Success-Driven Strategies for App Launch and App Growth from Fireart Studio
Are you planning to develop and launch a successful mobile app and win your audience’s love in the first month or two? We will not tell you that something is impossible, but only that you should be well-aware of all the pitfalls that may appear on the way to smooth product launch. To be informed means to be armed and combat-ready for even the most challenging situations. This is probably the biggest secret of success in the digital era .
To prepare for all scenarios possible and provide the easy entering of your product into the market, you must have a viable mobile app launch and growth strategy. To make things simpler to you and shed light on the question, our mobile app developers and marketers have prepared this 15-step guide. Get ready to absorb only experience-backed practices and insights .
I. Pre-Launch Stage
Run Market Research and Competitive Analysis
The number one step in every digital product development journey is market research. It includes both customer research and competitive analysis. You must explore who your target audience is, whether an app idea is relevant to them, is a product extremely new to them, or is it just a more exciting alternative to existing products. In both cases, you can find competitors. Even if your app is highly unique, it likely has at least some of the features already associated with other products, so you can spy on competitors and learn how they build their product development strategies . Here is that a competitive analysis starts.
Investigate apps with similar features and discover how they’re performing in the market. Learn from their mistakes — what have they done good or bad in their strategies, what has worked with their target audiences, what has brought them success? All these insights will help you create an even better mobile app concept.
Test Your Prototypes with Real People
User testing is one of the critical stages of mobile app development. You may think that your app is almost perfect and everything works smoothly. Congratulations if it does! Although, from our experience, it’s almost impossible to create a seamless mobile app user experience without running multiple iterations and making limitless improvements. You might be surprised to learn that other people will utilize your app in a different way than you do, that’s why it’s particularly important to test it with real users.
Monitor app performance and user behavior
Leverage in-app analytics to monitor and measure app performance, engagement, and user behavior. Safeguard your future digital product success by using these insights to enhance your mobile app user experience, marketing strategy, and scaling plan. Select metrics that mean the most for your business model. What features are the most attractive for users? What sections do seem unattractive to them? Ask yourself these questions to get insights that will help you improve your app and increase user loyalty and retention.
Let Users Leave Feedback inside of Your App
Nothing works worse for app success than receiving negative app reviews and low-star ratings in an app store. To avoid this and encourage problem resolution before negative user feedback reaches the public, you may provide an opportunity for users to leave feedback and negative comments right inside of the app. So that you will be able to handle critical situations more effectively and enhance your app without getting negative feedback somewhere on the web.
Conduct Beta Testing
It is one of the most significant steps in the product development process. It allows you to monitor and investigate how real people interact with your app in a natural environment. This approach lets you gain a profound understanding of real user needs, the context of using an app, and what areas need improvement. The beta-release is intended to reveal bugs and errors, test loading times, various interactions, and other features that matter for the overall app performance.
Create a PR & Digital Marketing Strategy
Have you probably thought that marketing refers only to a post-launch stage? Please, don’t make this mistake! You can start raising your mobile app awareness and popularity from the first days when the app’s core features are developed.
That’s why we recommend dividing a marketing plan into three stages: pre-launch, launch, and post-launch. Each of these stages requires a particular approach to app promotion. With a reliable pre-launch marketing strategy, you multiply the chances to reach the app store’s top on the launch day. It will help you create buzz around your mobile and increase audience engagement.
Develop a Website for Your App
It’s a great spot to start your fan following and spark conversations about your app. You can place here your app’s screenshots, descriptions of the key features, the date of the app launch, and reminders about the day when your fans can help you by sharing news about app launch around the web.
Prepare a Press Kit
It’s crucial to create a press kit before the app launch. Don’t lose an opportunity to be endorsed and promoted by a blogger or influencer just because he or she has been discouraged by not finding the key information about your app on a website. Provide a press kit on your web landing page to allow press and influencers to access information about your mobile application easily. Include a store icon, general app description, the app’s screenshots, description of the key features, a demo video, press release, and previous reviews there.
Read Apple’s and Google’s Checklists
Be sure to check the two most important official submission checklist guides for housekeeping tasks related to launching apps — Apple’s and Google’s ones. Please do it before uploading your app to the stores.
II. Launch Stage
Don’t Forget About App Store Optimization
The app store remains one of the most critical channels for the app search and audience engagement. That’s why it’s crucial to run an effective ASO strategy (app store optimization strategy. ASO allows you to rank higher in the marketplace; the higher an app ranks in the app store, the easier to find it will be to potential users.
Leverage the Power of PR & Advertising Once Again
PR is the best way to boost your app popularity and awareness. At this step, it’s also essential to invest your efforts in PR and advertising. It’s the high time to take your press kit prepared earlier and start reaching out to bloggers, reporters, and influencers with a request to help you introduce your newly launched product to the world.
Paid advertising may be a bit expensive during an entire app growth journey. However, it’s highly recommended to leverage it’s power when you release a product. A limited app launch campaign is a useful practice to build initial awareness and downloads.
Grow Your App Store Ratings
The higher your mobile app will be rated on the launch day, the better it will rank on the app store in the future. So, be sure that you have created a plan to notify your audience from your email list about your mobile app launch. Don’t also hesitate to ask your app community, friends, family, and test users to leave positive feedback about your app in a store.
III. Post-Launch Stage
Create a Plan for Continuous Engagement
PR and marketing have been necessary at the two previous stages, and they still are significant at the post-launch stage too. You can re-engage users to discover your application by sending them push-notifications or using in-app messaging. You can also try to increase user engagement by sending them special offers and discounts, customized content, reminders, and other valuable information your users are looking for.
Monitor App Performance
Your app development shouldn’t end even after the launch. Monitor app performance and investigate user behavior to learn how you can improve your product. A genuinely successful app is always being developed continuously, passing many rounds of iterations and improvements.
Closing Thoughts
This is our ultimate guide on how to launch and grow your mobile app. Hopefully, these insights will inspire you to create a powerful strategy for your future app, increase its success inch by inch, and guide you in the right direction. Are you probably looking for an experienced mobile app development company to help you build, launch, and grow your app? Don’t hesitate to contact us and learn how our skills and experience may help accelerate your business growth.
Originally published at https://fireart.studio on July 11, 2020.