How to Publish Your App in the Stores and Don’t F*ck Up
Did you ever know you can submit your app for featuring to the App Store editors, write your own story for ‘Today’ tab and should strive to have 9:41 on the clock of your app’s status bar?
Testing is finished, marketing budget approved, press-release sent — the app is ready for launch. It seems that only thing left is the pleasantry of publishing it in App Store and Google Play. However, it is not as relaxing as it may appear — publishing in the store requires a serious amount of work with supplementary content: icon, videos, screenshots, description, etc.
In this article, we will share our experience in preparing materials for stores. Let us focus this breakdown on the App Store and best practices, used by the top apps. It is important to notice, that these recommendations are useful to be applied to service apps, rather than games, as games are a completely different area.
The New App Store
Before continuing into the visuals, an understanding of where to show them should be achieved. In summer 2017, Apple presented the new App Store in an attempt to make it more user-friendly. Essentially, this means that an app page is now a full-pledged promo material aimed at making your app stand out from over 2 millions of other apps in the store.
The new App Store has ‘Today’ tab that hosts articles, interviews, and media content piled together by App Store editors. Tab presents apps and developers behind them, familiarise users with success stories of time-proven services. It is hard to overstate how much of an impact can it be for an app to end up featured there. The full list of materials required to submit an article to ‘Today’ tab can be found here.
All the games were put under a separate tab as well. ‘Games’ tab holds all games, featuring new releases and updates, tops and editor’s choice.
The third tab is now ‘Apps’ — a legacy of the old App Store, still contains lists and tops of apps by category. The other two tabs — ‘Updates’ and ‘Search’ were left largely unchanged.
App page was significantly reworked in the new App Store. Most elements became larger — icons, fonts, pictures. Page structure has shifted to give developers more flexibility in attracting attention to their app. New limits are: up to 3 videos, and up to 5 screenshots, all localised to user’s region. App rewards are also clearly displayed on the page. Read more about app page here.
Featuring in ‘Today’ tab is a subjective decision made by App Store editors, and there is no defined check-list to guarantee your app will end up there, as well as no monetised entry. Main criteria — the app should be of highest quality. Some other criteria, however, can be seen here.
Developers have to use every possible advantage to ensure the app has more chances of being seen. Most obvious ways are improving the app page and icon. If the app is a paid service, separate budget and team should be allocated to creating dedicated content for App Store. Remember that first impression is one of the key factors that determines whether the user will buy an app.
Icon
Icon is the quintessence of your app reduced to a 1024 x 1024 px picture.
If you are reading this, you probably already have an icon for your app. Most app developing teams have an icon designed with the app concept on the early stages of the project. Generally, this is the right way to do it: the product feels as a wholesome through development stages and testing. Icon, however, should be tested as well, against other variants designers can produce, and against other icons of popular apps. The great icon looks natural among the other app icons, while being easily distinguished. It also captivates the attention of users in the store, compelling them to learn more about the app.
Here is some general advice on how to make great icon:
— Icon illustrates the main purpose of the app
Use simple, universal symbols to convey a message. Good metaphors, however, always look better.
— Simplify
The more details icon has the less recognisable it will be. Avoid using more than 3 colours as well. Minimalism is the future.
— Icon should contrast the background
If the icon looks good on a light background of the store it does not guarantee that it will look good everywhere. Test it against different type of backgrounds and make necessary adjustments.
— Learn from Apple
iPhone original apps are a good reference point for icon design. And not only because your app will have to sit next to them. Skeuomorphism is gone, all hail flat design.
— Study your competition
Note good ideas, but refrain from direct plagiarism.
— Follow the guidelines
Along with file format guidelines, Apple provides recommendations on design of the icons that should not be ignored if you want your icon to feel natural on Apple device.
App page
After seeing your app picture in the store, users will express one of the following behaviours:
- Install. This means user immediately proceeds to install the app, disregarding App Store marketing materials.
- Abandonment. This user passes any opportunity to interact with your app further and ignores any materials provided.
- Explore. This user will stop to review screenshots, videos, description and comments. It takes an average of 13 seconds for a user to explore an app page.
There is a common misconception among the developers that if users end up exploring app page, they will swipe through every screenshot, watch all videos until the end, read full descriptions, and only then make their decision whether to install the app. In reality, most users that end up on your app’s page will never see the video, and will rarely proceed further than two visible screenshots.
Thus, first marketing materials user sees on the page are the most important ones. Their primary role is to convert the user into installing the app, or, at least, reduce a number of abandoning users by sparking the desire to explore further.
