More than 6,000 applications, all created to aid merchants across the world in managing their companies as effectively as possible, may be found in the Shopify App Store. While having so many options is fantastic for consumers, it may be challenging for app developers to get their app in front of their target audience. The solution to this problem is to learn how to promote apps.
For their opinions on the best ways to sell an app, we consulted a variety of designers, developers, and app marketing specialists. This guidance can assist you in getting your app in the hands of people who require it as retailers get ready for BFCM. Here is what our professionals advise.
1. Write about what you’re building
The best method to advertise an app, according to Tracy Osborn, designer, developer, and author of Hello Web App, is to write about the:
- obstacles you encounter
- Solutions to issues you experience
- events you have been to (and lessons learned)
- Your registered programs, classes, and challenges (and, of course, lessons learned)
- What you've learnt and how you're using it in your app
Osborn argues, "This is marketing that doesn't seem like marketing. Since it doesn't seem like an obvious advertisement, it will be simpler for you and your readers to share and promote. It serves as a marketing Trojan Horse that will introduce your product to potential buyers.
This is advertising that doesn't appear to be advertising.
Osborn admits that writing requires effort, but in her experience, the time spent on it has always paid off greatly in comparison to other, more conventional marketing initiatives.
It will be simpler to constantly post on social media, maintain your blog, and write articles about what you've discovered and what you can educate others once the habit is formed, she advises.
2. Set up automated marketing
In addition to designing, developing, and marketing each of her products, Osborn places a high value on automating as much of the marketing process as she can to free up her time to focus on the actual product.
"I usually spend my marketing time creating educational and enlightening blog entries, which I then manually publish on pertinent groups like particular Reddit subreddits, for instance. Following that, the blog article is immediately disseminated on specialized social networking sites.
For optimum interaction, Osborn advises incorporating an image in the blog post. Ideally, the blog post should also be syndicated on other writing sites like Medium or Dev Community to improve its visibility.
Take use of all the simple possibilities to distribute that content once it has been created, especially if it can be done automatically once it has been published. For example, if you have spent time writing an article to promote your app.
3. Write case studies and source testimonials
The Taproom Agency's creator and developer Kelly Vaughn asserts that the statistics speak for themselves.
She advises enlisting the aid of a few important users who would make fantastic case studies for your app, whether you're selling directly to the CEO or a technical decision maker finishing the installation.
She suggests "letting them beta test the software and gathering a few use case examples along with testimonials." "When your app is competing against a sea of possibly comparable apps that are currently on the market, an app with social proof is more desirable."
When your app is competing against a sea of possibly comparable apps that are currently on the market, an app with social proof is more appealing.
Try sourcing testimonials using social media if you're unsure of who to contact for them (for example, Facebook groups and Twitter). In return for a review, describe your software and offer to help users test it.
Please be careful to abide by the rules outlined in the Partner Program Agreement while asking for evaluations since there are some things you are not allowed to do. Learn more about getting reviews for your Shopify applications in our guide.
4. Be prepared to pitch your value proposition by being aware of it.
Your app was created with a specific goal in mind. It may be a novel idea that has never been implemented before, or it might be a development over the applications that are already available on the market. Kelly Vaughn suggests making sure you can concisely describe what makes your software stand out from the competition, whatever the goal may be.
Ensure that your value proposition is well articulated and simple enough for any potential buyer to understand.
Vaughn advises that you may only have 10 seconds to capture a potential customer's attention and that you only get one shot to make a solid first impression. "Make sure your value proposition is clearly articulated and can be understood by any potential consumer," says the author, "whether you're discussing your app with people or selling your app via Twitter."
5. Write clear and concise copy
For all the copy you write about your app, it's important to be really clear on what your product accomplishes. Andi Galpern, a product strategist, writer, and designer, advises communicating directly to your target market.
Make the advantages of using your app clear to encourage users to download it, she advises. Don't use too many complex terms, please. Use simple language to ensure that everyone understands the message. For instance, I frequently create and edit paragraphs using Hemingway, a straightforward online word processor. It assesses sentence readability and nudges writers toward using active voice.
