When you've spent an immense amount of time developing what you feel like is an amazing app, but you're not attracting any attention, it can feel frustrating. Most of the time, a lack of traffic indicates an issue with either your app's performance, insufficient marketing plan, or an absence of new content.
Developing your app is just the beginning; there is an immense amount of work that goes into making a successful app post-launch. If you're finding that your app's traffic is lacking, you can use the following tips and concepts to jumpstart growth and increase engagement, users, and brand recognition.
Incorporate ASO keywords
ASO stands for App Store Optimization, which is similar to SEO, but for mobile apps. Just like SEO is essential for websites, ASO is important for your app because it makes your app more visible to users in their chosen app store, putting you ahead of your competition. ASO keywords for your app can be included in your title, description, promotional text, and anywhere else. You may be able to insert them (the logistics vary depending on each app store). Using ASO keywords is an ongoing process, so just like SEO, you need to update your ASO keywords every so often to stay relevant.
A/B test your way to success
When you A/B test, you separate your users into groups, giving each group a slightly different experience. You want to try to make a single change as often as possible when A/B testing so that you can quickly discern which option is more appealing to your users. When you A/B test often, you can continually improve your app in a way that will increase user engagement. When you receive statistically significant results, you can roll out the better option to both groups and start over with another small change.
Learn about customers – Get in contact with users
User feedback is invaluable when you are trying to increase traffic to your app. If you aren't getting many responses from your current users, reach out! You can even offer incentives for people who respond to a quick survey so that you have some direction from the people who currently use your app and probably have the best ideas for how to make improvements. Other data that can be collected, such as demographics, when people stop using your app, and how long they stay engaged, each session also offers excellent insights into ways your app can be improved.
Remember, it's important to survey and get feedback from your target market. When surveying and collecting data, it can be tempting and easy to create a quick survey and send it out to friends and everyone you know, which is a good first step, but the real value will come from getting in touch with your target audience.
At Zutobi, they knew that their target audience was teens looking to get their learners' permits and driver's licenses and parents who want to provide the teens with the right tools to become safe drivers. Naturally, the company looked for feedback and focused on getting feedback from those who fit their core audiences.
Speak at events (if there are any) – Become a thought leader
While you probably have to stick to virtual events for a while, speaking as an authority on your industry's topics is a great way to reach out to people and get brand recognition in your field. When you are seen as a leader in your industry, people will begin to respect and follow your brand, allowing you to promote your app to influential people and find out their thoughts in a group setting.
For those that feel that their business or team doesn't have the background or expertise to speak, this is where you want to get creative.
Zutobi is a fast-growing driver's ed app, but they were by no means a household name. So to get the word out about their application, they focused on unique storylines at the time. This was learning to drive and preparing for driving tests during the era of COVID-19.
By focusing on this spin, they could acquire opportunities in parenting magazines, local news channels, and podcasts. This is key; the chance to speak isn't just about having 30 years of experience; it can also be having a new angle/perspective that you can contribute!
Use incentives to get your current users to share the app
Using incentives, such as offering premium content or other perks for each friend that a user persuades to download and subscribe to your app, is a great way to encourage people to talk about your product with people they know. You can also market introductory offers that are time-sensitive so that new users feel as though they only have a short time to reap the benefits. The added pressure of benefits, especially ones that are time-sensitive, can give your app an influx of new users. You can even place a time limit on incentives for shares, which will encourage people to reach out to more people at one time.
Although you may feel like your app's growth is stagnant, sometimes all it needs is a small push to get started. Rethink your marketing plan, offer exclusive benefits, and use data, feedback, and testing to gain insights about what users like and dislike. You will soon find that your traffic and users increase as your app and marketing campaigns become more refined.
