PROVEN APPLE STORE OPTIMIZATION STRATEGIES TO ENSURE YOUR APP’S SUCCESS

Intro

The more visible your iOS app in the Apple stores is, the more possibilities for organic downloads you dispose of. To stand out in the competitive market and get better rankings, you need a robust app store optimization (ASO) strategy.

Experts in mobile app development, we’ve prepared a guide on how to optimize the most important factors so that your app could be better searched on the Apple App Store.

ASO STRATEGY: OPTIMIZING APP TITLE AND DESCRIPTION 

The app title is of utmost importance, as it directly influences how your solution will be ranked. It should be concise (about 20-30 characters), comprise your brand name if the space permits, and include relevant keywords.

A well-crafted app description will help you grab user attention and entice them to download your app. Here are the recommendations on making your description catchy:

• Highlight core functionality. Show the unique value proposition of your app by describing its key features and benefits. Explain how users will address their pain points by downloading your app.
• Use relevant keywords to your niche and fit them naturally throughout the description, without excessive stuffing. The main keyword should be used in the first few lines, as users and store algorithms prioritize early mentions.
• Be concise, use paragraphs, bullets and subheadings — so that users could easily scan the text. Also, motivate users to download the app with catchy calls to action.
• Constantly update the description of your app to outline the newly introduced features and improvements.

KEYWORD OPTIMIZATION FOR BETTER RANKINGS

We’ve briefly mentioned the importance of app store keyword optimization, when composing the app’s title and description. And here is the practical advice on how to choose and implement keywords.

• To explore the most optimal keywords with high search volume, conduct competitor analysis and use professional tools such as App Store Connect, Sensor Tower, or App Annie.
• Follow the guidelines established by the Apple Store regarding the keywords volume, the number of allowed characters, and listings optimization.
• Expand your audience by leveraging keywords variations and synonyms. For instance, if you launch a payment app, consider keywords such as “transaction processing app”, “e-commerce app”, “digital wallet”, etc.
• Constantly gauge keywords performance by leveraging analytics tools and examining user feedback. Improve your strategy based on the results and changes in the app’s functionality.

VISUAL ASSETS OPTIMIZATION AS PART OF A SUCCESSFUL ASO STRATEGY

Designing compelling visual assets — the app’s icon, screenshots, and previews — is another important aspect of a winning ASO strategy. Besides following the Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines in this regard, take into account the following recommendations.

Icon optimization:

• Make your icon simple, but at the same time original (without cliches and common designs), so that it would be recognizable and clearly represent your app’s key purpose.
• Implementing brand identity into the icon is another way to stand out from competitors. Use your brand’s color palette and recognizable elements (logo, symbols, typography). It will be ideal if the icon has a visual hint at what the solution does.
• Scalability. When designing the app’s icon, make sure it adapts to different devices and various screen types.

Screenshot optimization:

• Show the core features with the most compelling screenshots that clearly show the app’s key benefits and unique selling points.
• Implement captions — short descriptions of your screenshots — to better explain to users what they can do in your app and entice them for a download.
• Use high resolution to ensure utmost quality of your screenshots across devices (smartphone, tablet, PC, etc.). 

Video optimization:

If you decide to include a video presentation of your app, make sure your clip is:

• Concise. 15-30 seconds is ideal for maintaining user attention and interest.
• High-quality. Poor pictures and sound will scare potential users.
• Readable. Subtitles are a must for disability friendliness and in case users want to play the video without sound.

THE ROLE OF USER REVIEWS AND RATINGS

According to EGYM, 70% of users pay great attention to the rating of apps in app stores before downloading one, and a five- or four-star ranking positively influences their opinion about the brand. When building your ASO strategy, take into account the fact that positive reviews — whether integrated from social media or written directly on app stores — can persuade potential users that your app is reliable enough and meets their expectations.

Utmost quality and keyword / description optimization is the top-priority puzzle of your app endorsement among users. However, you can also use the power of additional techniques for boosting your app store ratings:

• Engage users. Provide users with the possibility to leave in-app feedback (issue reporting, feature suggesting) and respond rapidly to show your concern. Always react to App Store reviews, especially negative ones, communicating how you will address the issues.
• Encourage review posting, especially after major feature updates and app enhancements. Drive positive experience sharing as part of your loyalty / gamification program (gaining points, rewards, discounts — depending on your app niche).
• Use social proof. Highlight positive testimonials not only on app stores, but also on promotional materials, social media, and your official website. Also, showcase user-generated content, encouraging users to share more reviews and stars.

On top of that, you can examine user reviews on your rivals’ apps to dive into user needs and pain points, highlighting your solutions to their problems in descriptions and visual aids.

LOCALIZATION TECHNIQUES

Overarching app localization is another key part of your app store marketing. To boost your solution’s appeal to diverse target audiences and ensure global reach for your brand, your app should be adapted to different locations and languages.