6. Optimize the creative on your app’s product page
The founder of the digital and app marketing firm Orto Marketing, Ludo De Angelis, advises that simply optimizing the content on your product page is insufficient. He advises that the main focus should be on the visual media, such as videos and photos.
You you aware of the small "more" button that extends the text box on your listing [in the Apple App Store]? he inquires. Only 2% of visitors to a listing ever click on it to read the complete explanation of what the app does. They require information more quickly than conventional text can provide.
People want to see your app's appearance, functionality, and benefits as soon as possible, according to De Angelis.
The simplest method to communicate this information is through videos and photographs, and since customers are aware of this, they swipe through the images more quickly than you can say "curly bracket"! De Angelis makes a mention.
Videos and photos may be used in listings on the Shopify App Store, giving you the chance to make eye-catching assets that succinctly describe what your app does. In this article on increasing app downloads from the Shopify App Store, we go into greater detail on optimizing your video and graphic assets.
"Don't make someone ponder too much to download," is the name of the game in this situation. says De Angelis. “Good luck!”
7. Make it easy for merchants to find your listing on the app store
Shopify has discovered via research that before deciding to install your app, customers compare app listings side by side. According to Erin Marchak, an Engineering Director at Maple, optimizing your listing at this point in the merchant's journey can assist increase the conversion rate of your leads.
"You should organize the description of your app in a way that makes the value you're offering evident," she advises. You may truly highlight what you're giving in the Key Benefits part of your listing to get a merchant's attention right away.
Before deciding to install your app, customers evaluate app listings side by side. To increase the conversion rate of your leads, optimize your listing for this comparative stage of the buyer's journey.
"Before deciding to install your app, customers examine app listings side by side. To increase the conversion rate of your leads, optimize your listing for this comparative stage of the buyer's journey."
8. Create a beautiful and memorable app icon
It might be challenging to create that one unique visual design element that people will interact with each time they view your product. A stunning, recognisable, and memorable app icon may significantly affect an app's popularity and profitability, claims designer and businessman Michael Flarup. Therefore, putting in that time and effort might ultimately be quite beneficial.
According to Michael, "an app icon is kind of like a small visual anchor for your product that needs to do a variety of jobs." It must act as a potent and reliable branding element. It must be adaptable to various sizes and scalable. It must stand out and be different from other applications vying for users' attention, and it should ideally be aligned with the rest of your design language.
The following are the best techniques for creating app icons, according to Gabe Kwakyi, CEO of the mobile app development and marketing company Incipia:
- Text is processed more slowly than graphics. Users can quickly comprehend what your software performs by using visual clues. Chat applications employ a speech bubble, GPS apps use the world, and flight apps use airplanes. This is particularly crucial when your symbol is shown alongside diverse peers (such as in the Staff Picks section of the Shopify App Store), as opposed to just one specific use case (e.g. a keyword search).
- Icons have the ability to display greater polish on screens with high pixel counts. Users may be alerted to the professionalism and attention to detail of your software by the addition of a gradient or shadow. Having said that, take into account your target market. While certain cultures, like those in Japan and China, may value greater complexity, Western societies now favor simplicity.
- Make sure your emblem is noticeable among the throng. What makes one app different from another if they all employ the same level of polish and visual cues? Spend some time researching rival designs and creating something original.
- Make sure your icon's visual identity complies with your rules. Consistency is key to branding, and without it, you will not reap the rewards of your efforts in establishing your brand.
9. Build onboarding with longevity in mind
Krystal Higgins, an interaction designer, advises creating app onboarding that thinks beyond the initial experience since she has discovered that far too many apps fail to provide assistance after the initial use.
She says, "First impressions are crucial. But occasionally, we put so much effort into creating our applications' first-run experiences that we neglect to create an onboarding process that helps users as they develop. True onboarding is a process that leads customers through several events over time, utilizing various techniques for various circumstances. It is not a one-time, one-size-fits-all event. When done correctly, there is no obvious separation between onboarding and ongoing user education.
When done correctly, the transition from onboarding to ongoing user education is seamless.
