create a business app or separate website or a page for your business
You can either develop a standalone website for your app (which is preferable if your mobile app is a stand-alone business) or just create a page for your mobile app on your existing website. The majority of businesses opt for the latter option.
You should build these pages even if your app hasn’t yet launched, as PandaDoc did pre-launch, to compliment your social media efforts. Users should be sent to this page of your website, where they can watch your sample video and sign up for a download alert email once your mobile app is released.
8. Select an App Store.
You’ll want to launch your mobile app in just one app store at first. This should assist you in obtaining the highest possible concentration of users and ratings.
Additionally, during the first few weeks following launch, you’ll be making a lot of modifications and enhancements to your app, and having it in just one store will help you expedite those upgrades. Feel free to spread your app to other app stores after it has gained traction.
The Android Market and the Apple App Store are the most popular mobile apps store, but there are many others (HubSpot even has its own new and better App Marketplace!). Finally, if you’re still confused, conduct some audience testing to see which Store your target market prefers.
9. Use App Store Optimization to Increase Your App’s Visibility
While both are vital, app store optimization (ASO) is required to have your mobile app noticed precisely within the app stores of your choice.
Optimizing your app title with relevant keywords is one of the best strategies. Also, while submitting your app to these various app stores, make sure to fill out all of the categories that are most relevant to your app so that customers looking through categories may find you.
Additionally, you should include clear screenshots of your app’s most typical use cases on your app’s download page.
Todoist uses keywords like to-do lists and project planners in the example below. Their app screenshots are also well-designed, demonstrating how to use the app immediately.
Read more: 10 Interesting Ideas for Mobile Applications in 2021
10. Collaborate with other app creators
Consider contacting other app developers that have produced apps that are similar to yours and whose users might be interested in using yours. You may build up a mutually advantageous co-marketing arrangement that benefits both of you by increasing your install rates.
Make sure to choose app developers with high ratings in the app store. You don’t want your app to be associated with a subpar product.
11. Make a pitch for your app
Pitch your article to journalists and bloggers in the fields of technology, mobile, and industry. Prepare to hand out the video demo you recorded, as well as a free download of your software so they can familiarise themselves with the interface and features. Provide yourself available to answer any questions they may have, and think of them as another test group that may help you uncover bugs and make UX/UI recommendations.
You should know how to start an app pitching at least a few weeks ahead of time so they have enough time to try out your software and come up with a captivating tale without feeling pressured. Furthermore, the more time they have, the more likely you are to be included in their editorial calendar.
12. Make Use of Your Social Media Network
Request that your business contacts promote your material about the app’s approaching release on their social media accounts. Send a sneak peek email to your network with a link to your demo video so they can see how your app works, and include social sharing icons to make it easy for them to share your material.
Whether the bloggers and journalists you’ve contacted aren’t interested in publishing long-form writing on your app, you may ask them instead if they’d be prepared to tweet a blog post you’ve written about it.
13. how to create a mobile app paid advertising campaign
Because of the Google algorithm’s freshness upgrade, your mobile app launch may see some organic search traction. During launch week, supplement your search presence with some sponsored advertising.
You may also use Facebook-sponsored advertisements to direct consumers to your Facebook fan page, where they’ll be met with a welcome screen inviting them to download your mobile app (refer back to Step 4).
Alternatively, you can send visitors straight to your app’s download page, where they can download it right immediately. It’s possible that the strategy you choose will be determined by your app.
You can link customers to a specific landing page if your software requires some explanation or is quite inventive in its approach. Meanwhile, advertisements for programs that users are already familiar with, such as gaming apps, can direct visitors to the app download page.
14. Enlist the help of industry thought leaders or influencers.
Look for social media influencers, bloggers, and content creators who can help spread the word about your app before it goes live. Choose influencers that you believe will benefit tremendously from your services, and use tailored email outreach mobile app marketing to create relationships and win them over.
If you’re launching a weight-loss app, for example, reach out to various fitness influencers who can talk about training routines or macro-tracking — whatever features your app has.
15. Begin an invite-only beta program.
Consider an invite-only test launch before releasing your mobile app to the general market. Spotify, Google+, and Pinterest have all employed this strategy to great effect. It not only gives your product an aura of exclusivity that builds excitement, but it also allows you to gather feedback from a trusted network so you can fix bugs and UX/UI issues before going live with your app.
