The making of a successful app is becoming more difficult by the day. Although it is still a relatively new field, app making has grown exponentially since the Apple app store first opened in July 2008 with 500 apps. Today, there are over 700,000 apps for the iPhone and iPad. And according to Statista, the number of Android apps in Google Play has similarly grown from 100,000 apps to over 700,000 in the past two years alone.
Needless to say, since it’s taken off, competition in the apps market has become somewhat intense. Whether people are looking for cool, new, interesting, or functional apps to download unto their Android or their iPhone, their app shopping experience is similar – over stimulating. Imagine walking down a cluttered supermarket aisle in your nearest Walmart megastore. Even if you already know what you’re looking for, it’s easy to be side-tracked by the first shiny or pretty thing you see.
Differentiating an app to drive downloads in this environment would be a daunting challenge for even the most experienced of marketers. For the growing number of start-ups and individuals trying to get in on the game with little to no marketing experience or budget, finding success can seem downright impossible. For them, word of mouth marketing can make all the difference.
WOMM is uniquely suited to app marketing for a few reasons:
1. The First Two Days in the App Store are Critical for an Apps Success
In order to get onto the recommended app list, the app needs to show intense growth at launch. That means soft launching for Apple is impossible. The algorithm for Apple app store optimization is based on downloads – which need to come fast and furious the second the app is available. This isn’t as true for Google Play, but it's still relevant. Growth shows quality, which raises the chances of being noticed and featured. Being featured is critical for more growth. In the case of launching an app, the goal of WOMM would be to grow the newsletter list. The second the app is available, the email should be sent out encouraging downloads.
2. Apps Require Social Proof to Truly Stand Out
Just as people turn to reviews for restaurant or movie recommendations, they turn to reviews to find out what apps are the best. This makes sense given the plethora of options and the growing importance of apps alongside the growth of mobile communications. With hundreds of new apps issued almost daily, positive reviews and ratings provide instant social proof to make finding the best one much easier.
3. Buying Downloads is Expensive
Budgets can only stretch so far. The viral coefficient for an app needs to be above one for app success. WOMM is critical for long term growth. Building the marketing into the app is critical. Enabling sharing in a seamless, intuitive manner and creating a conversation within a community improves an app’s chances at success.
What tips do you have for launching a new app? Let us know in the comments section below.
