Building Your Apps Total Message
Some people think marketing your iPhone/iPad app consists of doing a little advertising and a press release. Actually, marketing your app, especially if you want to see steady and consistent sales on the App Store, requires that you do a number of things very well. I call this group of activities creating your app's "total message," and it includes every aspect of your marketing effort, from how you name your app and the icons and graphics you display, to your product website and App Store wording. Table 5.1 lists the components of the "Total" app message. Check each category and give yourself a grade that reflects your progress in each area.
All the activities listed in Table 5.1 are a means of communication and can help you convey the value of your app and its unique qualities to your buyer. You're not going to fail by not doing them, but your odds of success are much higher than if you sit back and do nothing.
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Table 5.1 How Well Are You Doing Creating Your App's "Total Message"? | ||
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Marketing Component |
My Grade (Haven't Started, Not Bad, Pretty Good, Very Good) | |
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Descriptive app name | ||
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Polished app icon | ||
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Descriptive App Store written content | ||
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Clean and simple product website | ||
The more complete your total message, the more likely someone will like what she sees on your product website and the App Store and then buy your app. When people visit the App Store, they are either simply browsing or they are searching for a specific type of app.
The browser types are usually looking for an app to pass the time. They may be looking for an action game or a puzzle or some other app for entertainment. Perhaps they are looking for an app to keep one of their kids occupied, but they're not sure which app. Most buyers will first start their search by looking at the "What's Hot" and "New and Noteworthy" categories, or they will look at the Top 100 lists for ideas. The other buyers come to the store looking for a specific solution to a problem. It could be a student looking for help with their homework or preparing for the SAT exam. It could be a businessman looking for an app to help him in his sales job or to better manage his finances. Or it could be a mom looking to get more organized with daily activities.
Regardless of the app they seek, buyers will be presented with pages of apps that are in that category. So, even when they have found the category they want, they still have to wade through hundreds of apps. If you can make your app stand out, it's more likely that visitors will stop and take a look at your app. That's the first step in getting them to buy! If you can't get someone to stop and look at your app, your sales will be disappointing. Take a look at the apps in Figure 5.1. Note the apps that catch your attention and ask yourself why these particular apps make you stop and look.
Most people visiting the App Store are first attracted to the colorful icons. It's simply easier to scan the page looking at the graphics to see if one of them is of interest rather than reading every description. Buyers can sort the list of available apps by "[app] Name," "Most Recent," and "Release Date," but most buyers will scan the screen looking for an icon that grabs their attention. If an icon looks interesting, most people will read the name of the app and its category and then decide whether to click it. Some apps do a better job conveying their value than others. Can you find the apps shown in Figure 5.2 that do the best job conveying what they do?
- Figure 5.1 Which apps attract your attention and why? Understanding buyers' thought processes will help you devise ways to attract them.
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Figure 5.2 Some apps do a better job than others in instantaneously conveying what they are about.
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Figure 5.2 Some apps do a better job than others in instantaneously conveying what they are about.
If visitors to the App Store like an icon and the name of the app, they will then click on the link for more information. When delivered to your App Store product page, they will again be drawn to the graphics that you have on your storefront. They will click through the graphics on your product page to get a quick idea of what your app does. And finally, if they like what they see, they will read the text description on the right side of the page. If your app is a game, they are going to look at the description to figure out how the game is played.
If the premise of the game is simple and the buyer likes the graphics, they will be more influenced to buy your app. They will make a buying decision. If the app is free
(or a lite version), they will decide if they want to download it and try it out. If the app costs money, they will decide if they want to spend the money to download it. An example of the app buyer's decision progression is shown in Figure 5.3.
Buyer sees your icon.
Buyer sees your icon.
- Figure 5.3 The decision process of a visitor on the App Store starts visually and then moves to the app's written description.
H Note
Your goal as a marketer is to visually and textually anticipate and answer the buyers' questions and concerns, helping them to make an informed decision and convince them that your app is the right one for them. By addressing all the points covered in this chapter, you are making it easier for the buyers to buy your app. You are connecting the dots in the buyers' mind. Not doing some of these steps does not mean sales failure of your app. But why not cover all your bases and improve your chances of sales success?
Continue reading here: Selecting Your Social Media Tools
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