Do you have an app idea in the pipeline? Maybe you’ve already got to the point where you’re ready to put it out there for the world to download. If that’s the case, there are a few things you should consider before you hit launch on your app. Your app needs users, and how do you get users? We’re breaking down the elements of an app that make the difference between a passing audience and a loyal one.
Reviews
There is no better marketing than the word of mouth, and the closest equivalent online is reviews. The good word of a few strangers is enough to convince people whether they want to work with you or not. But to begin with, reviews can be hard to come by. No one knows who you are, and don’t want to know you because no one else knows who you are. It’s a real chicken and egg situation. You can remedy this by looking to buy app installs that might result in a few reviews to get you started.
Reliability
Make sure your app is up to scratch, however, since the reviews aren’t guaranteed to be good. Nothing makes a user run for the hills more than bugs in software. Not only are bugs annoying to an audience that famously has the attention span of a fly and will simply peace out if they come across the spinning wheel of doom, but they can get in the way of functionality. This is particularly a problem if you are trying to sell something with your app. An app with a bug might interrupt the journey to payment, causing a potential customer to bounce from your app without completing the sale.
Influencers
Once you have your demographic nailed, it’s time to get the word out. The best way to do that is with affiliate marketing, where, effectively, creators that your audience trusts give your app a shoutout. It’s a very common concept nowadays, but there is a way to do it right. Consider looking into micro-influencers. That might sound counterproductive, since they, by definition, have a smaller audience, but they also have a more loyal audience. Their audience loves them because they’re niche and have climbed the ranks of a community, and therefore their word is taken more seriously than the “out of touch” bigger influencers. Look up communities that might be a part of your demographic and search for micro-influencers in them for a very loyal audience.
Solving a Problem
The most useful thing that will convince users to download your app is to solve a problem for them. Like any product, they won’t need convincing if they know right away that they need it. Apps in general solve the problem of convenience. They send the user straight to the brand they love and offer up everything the brand can on a website and more.
But the way you can make sure you get users who appreciate convenience is by integrating relevant features into your app. If it can solve a problem that looking at the website can’t, you’ll have loyal users that repeatedly use the app. This can be notifying them of exclusive sales and offers, an easier forum to use to book tables or appointments, or anything else you can think of that will take your app from something to download because you like the brand to something you will keep in your phone forever.