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Part of “selling” your app to the largest number of customers possible is building a presentable portfolio. Many marketing strategies go above and beyond in terms of what they aim to achieve, but there are a few basic tricks that every Android app developer should get right. Although these generally will not get you to the top of any lists in terms of downloads, they are a good place to start.
Customizing Your App Appearance
One of the first things that you want to take into account is the actual appearance of the app in the marketplace. Whether the app is on Google Play or some other service, you need to make sure that it stands out among an otherwise crowded field of competitors. Standing out is certainly difficult, but having the right name for your app puts you on the right track. App names can be something simple and descriptive like “Draw Something” or rhythmic and playful like “Coco Loco.” Sometimes, it’s better to keep the name as simple as possible. It also helps if you can fit the entire name of the app underneath the app icon.
Speaking of app icons, you’ll want something that stands out in that regard as well. With over 450,000 different icons already in use on Google Play, it can certainly be difficult to come up with something that speaks to the quality of your app. You’ll want something that indicates both the theme of the app and the general tone. For instance, if you have a playful game, then you might want to fashion one of the characters from that game into the icon. If you have something that maintains a more serious, professional bent, then you’ll want that to come across in the app icon.
Description, Description, Description
Perhaps the most important basic marketing concept is to have a solid app description. You’ll obviously want something that is both informative and short. You’re vying for the attention of a customer who could easily move on to the next app, so you want to pique their interest in as short of a time as possible. It’s easy to fall prey to self-aggrandizement in the app description, however. Try not to sound like you think it’s the best app on the history of the planet even if you really think so. A simple description that plugs the key benefits of the app will generally suffice.
Although these tips will not exactly help you become a world-renown app developer or a millionaire, they are things that you should not take lightly as they are the key to selling apps. The best app with a great marketing strategy can still suffer as a result of a poor description or lackluster icon or name. It’s one thing to monetize Android apps, but it’s an entirely different thing to make those apps palatable for the general public. Just remember that you want everything to be as polished as possible to ensure that you get the most for all your hard work.
About the Author: Charles Franklin is an app developer from Southern California. He specializes in mobile monetization and making money from apps.
