10 Ways to Make Your iPhone App Discoverable

Conventional marketing strategies just don’t cut it in the app-space these days, with over 585,000 existing iPhone apps and counting. But age-old wisdom isn’t entirely redundant when it comes to app branding and app promotion – it’s all about conceptualizing and executing your plan to suit the complex virtual territory.

Here’s your one-stop guide to enhancing the visibility of your iPhone app in 10 self-explanatory, elegant steps:

1.Get it in the slot

Find your ‘app-gap’, i.e., the space your app is looking to fill (or create) in the booming market. Remember, to the less-than-savvy user, it’s a jungle out there – make sure your app fits a clear need. Classic economics really – supply should meet existing demand.

2.Make the slot your own

Except it isn’t that simple really. In this evolving market we call the app-space, it’s often the developers who tell the consumers what they need. And a slick app that makes its own advantages obvious wins that battle on its own. All you need to do is figure out which trigger you want it to pull, and make it pull it!

3.Tell them it’s there

Even virtual shoppers need to go to an online store. Remember to use an app store badge that makes your app literally one click away. It adds a sense of legitimacy for most users to boot.

4.Work in name recall

It isn’t just Obama and the GOP candidates who need brand recognition. To ensure your app isn’t lost in a plethora of similar offerings, make it impossible to miss. Come up with a simple yet unique icon, a screenshot and a video sampler. If it means buying time off a graphic designer or a film professional, do it – if it can help your app take off it’s an investment worth its weight in gold.

5.Build up some hype

Sure, great value sells, but it doesn’t hurt to get the word out there. A ‘free app day’ is one popular way, getting some great publicity out of growing your user base. Nothing hurts like a product that’s launched free and then gets a price tag, however nominal – so start by pricing but rope in that valuable fan base that isn’t trigger-happy with credit cards too.

6.Jazz up on the value-adds

Keeping your basic app free is a great way to go too, as long as you hold back enough value in priced add-ons to convince users to opt-in with time. This one is tricky as the basic offering has to be worthwhile to begin with – tech-savvy consumers these days (which includes almost every iPhone app user) know that ‘free’ doesn’t always mean ‘good deal’.

7.Get a head start

If you’ve got something sellable, get it out there NOW! First-mover advantage means everything for an app user-base, and there’s always v1.2 and v2.0.

8.Chum up those reviewers

App review sites are a dime a dozen, but some are genuine treasure-troves for getting word out about your offering. Submit your app to them – better still, get some free app developer promotion codes and send them across to reviewers.

9.The customer is your best friend

Once you’ve spiced up v1.0 with a smattering of premium features and upgrades, actively solicit and incorporate feedback. As always, the user knows best – it’s your job to organize that knowledge and benefit from it to improve their experience!

10.Glocal is the new black

Ever notice how the ubiquitous Golden Arches make a global-image brand like McDonald’s mash a Chicken McTikka into their India-specific offering? If your app can play with geo-specific variations, capitalize on that edge – e.g. get a Danish version to play up the EU presidency.

Would you like to increase your App’s visibility in App stores? Don’t wait, contact us today.