Pragma Conference 2015 - Marketing on the App Store

In October 2015, I presented at #pragmamark's conference on Marketing Apps on the iOS App Store.

Transcript

1. Marketing on the App Store Tim Oliver
2. Who am I? • From Perth, Western Australia • Web developer from 2007 - 2012 • iOS developer full-time since 2013 • Studied in joint CompSci / Multimedia • Hobbies are app dev, video games
 and karaoke! @TimOliverAU
3. iComics
4. http://realm.io Realm A replacement for SQLite & Core Data
5. The State of the Union
7. The App Store • The only gateway to publishing 
 software on iOS • Over 1.4 MILLION apps 
 (circa June 2015) • Much of it is abandonware
8. It’s HARD to get noticed!
10. Build a great app!
11. Build it and they will come.
12. Having a great App Store page
13. •App Title •Keywords •App Icon •Screenshots •Descriptions •Localizations •Business Model “First Impressions are the most lasting”
14. App Title • Can be localized On the App Store • Should be keyword-loaded • Plurals are confusing In General • Should be easy to spell • Must be trademark free
 (http://uspto.gov)
15. Keywords • Plurals aren’t necessary • Main way to control App Store search • App name keywords are given more ‘weight’ • 100-character limit, comma separated • Ideally synonyms of your app’s functionality • Avoid common words like ‘free’ or ‘fun’
16. App Icon http://appicontemplate.com • The most important part of an app • Most users will judge an app by its
 icon • Must be scalable and legible at all
 sizes
17. Screenshots • First impression in search results • First two screenshots are the most
 important • Show off the most important
 parts of your app
18. Improving screenshots Device borders Facebook Messenger Foursquare Twitter Google Maps
19. 5 screenshots * 5 screen sizes * 5 languages = 125 screenshots!!
20. https://fastlane.tools
21. https://fastlane.tools
22. Improving Screenshots #2 https://github.com/ shinydevelopment/SimulatorStatusMagic The status bar
23. Description Text • No one reads these • (Or at least, makes purchase decisions off them) • Keep them short - Pitch, accolades, features • Not counted in search ranking (not anymore) • Accolades are very good for validating the app to users • Good for SEO
26. Localizations Secrets of the App Store, Appbot, 2015
27. Localizations • Target English and Chinese for maximum exposure • Keyword-filled app name can take full advantage • Lots of ways to localize out there (Friends, crowd-sourced) • Ultimately, more time-consuming, but worth it
28. Localizations https://icomics.co/localisation
29. Business Model • Up-front paid is hard, but still possible • Lack of ‘demo’ mode encourages freemium • Free with ads is possible; with sufficient volume • Users get ‘skeptical’ if the app is great, and completely free • ‘Tipping’ / ‘Patronage’ is becoming a new trend
30. App Store Page Validation http://healthcheck.appbot.co
31. Beyond the App Store
32. Eliciting Reviews from Users • Rating apps on iOS is complex and time-consuming • Ratings are an important part of search rankings and
 potential user perception • As such, encouraging users to review is not easy • If done incorrectly, can irritate users, possibly leading to
 1-star reviews
33. Eliciting Reviews from Users ArashPayan.com, 2009 • Appirater has been the golden standard 
 for many years • Modal popup disrupts user experience • May provoke already irate users • There’s a movement to rate all apps using
 Appirater with 1-star reviews
34. Eliciting Reviews from Users • Subtle, non-modal action button presented
 at the end of a user-initiated action • Tapping the button takes the user straight
 to the ‘Ratings’ page in the App Store • Can be made more dynamic with the 
 iTunes Search Web API
35. Have a Social Media Presence • The first port-of-call for many users looking for support • Instagram is great for organic discovery due to its hash-tag
 system • Active social media accounts favor highly in web search 
 rankings
36. Submit to Blogs for Review • Submit.co for a variety of 
 potentially interested sites • Only really worth it for new app 
 launches or significant updates • See Peter Cohen’s AltConf video
 for tips on how to personally
 approach journalists
 (https://realm.io/altconf/)
37. Have a Press Kit Available • Containing at least a review guide, the app 
 icon and screenshots • Time-saving for journalists looking to 
 cover the app • Review guide should introduce the app
 to someone who’s never seen it • Great example is Clear by Realmac
38. Advertising Online • Advertising on Facebook, Twitter, Adsense can yield results,
 after a certain monetary threshold • Product Hunt! • Mileage may vary greatly, and starting out, may not
 be great for an indie developer • Let others advertise for you if possible (word-of-mouth)
40. Submit to Apple Marketing AppStorePromotion@apple.com AppoftheWeek@apple.com App Store Distribution and Marketing for Apps,
 Apple Tech Talks 2013, Apple Developer
41. Conclusion! • Make an awesome app • Have a fantastic App Store page • Be active, as well as pro-active with marketing • Good luck!
42. Thanks for watching! to@realm.io @timoliverau Questions?