Higgins suggests determining what the successful end state looks like for your users in order to create an onboarding experience that integrates into everyday advice.
Higgins proposes providing scaffolding and direction for critical activities after they have been identified. This entails finding out how to start the action, lead users through it (and any problems they could run into), and end it in a way that encourages them to take the next step.
As you accomplish this, take into account the many contexts in which your users may find themselves if or when they come across your important activities. To meet people where they are, you might need to use a variety of approaches to your advice.
According to Krystal, "tying an onboarding experience to the intended end state of your customers guarantees that you develop onboarding to carry your users for the long run rather than just building onboarding that solves for the short term, like getting people to sign up."
10. Create marketing campaigns for retention and upsells
Ben Harper, CEO of market research firm Clarity Stack and inventor of Meet Hugo, believes that when you launch any sort of software and users start using it, one of the best ways to gradually increase your income is to make the most of your user base.
People have taken the time to test out your app, therefore it's crucial to provide them with the finest experience at every touchpoint to keep them interested in using it, according to him. Understanding your data and keeping a careful check on it are the first steps.
Clarity Stack uses Stripe to collect subscription payments for their online app Hugo. Stripe has a lot of built-in analytics that, for example, let the team monitor their churn rate and lifetime customer value.
According to when users joined up, Harper says, "We can view clients in various cohorts and understand when their anticipated drop off points may be." We can determine who is most likely to churn and re-engage them by overlaying that with login and usage statistics from within the app, as well as who our most devoted customers are who would be receptive to an upgraded package.
The outcome of analyzing all of this data is enhanced customer touchpoints, mostly through automated marketing funnels to check in with consumers, re-engage them, and remind them of what they're losing out on by not signing in.
By continuously adjusting and monitoring our customer touchpoints throughout the lifespan of a customer, Harper claims that "We've seen demonstrable gains across all categories." Make sure your app is configured so you can properly track what's occurring and that you have the time to act upon the patterns you notice forming.
11. Don't forget to market to technical decision makers
Because merchants ultimately bear the cost of your application, it makes sense to concentrate marketing efforts on them when creating an ecommerce software. The founder and CEO of Shopify Plus partner company Disco Labs, Gavin Ballard, advises expressing the problems you're resolving in terms of increasing income, saving time, or lowering expenses.
Remember that Shopify merchants frequently follow advice from technical professionals like freelance developers, companies they've hired, or their own internal development teams.
But keep in mind that Shopify merchants frequently follow the advice of technical professionals like independent developers, firms they've hired, or their own in-house development teams, says Ballard. "As a Shopify Plus Partner agency, we see this occurring all the time. The larger the retailer, the truer this gets."
Ballard advises Shopify app developers to include the following information in their documentation and marketing materials for technical partners:
- A detailed description of the modifications your program will make to a merchant's shop (e.g. theme files added, metafields managed, product tags added and removed). Technical stakeholders may then assess your app's compatibility with current applications and workflows and gauge the potential effects of its inclusion in the mix.
- Providing detailed technical instructions on how to customize your application (CSS classes used, JavaScript options that can be set). By doing this, technical partners may create a solution that is more customized for the merchant and improve client success rates.
- Putting code libraries, video walkthroughs, and code examples at the technical partners' disposal A technical stakeholder will be considerably more likely to suggest your solution if they can tell that you're devoted to helping them and easing their development experience.
Ballard advises, "I often just point to the runaway success of Stripe a company that built a $22B valuation in a competitive industry, primarily off the back of making dealing with payments a pleasurable developer experience, if you're on the fence about the value of optimizing for developer happiness.
How to market an app: focus on the fundamentals
An app may be promoted in a variety of ways. You don't need to have a huge marketing budget, as the aforementioned suggestions have proven. The promotion of your app will be greatly aided if you get the fundamentals right, such as fully understanding your unique value proposition, and apply them to the design and development of your app. Spend time on the app icon's design, the app description, and the way it appears on the Shopify App Store. After that, write about it and solicit app reviews.
These 11 pointers ought to assist you in getting your software in front of your target market. Good fortune!
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