5 Mistakes To Avoid When Launching Your App

You probably drank over 1,000 cups of coffee, fell asleep at the computer at least 20 times, and swore you would never develop another app more times then you can remember. You’ve worked hard (fricking hard) to make your app your version of perfect and now it’s time to release your baby right into the harsh world of new apps and let it soar (hopefully) to the top of the charts. You’ve worked too hard to let success slip away so, before you launch, grab your 1,001 cup of coffee and make sure to check out these 5 mistakes to avoid when launching your app.

1. Overlooking the importance of ASO

If you’re just about ready to launch, you’ve heard the term ASO (App Store Optimization) and hopefully, understand it’s significance. Some developers make the mistake of overlooking the importance of App Store Optimization, uploading their apps to the stores without an ASO strategy and leaving visibility and traffic up to chance. Do not be that developer! According to Forrester, 63% of apps are discovered through app store searches so, if you’re not doing anything to promote your app in search, the chances of your app being discovered and downloaded are not looking too hot.

Don’t wait for post launch to invest in your ASO. Make sure you figure out a plan and do the necessary research ahead of time. Focus on:

Making sure your app icon is unique. Remember that your icon is the first thing users see. This is your chance to grab their attention and make them click on your app. You have countless competitors and users who change their apps like they do socks. Make sure your app icon stands out.

Researching relevant keywords and doing a little “spying”, checking your competitors keywords. Use keyword tools like Google Adwords Keyword planner or wordstream’s free keyword tool to help.

Writing a clear app description using the keywords you researched. Make sure your content includes your apps features. Remember to always keep your audience in mind when writing the description. Write for users not for the search engine.

Making sure you use quality screenshots. Try giving users a taste of what they will experience if they download the app.

Knowing your targeted audience and localizing!

2. Waiting until the last minute to promote your app

Please, please, pleaseeeeeeee don’t tell us you’re waiting to launch in order to start promoting your app. It doesn’t matter how awesome, revolutionary, life changing you think your app is – do not wait last minute to promote it when you can start generating a user base and creating buzz before it goes live.

Here are some things you can do to promote pre-launch:

Create a website/landing page – Opening a website or landing page pre-launch can help you get traffic and increase your potential user base. People can sign-up through the website to receive updates on your app release.

Build social media presence – Open up social media pages for your app (FB, Twitter, Google+,Linkedin, Instagram etc) and maintain them as much as you can, giving people teasers and sharing posts about your app that will generate excitement. You can also use your social media channels to drive traffic to your landing page, encouraging more people to join the waitlist.

Be present on forums – Utilize forums that are relevant to you as well as to your app. You can use forums and websites like Unity3d ,Product Hunt and other app developer forums to get advice, honest feedback and maybe even get people to try and test your app. Becoming part of a community pre-launch can help you build actual relationships that may come in handy later when it comes to reviews, shares and overall buzz.

If your app is about health and fitness, go on relevant forums and talk about the launch of your upcoming fitness app. Sites like Quora allow you to ask questions and answer questions about almost anything you can imagine. Like : “ What are the best apps? Which fitness apps do you recommend? How can I get fit fast?” Look up questions that may be relevant to your app and answer them, letting people know how your app can be of added value.

Here are some of our favorite forums & sites:

Quora
Product hunt
Unity3d
TouchArcade
GameDev

Share content about your app as well as teasers and videos, creating excitement around your app and preparing the ground for potential users.

Have a PR plan- Don’t wait until the last minute to do PR. Look for credible websites and publications that can be relevant and create a solid PR list in advance. Make sure your pitch is ready so you can start sending e-mails before launch day.

Form a mailing list – Use all of the different channels we discussed to build a mailing list that will be comprised of potential users. You can use this list to send e-mails pre and post launch.

3. Creating a low quality video

You’re so close to regaining some of your personal life and launching your app, but now is not the time to cut corners especially not with your video creative. Today, video is an essential tool for showcasing an app. If done correctly, it can play a major role in the user’s decision making process. The better your video , the more chances users will be tempted to download.

Here are some tips for creating an awesome video:

Users come first – Your video should be based on your targeted audience as well as on the purpose of your app. While you want to show off some features, the video should portray the user benefits. The video you create depends on your product. If you’re launching a gaming app you can try to to provide potential users with a taste of the actual gaming experience. If you have an app that measures the sugars in food for people with diabetes, make sure the video explains how the app will make their lives easier.

Keep it light – At the end of the day, people watch videos that speak to them. Create your video with your users in mind and have fun with it. Having an entertaining and fun video can increase your chances for exposure and can generate a genuine interest in your app.

Keep it short – let’s be honest, most of us don’t have the time or patience to watch long videos about apps we’ve never heard about. Keep it short and simple and your chances of being viewed will increase.

Be professional – You don’t have to spend millions on production but keep in mind that if you make an ammature video, no one will take you seriously. Your video represents your app so make sure it does it justice. You can create app previews with Apptamin or produce app videos with video editing tools like Magisto, and Videoshop. You can make free video app tutorials with CamStudio or AviScreen.

Remember that it is often the visual aspect of the app that is the deciding factor when it comes to user downloads. Videos often show up in search and can lead to low or high conversion depending on their quality. When uploading your creative to various channels (App stores/landing page/social media), ask yourself “ would I download this app based on this video?” A\B test as much as possible and make sure that your video represents you and your app perfectly.

4. Forgetting to enable content sharing

This may seem like a small thing but in reality, the addition of content sharing can be crucial for the growth and virality of your app. If you have great content in your app you can increase your installs. How? By making it possible for the content shared to be easily accessed by everyone who clicked or installed from that particular link. Imagine how fast your content can go viral. Enabling the sharing of content from the beginning can help get maximum installs which can help in store ranking.

5. Thinking reviews grow on trees

Just like money, reviews don’t grow on trees. Don’t launch your app and expect thousands of organic reviews to pour in. Also, do you really want your first reviews to be done by random people? Pre-launch is the time to get in touch with your beta testers, friends, clients and ask them to review your app. Good reviews can help build credibility and it’s also a substantial factor in ranking algorithms.

Once you launched and increased your user base, you can offer user incentives to review your app. You can use push notifications or emails offering them another life in a game or certain locked features.

Make Mistakes before not after

You’re going to make mistakes, it’s natural and at times necessary for improvement. Take your time before launching and go over everything one more time. What’s another cup of coffee or a 20 minute nap by your screen compared to mistakes that can jeopardize your hard work? Check yourself before you wreck yourself and you’re guaranteed for a smoother, better launch.

Related content- The App Launch Kit: Top Solution

Related content- The App Launch Kit: Top Solutions