• Language localization. Satisfy your audiences with professional translations of your app as well as app store descriptions that maintain context and accuracy. Adapt culture-fueled content such as idioms and humor. Remember to adjust date formats, time zones, numbers, and currency symbols according to local rules and preferences. Make sure your name brand is easy to pronounce in different languages.
• Visual adaptation. Screenshots and icons should resonate with different cultures, so avoid using double-sense images. Pay heed to color symbolism when adapting visuals. For example, red means good luck and prosperity in China, so you can attract the attention of Chinese users more effectively if you use red in promotions or discounts of your e-commerce app.
• UI/UX adaptation. Keep in mind that during translations text expansion might vary (for example, German texts tend to be longer than English ones), which means UI adaptations are needed. Provide dynamic layouts to ensure right-to-left (RTL) text support for the Hebrew and Arabic languages.
• Payment methods optimization. Analyze which payment methods are popular within your target audiences and implement local payment integrations. To wit, in the USA and UK, people usually pay through credit/debit cards and mobile wallets; in China, WeChat Pay / Alipay and QR code payments are the most preferable options.
• Marketing campaigns should also be tailored to particular regions. Cooperate with local influencers for promotions and use the most popular social media in a particular country. Ask for feedback from users in different locations to refine your localization efforts. Remember that localization is an ongoing process, so always be on the edge of user needs and cultural shifts.

ASO PERFORMANCE TRACKING

Your ASO strategy will truly work if you monitor its performance. This means using analytics tools to understand how well your app is optimized for visibility, considering changes in app store algorithms, ASO best practices, as well as seasonal trends or events. 

• Keyword ranking. Leverage tools like Sensor Tower and App Annie to monitor your app’s positions in the search for particular keywords over time. Regularly gauge the volume of keywords and analyze how your solution ranks for high-traffic keywords.
• Conversion rate will help you understand the percentage of people who visit your page in the app store and download the app. Here, you can analyze engagement metrics such as daily active users (DAUs), session duration, and retention rates. Also, track whether your conversions become higher when changes to the app’s icon, description, or screenshots occur.
• Revenue and downloads represent another aspect for monitoring. Analyze how many downloads you have in a particular period of time and where the traffic is coming from (whether it’s organic search, referrals, or advertisements). Metrics such as in-app purchases and subscription revenue will indicate the overall commercial impact of your ASO strategy.
• Competitor analysis is important for understanding how your ASO strategy performs against rivals. Assess competitor keywords, rankings, conversions, user reviews and feedback — to find out room for improvement. App Radar and ASOdesk are some of the tools to help you with this mission.
• A/B testing on assets such as app icons and titles, keyword-based descriptions, and visuals is key to gauging which versions perform better in terms of conversions. Underpinned by this data, you can make relevant adjustments to your app store marketing efforts.

LATEST APPLE STORE POLICIES TO CONSIDER

When preparing your app for launching in the Apple App Store, make sure the solution follows its official guidelines. To give a brief overview, Apple prioritizes the following aspects.

1.

SAFETY

• Content. Your app should not include content that is offensive, discriminatory, as well as depicts abuse of people/animals, pornography, inflammatory religious commentary, dangerous objects/actions (including the illegal use of weapons).
• User-generated content (UGC). UGC that might present particular challenges (including intellectual property infringement and bullying), so make sure your app has mechanisms for reporting offensive content, filtering materials, blocking users, etc.
• Kids category. If your app is designed for children, pay particular attention to UX for younger users, don’t include distractions like third-party links and purchasing options, and implement parental gates.
• Privacy. Apple places a significant emphasis on secure user data collection, processing, and storage. Follow these best privacy practices and comply with the relevant legal rules such as GDPR before submitting your app.

2.

PERFORMANCE

• App completeness. All the temporary content should be scrubbed before the submission. Accurate metadata and implementation of the most relevant categories are a must for better app categorization and search.
• Hardware compatibility. Apple promotes building apps that run seamlessly on multiple devices, including Apple TV (without the need of hardware inputs).
• Software requirements. As of integrations, only the use of public APIs is permitted. Apps should be also self-contained in their bundles and fully functional on IPv6-only networks.

3.

MONETIZATION

Your business model should be obvious for the Apple Store, otherwise, you can trigger a rejection.

• In-app purchases. You must not use your own mechanisms — license keys, QR codes, cryptocurrency wallets, etc. — to unlock premium content or features. Instead, use best practices for the implementation of in-app purchases.
• Subscriptions. Before asking the user to subscribe, you should clearly communicate what they’ll get for the price. Auto-renewable subscription apps should offer a free trial period by providing the relevant information set forth in App Store Connect. Forcing users to leave app reviews for accessing premium features is not permitted.

4.

DESIGN

Apple prioritizes solutions that are innovative and easy to use. Here are some minimum standards for approval.

• Copy-paste. Implement your unique ideas, don’t plagiarize.
• Functionality should be useful, your app content should provide lasting entertainment value. Your solution should work on its own without the need for additional installations. However, if it has extensions, they should comply with the required guidelines.
• Login services. Apps that use a social login service to set up a user account, must also offer another service as an equivalent, allowing users to keep their email address private and forbid their data to be collected for advertising purposes.

Conclusion

Making your app visible among thousands of competitors is an uphill battle. That’s why a proven ASO strategy is a must. Title, description, keywords, visuals — every aspect matters and should be optimized for the app stores where you plan to launch your solution. Also, remember that ASO is an ongoing process, and you should always be on the edge of changes in app store guidelines, algorithms, trends, and best practices.

Experts in mobile app development, Touchlane is here to help. Whether you need an app built from scratch, new feature implementation, assistance in security / performance improvements  — we’ll do everything to boost your chances for better App Store rankings.

The content provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Touchlane makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information. For advice specific to your situation, you should consult a qualified legal or tax professional licensed in your jurisdiction.