Happy New Year! As we move from 2018 to 2019, the world collectively sets goals and makes promises to make themselves better in some way. More often than not, these goals include getting in shape, learning a new skill, or finally completing that project that’s been put off. Sometimes, these resolutions for the new year include goals aimed at improving your career, and if you’re an app developer, there are plenty of areas of your craft that can be improved. We’ve put together 5 New Years Resolutions for App Developers to help you make 2019 the best year for your app yet.
Resolution 1: I will learn successful App Store Optimization (ASO)
App Store Optimization involved applying the same concepts of SEO (search engine optimization) towards the app stores. ASO is the process of optimizing your app’s listing in the app store so that it appears in more searches and reached more audiences. The keywords and key phrases that you use in specific areas of your app store listing can greatly impact your app’s performance and, ultimately, your bottom line. Apple has made somewhat recent changes to its app store algorithm, attempting to make less popular apps more easily findable to new users. This means that ASO is more important than ever in helping your app to attract a broader range of users.
App Title
Your App’s Title is critical to its performance in the app store. While you of course want to remain true to your brand, the key words used in your app’s title are one of the first things a user who is searching for your app will look for. For example, a weather app named “iWeather” will likely perform better than a weather app titled “Stormwatcher”, since it is far more likely that a user will search “weather app” in the search bar.
App Description
Your app’s description is the second most important factor in your app’s success in the app store. Including highly searched phrases that are related to your app’s type, genre, and demographic can help to catch the eye of browsing app shoppers and better connect with them to encourage a download. Your app’s description should include your app’s benefits, functions, and why it is different than other similar apps.
Reviews
Reviews are absolutely critical to your app’s performance in the app store. Encourage every app user to review your app soon after download or at the most important points of your user’s journey. Use reviews as an opportunity to listen to your community. Respond to negative reviews and consider updating your app regularly to address any concerns your audience finds with your app. Potential downloaders will see your engagement with the audience and trust that you will also take care of their needs and concerns. The more positive reviews you have, the better your app store performance.
Bonus: Include images in your app descriptions
Images give the user a better sense of your app’s functionality, design and UX, which can help to influence their decision to download your app. Include several clear images that are true to the user’s real experience within your app.
This year, consider making the resolution to understand how ASO works and how you can optimize and test core areas of your app’s app store listing(s) for the highest number of downloads possible.
Resolution 2: I will improve my app’s speed and user experience
Lots of developers are focused on making their app as robust as possible, cramming tons of features into the user’s journey whenever possible. While multiple features can add value to your app and give you a competitive advantage, spending too much time and effort on a variety of features, rather than focusing all of your attention on your app’s core features, can cause your interface to look busy and messy. What’s more, users are likely to exit the app or uninstall if your app moves too slowly or does not provide the functionality the user needs or expects.
Focus on improving the speed and flow of your app’s core features for the best user experience, rather than glossing over details in the name of variety. In 2019, consider making the resolution to focus on your app’s core offerings and speed for the best user experience.
Resolution 3: I will integrate more post install events
Number of app installs is an obvious goal for all app developers. However, what happens immediately after the install is arguably more important than the install itself in creating long term users out of your downloaders. Standard post install events include a branded welcome screen, a new user registration during which you’ll collect the most important information from your users, and events that are specific to your app type, such as “add to cart”, “checkout”, “purchase”, etc.
By guiding your app users through each step of the process of using your app, you’re helping to ensure that your users fully understand your app’s full capabilities and functionality. App developers should utilize post-install events to create a branded experience for their users, allowing you to build trust and help them use your app in the best ways possible.
Common post-install events include:
- Welcome screen
- Registration
- Tutorials for Use
- Achievements and Levels
- Add to Cart
- Checkout
- Purchase
- Share
- Invite
- View Ad
- Provide Feedback
Get creative with your post-install events, but make sure to create a unified, clean, and helpful user flow. In 2019, consider adding more immersive, engaging post-install events to your app’s user flow and journey.
Resolution 4: I will continue my career learning and stay up to date in the industry
True mastery of a skill or craft only comes through practice, experience and staying up-to-date on the industry as a whole. This year, app developers should make sure to attend conferences, webinars, presentations and other career learning opportunities whenever possible. There are countless brands and business that act as resources for app developers. Conferences are especially useful in staying up to date in your industry, as they allow conference goers to network and engage with others in their fields, encouraging collaboration and the sharing of new ideas or app development methods. Webinars offer the information of a conference with the convenience of flexibility and online availability. Some of our favorite resources for app developers includes:
- Udemy
- Udacity
- Google Developers Training
- Treehouse
- GitHub
- iOS Developer Library
- Swift Developer Blog
- Appnext Developer Resources
Many industry thought leaders also share their expertise on webinars and online resources. In 2019, consider making the resolution to continue your career learning and attend conferences, join webinars, and study resources to help you hone in on making your current and future apps success and amazing.
Resolution 5: I will share my knowledge with the world
Speaking of resources for app developers, you yourself can be a resource! This year, consider making the resolution to become a thought leader in your industry or helping your current company to share its expertise. Each developer in the massive app community has a unique perspective on what they create, and sharing this inside knowledge with others makes the community a stronger, more experienced place. Sharing your industry knowledge also creates strong branding for yourself or the company you work for. Not only are you helping others to create better experiences for users, you’re also branding yourself as a subject matter expert. Create your own blogs, host your own webinars, and consider encouraging your team to do the same. This year, consider making the new year’s resolution to share your industry experiences and knowledge.
What are some other New Year’s Resolutions you plan to make in 2019? Share them below.
Comments are closed.