Have you spent months creating an app only for it to get a handful of downloads? I've had that struggle too, so here are 8 things that I've learnt over the years which I've been implementing in my latest app Podly: Daily Micro Learning
1. Use Long Tail Keywords ✅
You aren't going to be able to compete with the big dogs when it comes to popular keywords such as fitness or meditation. You need to niche down in order to appear higher in the rankings for lower competition keywords.
Then once you've got some traction you can start to move to some of the higher volume / more competitive keywords. Use an ASO tool such as App Follow to search for keywords in your niche with low competition but a decent search traffic score.
2. Nail The Onboarding Experience ✅
The sad truth is that the majority of users that download your app won't return the next day. Therefore it's imperative you capture their attention and showcase the value of your app the first time round. One great way of doing this is using an onboarding flow which runs the user through the key features of your app and even allow them to tailor it to their needs.
This makes the user feel that the app has been customised for their needs and they will be more likely to stick around. You should also make sure to show your paywall after the onboarding flow as statistics show that is when most users purchase.
3. Track Where Users Fall Off ✅
It's important to know where your users might be falling off due to confusing UI or taking too long to get to the value. Without thorough user testing beforehand, it can be hard to tell when there is a pain point in your app.
Look to use an analytics tool such as Firebase / Google Analytics and log each step of the user journey in your app. Then using the analytics tool you can see what percentage of users reach each step along the journey. Notice a sharp drop off between two steps? Now you know which step you need to address.
4. A/B Test Your Paywall ✅
A/B testing is a concept by which you change one small element of something and run a test simultaneously to see which one performs better. Arguably the paywall is the most important screen of your app, therefore you should look to A/B different elements to see which perform better.
These could be things like showing a different number of subscription periods or the text on the purchase button etc..
You can use a tool such as RevenueCat or Superwall to make this a piece of cake as they allow you to remotely configure a paywall and run experiements.
5. Don't Neglect Your Logo & Screenshots ✅
I get it, you've spent months coding away creating a killer app and you just want to release it. However if you don't spend the time to create a professional looking icon and screenshots then you're shooting yourself in the foot.
The app icon and screenshots are the first impression perspective users will get of your app, so it needs to make a good impression. Especially focus on the first 3 screenshots on iOS as they are the ones shown on the results page.
6. Use Animations & Haptics ✅
Apps such as Duolingo do an excellent job of this. They expertly use animations and haptics to make the app feel more alive and engaging. Just increased your daily streak or unlocked a reward? Show an animation and use the haptics on the users phone to give the user a sense of feedback.
7. Address Your Retention Issues ✅
Naturally peoples lives will get in the way and for whatever reason your app may get forgotten about. Therefore we should use techniques to ensure your users keep coming back each day. Techniques such as daily streaks / challenges or carefully crafted push notifications can draw users back into your app.
Tools like OneSignal can help you setup push notifications and target specific audiences such as "Users who've not used the app in 7 days". You should also look to A/B test your push notifications.
8. Understand How To Market Your App ✅
Your app could be the best app in your niche but if no one knows about it then it's not reached it's potential. Understanding your target audience is key and where might be best to spend your marketing efforts.
If you don't have a large budget to spend on paid ads like some of the big apps then you have to get creative. Find lesser known influencers in your niche to work with, write blog posts and utilise user generated content to reach a bigger audience.
If you implement some of these lessons into your next project or even your current one, I'm certain you'll start to see great results. It won't be easy but with persistence the results will come.
And if you would like to replace the endless scrolling of social media with bite sized insights on a range of topics from your favourite podcasts, then give Podly: Daily Micro Learning a try.
Thanks for reading.
Matt
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