The Overlooked Way To Exponentially Growing Your Mobile App Even During A Recession
without spending a dollar more on ads.
You’ve read the title right. It’s perfectly possible to get more users while spending the same amount of money (or even less) on paid ads.
And even in the current economic atmosphere that we’re all more or less "experiencing,"
“Oh no, not this again. Another shiny clickbait cr*p I just landed on. Bye George!”
Before you go, let me confess:
I know my statement sounds so bold that it must be clickbait. I agree.
But indeed, it isn’t.
And if you grant me a few minutes of your precious time, I’ll prove to you why — pinky promise.
As a mobile marketer/CEO/growth hacker, etc., I’m sure you noticed, that at some point:
- your User Acquisition costs kept getting higher and higher
- your Ad Creative performance isn’t as superb as it used to be
- you’re getting fewer and fewer downloads despite ramping up your ad spend
Realizing any of these hurts. It’s the kind of pain that wakes you up in the middle of the night, thinking:
“What The Hell Should I Do To Keep <Your App’s Name> Alive?”
Most people think that the holy grail lies only in Ad Creative Iteration and Campaign Optimization. WRONG.
Obviously, it’s important to have a solid creative and campaign strategy in the first place, but the savvy growth marketer does not stop here.
To maximize your UA efforts, you can’t afford to overlook the importance of your Store Conversion Rates.
Your Store Page is a touchpoint in your funnel that either leads to visitors downloading or leaving for good.
A unified experience through touchpoints from ads to becoming a user looks like this:
- Your target audience sees your ad on specific media channels (e.g. Meta)
- If they like what they see, they click on it
- They land on your app’s Store Page and decide to download or leave
So you see, the decision to install is born on the Store Page itself.
Install Conversion Rate plays a huge role in UA overall and CPI in particular.
If you’re like me, at this point you’re asking:
“What is a good store conversion rate?”
I have a pretty cool answer to this by Thomas Petit that I found while researching.
I’ll quote it with a tiny bit of polishing, but you can find the Question & Answer on QUANTMAR in its initial glory.
“A good store conversion rate is one that is higher than you had before: keep testing.”
Brilliant.
“Keep testing” is so obvious that marketers tend to sweep it under the carpet.
Which eventually results in high CPI, low download numbers, and crappy auction placement.
Living hell & headache it is.
If you just kept the “keep testing” principle under laser focus…
I bet your acquisition costs would soon decrease dramatically.
If I haven’t convinced you to start testing your Store Page assets just yet…
OR you’re already on fire but don’t know what you should do, I suggest you keep reading 🙃
First, for the skeptics:
Why’s Store Asset CRO A Literal Goldmine When It Comes To UA Costs?
It’s simple:
Small gains in conversion rate can mean big wins for both organic and, even more importantly, paid UA.
Why?
Simply because a higher Conversion Rate improves your position in the auction.
This means that even a slight increase in CVR can result in MASSIVE success for CPI, as you’ll get a better position in auctions.
So increasing your CVR by 1% wouldn’t only mean a 1% decrease in CPI but much more.
Now let’s get to the fun part
How do you get started with your app’s Store Conversion Rate Optimization?
We’ve already talked about the importance of a unified user experience through touchpoints.
So that’s the single most important thing you have to perpetually keep in mind when testing different assets.
Ensure that your (visual & written) communication in your ads is aligned with your Store Page assets.
Knowing this, let’s see the vital elements and how to improve them:
1. App Icon
It’s one of the first things people see when they land on your page. Make sure to design it in a way that reflects what your app is about.
At the same time, keep it simple — NO excessive text or graphics.
Make it easy to recognize and ensure it matches your brand’s color scheme, as it will be the main representation of your app brand.
2. Screenshots
One of the most important, if not the single most important, sets of assets.
To put it simply, people look at your app screenshots and instantly decide if they like your app or not.
Solidly explain the value and benefits people will receive, but also keep the copy short and big. It is a rule of thumb to make it readable in almost any circumstance.
Also, people will judge not only your app’s features but the UI/UX too.
You have roughly 3 seconds to grab attention.
This means that your first Screenshot is probably the only one most people will pay attention to.
Marketers tend to think that people scroll through all the shots and read the description, but ask yourself:
When was the last time you did the same?
As Peter Fodor, CEO of AppAgent also said in his conversation with Lina Danilchik, Content Marketing Lead @SplitMetrics:
“The first impression frame plays a huge role. And the third, fifth screenshot is something that you can keep for later, once you have a great first impression frame.”
3. App Name
Aside from putting your app’s name in the field, you can and should add other keywords too.
Try to add keywords users are searching for when they’re looking for the solution your app provides.
Cycle out low-search volume keywords for high-search volume ones for some juicy organic growth.
That’ll help rank your app higher, so users will find you easier and faster.
Result: more downloads.
Which is something we want, right?
4. Preview or Promo Video
The Promo Video is basically a short video that you can showcase on your Store Page right next to the Screenshots.