As a pre-launch beta test group, you can take the email list mentioned in Step 4 and augment it with an email marketing send to a subset of your current customer list who would benefit from utilizing your mobile app. You can promote the launch as a chance to get free, early access to your mobile app, and even ask people to submit a review in exchange for the free, early access.
Alternatively, you can utilize TestFlight to create a beta version of your app and invite users to try it out before it goes live.
16. Collaborate with affiliates to spread the word about your app.
In Step 14, we highlighted influencers and industry thought leaders, but you can go even farther by developing an affiliate network to stimulate downloads or purchases.
Identify significant influencers you may pay to promote your app, such as media contacts or social media influencers with large followings. Give them a unique URL that tracks purchases or downloads so they may receive immediate incentives when their audience does the required action.
17. Distribute download links around the site.
Congratulations, you’re now ready to go live to the whole public!
You should include download links for your mobile app on your blog, the main page of your website, marketing emails, and social media profiles – you can even add a mobile tab to your Facebook page.
18. Throw a party to celebrate the launch.
It is not necessary to throw a large launch celebration. In reality, a webinar may be used to host a small, personal digital launch party. Invite early adopters, influencers, tech journalists, and others to a brief launch event.
You may provide attendees with all the information they need to download your app or spread the news while announcing special live discounts or perks.
19. Keep a close eye on feedback and encourage reviews.
Finally, you should keep track of customer comments on your app and aggressively encourage them to provide reviews.
This technique not only helps you uncover bugs you wouldn’t otherwise know about and make quick changes to enhance the user experience and make your app stickier — but it also helps you identify bugs you wouldn’t know about and make quick changes to improve the user experience and make your app stickier.
Keep users informed about your progress so they know you’re paying attention and responding to their suggestions, and check out Steps 21 and 22 if you want to go even farther with involving and updating people on new features and improvements.
Read more: 10 Best Business Apps for Android
20. Make a list of possible integrations
The average smartphone user has 60 to 90 apps on their phone, and you may have noticed that certain apps work together — for example, you may connect to your Pinterest account using Facebook, or your native Health app with your calorie tracking app or activity tracker.
This is more convenient for consumers, and best of all, when you integrate smoothly with apps that your users already have, you may enhance retention.
For example, you can locate all the apps that effortlessly interact with HubSpot in the HubSpot App Marketplace. Find out who the app’s developers are and form cooperation with them. You’ll never know how many opportunities these app integrations can provide.
21. How do I make an app update log public.
Transparency is becoming increasingly important to consumers, and one approach to be more transparent with users regarding your mobile app is to keep them informed about any changes and features as they become available.
The simplest approach to achieve this is to keep an update log. Send these logs to your mobile apps store pages, and create a separate update log page on your website so users can quickly see what changes you’ve made in the last several weeks.
By keeping users informed about app upgrades, you may improve retention rates by allowing them to see new features they’ve been waiting for or those they’d like to learn more about. You can send push notifications and in-app pop-ups for users to see a breakdown of these new features on a dedicated page on your website if an update is particularly significant — such as a major interface change or an exciting new feature — and you can send push notifications and in-app pop-ups for users to see a breakdown of these new features on a dedicated page on your website.
A brand’s personality is sometimes injected through these app updates. Take a peek at one of Medium’s recent app updates:
22. Create a central location for ‘Coming Soon’ and ‘Wishlist’ features.
You can construct a hub of your Coming Soon or wishlist features to show consumers that you’re listening to their recommendations and criticism, as we said in Step 19.
Loom is an excellent example of a software application that accomplishes this. While they aren’t a mobile app, the way they keep consumers informed about upcoming features or those that are being evaluated for development is a terrific method to keep your current clients engaged with your app.
Create a button or page on your mobile app that allows users to submit feedback or feature requests. You can direct them to this Coming Soon hub once they’ve submitted their ideas so they can see all of the great stuff you’re working on. They’ll be far more inclined to stick around to see these features come to life, and you’ll improve your customer retention and loyalty in the long run.
It’s preferable to use a NoSQL database to assist you to handle your changes while still keeping your app running for users, given its popularity for helping mobile app developers all around the world manage their apps in a more simplified manner while reducing downtime for consumers.
The Best Way to Launch Your Mobile App
Is your mobile app ready to launch this year? Simply follow the steps above to ensure that you’ve covered all of your bases for your launch, while also ensuring that you’ll be able to retain users around for the long haul. I’m looking forward to seeing your app come to life.
