May I Have Your “App-tention” Please?
App retention is improving, according to data released in June 2014 by Localytics. Looking at app retention rates – the average number of times an app was used during the first six months of ownership – the percentage of users launching an app 11 times or more jumped from 26% to 39% from March 2011 to March 2014. It could be said that developing an app in today’s world is the easy part because with literally thousands of new apps launching each day, how does one stand out from the crowd.
There are some pretty obvious tips, for example, be unique and get the word out via social media. Another consideration is ASO – App Store Optimization. ASO is the process of optimizing mobile apps to rank higher in the app store’s search results. The higher your app ranks in the app store’s search results, the more visible it is to potential customers. The goal of ASO is to drive more traffic to your app’s page and ultimately get it downloaded.
In the same way as SEO has worked on the web, ASO works on mobile and is just as important if you are to stand out from the 600,000 iPhone apps and 450,000 Android apps currently in existence. ASO tools can make keyword research easier, but they aren’t end-all solutions because these tools don’t have access to iTunes Connect data. A few of the most reputable ASO tools include the following:
SensorTower – The app reviews analyzer will help you to pull out the most commonly used words from the app reviews written about an app, which you can then use as ASO keywords.
MobileDevHQ – This is a leading enterprise organic app marketing platform.
SearchMan – SearchMan’s service helps developers (and their stakeholders) track search rankings, analyze keywords, compete for rankings, and optimize app listings to make your app easier to find in the App Store.
AppCod.es –. It contains all of the tools you’ll need in a pinch to create a cohesive keyword campaign.
Some things to note in an ASO campaign are that the keyword character limit in an app is 100 characters, words in the app title are recognized as keywords, and an app store ranking algorithm doesn’t take into consideration the app description – just the keywords and title. Make sure you are familiar with the current app regulations. You can check them out at iTunesConnect.
Bullets
- Consumers are still wary about the idea of having marketers and retailers track their movements via mobile phone GPS, according to PunchTab. The majority of men (53%) and 47% of women say they would definitely or likely not be open to being tracked via mobile. ( punchtab.com)
- Some 52 million Americans watch original digital video (professionally produced video content made specifically for online viewing) each month, according to GfK and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Almost one in four U.S. adults (22%) and almost four in 10 adults ages 18-34 (39%) watch at least once a month. (iab.net)
- Spending on consumer packaged goods by boomers (those ages 50-68) and seniors (those ages 69 and older) is outpacing that among adults overall, according to IRI Worldwide. Boomers and seniors spent more than $200 billion on consumer packaged goods between February 2013 and February 2014, up 1.5% from the prior year, while overall industry sales dropped 0.5% during this time. By 2020, boomers and seniors are expected to spend $230 billion annually on consumer packaged goods. (iriworldwide.com)
- More than half of parents (52%) say they have “tons” of photos of their children but haven’t taken any steps to organize or keep them for the future. Half (50%) feel overwhelmed by the idea of organizing their photos. More than four in 10 (44%) say they sometimes have trouble locating their photos and videos because they can’t remember where they’re stored. (harrisinteractive.com)
- For each hour of network TV watched, the average viewer sees 14 minutes and 15 seconds of commercials. For each hour of cable TV watched, the viewer is exposed to 15 minutes and 38 seconds of commercials. (nielsen.com)