Winning the App Store Game: Introduction
The Business of Apps website reports that as of 2023, the Apple’s App Store hosts 1.76 million apps and 460,000 games, while the Google Play store boasts 2.27 million apps and 390,000 games. This data paints a clear picture of the mobile app industry’s intense competition. Imagine you’re pouring a hard-earned bucket of rainwater, collected over many months, maybe even years, into a lake — it feels like you’ve barely made a ripple. That’s what launching a new app on these stores can feel like. But the good news is, we have tools to aid app discovery in these massive digital marketplaces. Understanding App Store Optimization (ASO) is a game-changer for any successful app.
Being a developer at heart, I’d rather spend my time coding. Back when I first dipped my toes into the mobile app industry, I largely ignored ASO. I was of the belief that if an app is good enough, it should organically grow. Indeed, some apps like the iconic Flappy Bird have managed to do just that, sans marketing. But these ‘unicorn apps’ are rarities in this vast market. The majority of apps need a bit of marketing muscle to get noticed, and ASO is the perfect starting point. For years, I stubbornly dismissed marketing as an alien concept, and my apps paid the price for my obstinacy. It wasn’t until I rolled up my sleeves and dived into ASO and other marketing tactics that my apps began to make their mark…