This one isn’t a necessity, but if the big G says something like this, you should definitely consider it:
“While a promo video is not required, it’s highly recommended as a fun, engaging way to show your potential users the features of your app.”
Now, to be 100% honest, I’m not 100% sure this quote is from Google. I just found it during my research.
EXPOSED.
But still, it’s true.
Google (or not Google, whatever) is right. A video is a cool way to show users why they need your app and to kind of “show them around in it.”
In most cases, it can familiarize the user experience, leading to increased CVR and higher engagement post-install. Obviously, this highly depends on the nature of the app.
I’d say put this one up for an A/B test, like everything else.
Include the most appealing and engaging features, then test whether you get more downloads with or without video.
5. Rating and Reviews
People trust people.
Strive to get your reviews AT LEAST over 4 stars; otherwise, your chances of getting new users will drop significantly.
The best way to do it: truthfully and wholeheartedly reply to user reviews ❤️
Plus, encourage users to leave reviews. A best practice is to send a push notification upon a certain accomplishment made by your user.
People tend to leave 5-star reviews without a hitch when having fun.
6. Store Description
Now, I won’t go too deeply into this one, simply because that could be as long as my entire blog post.
It’s a great place to connect with your users and elaborate on the features that you showed in the Screenshots.
Another rule of thumb: keep the most compelling information closest to the top so people will more likely read it.
If you’re pumped to learn more about Store Description best practices, I encourage you to start with Appsflyer’s blog post. They even point out the differences between Google Play and the App Store.
So far, you’ve learned about the importance of Store CRO, the elements to improve, and the how-tos.
Let’s see 3 critical facts that should be carved in stone.
ALWAYS Keep These In Mind
1. Android and Apple Users Have Different Tastes
It would be cool to simply take all the learnings from one store and effortlessly apply them to the other one too. You can, but you shouldn’t.
Because what works on the Apple App Store, 99% of the time, does not work on Google Play, and vice versa.
Why?
Simply because the user base is vastly different.
Mindsets and preferences are fundamentally different between Android and Apple users.
I’m sure this is something you, dear reader, have already noticed too.
Not only that, but the layout and the UX/UI also differ.
2. Never Stop Improving
I know.
It would be super cool if you could just stop once you crafted the perfect mix of high-CVR Store Assets.
Laying back and enjoying the well-deserved fruits of your hard work.
Maybe have a short rest, but then... back to the lab.
Because what works now for Store CRO might not work next month.
That means you have to keep crafting & testing frequently.
Test, learn, and evolve with the market to stay on top of your competitors and to keep UA Metrics in hand.
CPIs low, Conversions high.
3. Always, ALWAYS A/B Test
The only way to ensure you’re not randomly testing different assets is to have everything planned out.
Set up a hypothesis and test it against your current assets to either validate or disprove it.
Once you have a clear winner, set up another hypothesis, test it, and so on.
Never apply something out of your gut. The beauty of mobile marketing is that we have plenty of data on hand.
Being so, you don’t have to (and you shouldn’t!) make important decisions based on “I think this will work out.”
It most likely won’t.
Stick to data.
Summary
Store CRO ensures that you’re getting the most out of your app advertising spending.
Your store rankings and UA costs are highly dependent on your Store Conversions.
Increased CVR results in increased visibility in each store, growth in organic downloads, and a lower overall cost of user acquisition.
Poor Store CVR decreases organic downloads and makes your UA endeavors exponentially more expensive.
The most important assets to start with are:
- App Icon
- Screenshots
- App name
- Preview & Promo Video
- Reviews
- Store Description
Always keep in mind:
- Apple and Android users are vastly different
- You can’t stop tweaking and testing new assets
- Always A/B test your hypotheses
So:
Let’s get testing!
P.S. Phew, that was a long one. I certainly hope it was worth your time, and I’m utterly grateful that you cared to read it until the end.
Dear Reader, you’re a rock star!
I know how crappy it is to watch your CPIs skyrocket.
Staring at your computer, shaking your head in disbelief, and feeling helpless.
Been there, done that, do not recommend.
Trust me, it s*cks on a different level when you’re a mobile marketer pledging your services for your client.
But to make things work (and we always do), one has to shake off the sorrow and look for a solution. There’s always one.
And it’s often overlooked.
P.S.: Damn, it was a pretty long read, and we haven’t even talked about Custom Product Pages. That is going to be the next blog post. Follow me to make sure you won’t miss it :)
My “Thank You!” Gift For Reading My Blogpost
If you wish you could pump up your Store Pages on steroids, and achieve a unified user experience through touchpoints:
Hit me up on LinkedIn to chat about your Store Conversions.
I’ll check your Store Page and UA assets, then assess the elements that you could and should improve.
The rest will be up to you — you can do it on your own, or let my agency do it for you. No push, no sales.
See ya on LinkedIn. (I regularly post about store conversion optimization there btw 😉)
Until then,
George