What drives instant users’s behavior?
1. Icon
Our suggestions on app icon stated in the previous section.
2. Promotional banner
Now this is new to App Store. For some apps, a promotional banner can be added to the app page, and it will be shown above the name and icon of the app. App page in App Store is now closer in looks to Google Play. However, not every developer can have a promotional banner. Unlike Google Play, in App Store it is a privilege granted by the editors.
3. App name
At this Point app name cannot exceed 30 characters. When it was 255 characters, SEO specialists could have abused it to put necessary keywords in the name. Nowadays, this function has been transferred to the subtitle.
4. Subtitle
We recommend using this field to state app functions and key words, even though it is limited to 30 characters as well.
5. Videos and Screenshots
Up to three videos and up to five screenshots can be used for every locale now. Moreover, the first video will be automatically played as soon as it appears on the screen. Refer to the section below on how to properly use videos and screenshots.
6. Description
First few lines of description are the most important ones, as those are visible to the user even before they enter app page, meaning that most users will only ever see these lines.
7. Score and Reviews
Reviews and app score are now on the same page.
As the average score of the app is now more visible, we assume that it would now have a bigger impact on conversion. However, developers can reset the rating on app update to prevent old reviews from influencing new version.
Screenshots and Videos
Non-surprisingly, videos and screenshots are critical to the user’s decision of whether to purchase or install an app. These materials should be informative, short and on-point. In their creatives it is suggested to focus on the benefits users would gain from using the app.
Video cover can be considered a separate content as well, as it is the first thing user sees in the search results and on the app page before the video starts playing. Covers can be picked up when listing app in iTunes Connect. Moreover, if the app was not ever installed before, horizontal video and screenshots will instantly be on screen as soon as the user opens app page. However, if the app was previously installed, those elements will be partially hidden below ‘What’s new’ section.
There are a few things to note when preparing an app video:
- The first video must focus on key functions. Try to make it a story, telling the user about the experience from using your app.
- If you are using more than one video, second and third one should tell about additional functions and content. Do not repeat information given in the first video.
- Allowed video length is 30 seconds, but your goal is to give maximum information in the first few moments. Engage the user by telling why your app is so unique.
- Showcase your pioneer interactive elements. Show app interface in action to give the user a feel of it and increase conversion.
- If taps or swipes need to be shown in the videos, use graphical hotspots. Try not to pile up too many elements.
- If the app functions are complicated and require elaboration — use text tips in the video.
- Stick to Apple’s formal requirements. All the content should be properly licensed, copy should have no personal information, age restrictions respected, etc. You can review the full list here.
Screenshot tips:
- Whatever you are using as the main image, video cover or a screenshot, it should be very informative. It could contain your logo, catchphrase, main function or mechanic, key content, etc.
- Showcase one feature per screen, starting with the coolest and most unique. Complement visuals with textual tips.
- Today’s trend — cut one image into several preview screens. Works good for the first impression, but lacks in information. Remember to always supplement images with text. However, this technique works best if you expect your app to be found mainly through search, as search results provide three screenshots per item. Having one bigger picture consisting of three screenshots helps offset rather a small size of those images in search results.
- Only use horizontal screenshots when it is justified. The horizontal interface is often a trait of games rather than service apps. Horizontal screenshots, however, look better in search results.
- Use Apple’s recommended status bar when showing your app’s screenshots. App Store editors will be amazed if you would tribute the iPhone’s first launch by setting 9:41 AM on the clock — the exact time when Steve Jobs presented the new iPhone during his keynote speech— you can actually get everything you need from Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, available in Sketch, Photoshop and Adobe XD.
- Naturally, don’t forget about Apple guidelines.
We have touched on most aspects of posting an app in the App Store — something we would like to know when we were posting our first apps. Nevertheless, to properly handle ASO (App Store Optimisation) every stage should be explored by dedicated specialists. Start by studying Apple guidelines and analysing popular apps. If you can find an answer to the questions like ‘What makes a user buy a particular app?’ and ‘What makes a user leave app page instantly?’, you will be able to tailor your app’s page for better conversion.
The launch is not a breakpoint where you can sit back and relax. Use iTunes Connect analytics to study your results, play with content to improve your statistics. Even if it will not increase conversion, it may attract some desired interest from App Store editors.
It is important to follow research tactics — conduct each change separately and measure the result. It usually takes 2–3 weeks to see a clear pattern change in conversion.
Our main recommendation — try to look at the app page from a perspective of a user riding on a train, who has about 13 seconds to evaluate your app in the sea of others.
