2. How Can Customers Find Your App
in a Crowded Marketplace?
Most conversations about this topic include words like: title,
icons, screenshots, search & ranking algorithms, price,
updates, category, descriptions, and keywords.
3. Three Factors to Consider
Trustworthy Storefront
Promote with a Purpose
Room to Experiment
4. Context & Assumptions
Perspective from Moms With Apps
○ Independent Developers
○ Kids' Apps
○ Mainly iTunes (but changing rapidly)
Speculation Abounds!
○ Unless we work at the App Store, discussion of
optimization is highly speculative. The hope is to
validate our speculation by cross-referencing
experiences with other developers.
What are you in this for?
○ Sustainability? Profitability? Personal Learning?
Your choices on how to tackle visibility relates to
your own needs and definition of "success".
5. Let's Search the App Store
Random search for "spelling games for kids".
Note: Did you do some analysis on your keywords?
6. Which apps are coming up?
Is "spelling" a popular or niche keyword? (# of ratings)
What other keywords support the goal to do better in class?
Think about your own app and keywords. Your app is the
answer to what question/s?
● What are competitors saying in their app descriptions?
● Are your keywords in your app description?
● Are the search results the same on different platforms, or
versions of iOS, or your mac vs your phone?
● Did you analyze your keywords with tools like
○ Google Keyword Tool, AppStoreHQ, Searchman
Credits: Apps Kids Love & Thinkamingo
8. Developer Information
What I notice: last updated, IAP, other apps, privacy policy
(missing here), ratings & reviews (do you have at least five?),
and "app support" which directs to developer website.
9. Developer Website
Does the company look trustworthy?
Does the average consumer care?
What about a reviewer?
10. Is the app visible? Yes & No
Yes (quantitative): For search rankings under
keywords, seems like it
○ From website, looks like pre-existing customers in
education space
○ FREE to download
○ Focused on SEO
No (qualitative): For review sites or app store
editorial features, maybe not
○ Other apps do a better job of presentation
○ Other apps have better ratings/reviews
○ Other apps cover privacy
○ Other apps tell me more about the developer
11. So which types of apps get featured?
Featured > Apps for School > Literacy > Spelling: Here I see more apps I
know, and if they have ratings, the ratings are favorable. Much more "trust" is
evident in this view (more privacy policies too!)
12. Next Factor: Promotion
Scenario: You have a great app, but eventually
the app store feature runs out. How do you
trigger some download momentum if your app
isn't showing up on the charts?
Reference: blog.lescapadou.com / App: Montessori Numbers
13. Promote with a Purpose
● Not randomly, like this ==>
● App updates
● PR & social media
● Blogger outreach
● Reviews
● Price promotions
● Giveaways
● Cross-market throughout your community
● Coordinate ALL of the above
14. Consider the Risks
App Updates =======>
PR & Social Media ==>
Blog Reviews ======>
Price
=============>
Your Community ====>
Resets reviews
Time consuming
Value more in
testimonial than sale
Free does not equal
sales, just downloads
No risk, all upside
15. App Friday
Weekly promotion in the kids' app community, cross-
marketed by developers and a wide set of kids' app reviewers.
We use Facebook, Twitter, blogs, G+, Pinterest, and
Community (i.e., Download Parties)...
16. Immediate Effect? Spike in Downloads (not sales)
● The Blue Jackal: $2.99 to FREE for Friday & Saturday
● App Friday, App Advice, Outreach, Community
● Reached #4 by end of day in Top Free iPad Books
● 10,000 downloads Friday
● 4,000 downloads Saturday
● Sunday, back to paid, app goes back to regular sales.
● Another example: Swedish Word Wizard (below)
17. What we hope for over time...
...is an increase in downloads, which 1) might trigger the app
store to notice you, 2) widens reach through word of mouth,
and 3) raises exposure of developer's other apps through
cross-marketing in the promoted app. These are math apps
from PKCLsoft, who experienced a post-promotion lift for
about three months.
Reference: pkclsoft.com / Apps: Sales of Tap Times Tables & Math Plus Minus,
January through April 2013
18. Final Point: Give yourself ROOM
to experiment in an environment
of constant, rapid change
Yesterday's conversation
○ Lite version?
○ HD or universal?
○ App Gratis on the store :)
Today's conversation
○ Free + IAP?
○ How to comply with COPPA?
○ App Gratis NOT on the store!
What will be tomorrows' conversation?
○ Depends on Terms & Conditions, characteristics of
the marketplace, regulations, devices, etc.
19. Artgig Apps: Case Study
First app, Shake-A-Phrase, May 2011. Latest
app, Mystery Math Town, BIG feature by Apple.
They keep improving over time.
20. How do they measure up?
Is their storefront trustworthy?
○ Privacy Policy - YES
○ Accessible - YES
○ Graphics - GREAT
○ Ratings - Positive!
Do they promote with a purpose?
○ Regular cross-promotions - YES
○ PR & social media - YES
○ Blogger outreach - YES
Have they given themselves ROOM to
experiment?
○ Did they take a long term approach? YES
○ Are they visible? YES!
21. Questions, Credits, & Resources
Charts & Graphs & Case Study
○ blog.lescapadou.com
○ pkclsoft.com
○ artgigapps.com
○ thebluejackal.com
Promotional Resources
○ appfridayparty.com, #appfriday on twitter
○ Digital Storytime's list of favorite app review sites
("Google" it.)
○ momswithapps.com (blog sidebar - "industry
resources")
○ The Jellybean Tunes App Report
