We asked for your top questions about promoting your mobile apps, and many of you wrote in asking about the best ways to get more publicity for your app and turn it into a money maker. We sent your questions to Matthew Palmer, founder of the website Marketing Your App, which offers iPhone developers resources and services to get new customers and profit from their apps. He is an experienced online marketer for the technology industry, having created successful marketing campaigns for companies such as IBM and Intel.
Mobile Orchard: Won’t great apps market themselves?
Matthew Palmer: While it’s very important to have a quality app, even the world’s best app can’t sell itself. There are over 300,000 apps in the App Store today, making it difficult for you to stand out. To generate sales of your app, you need to overcome two challenges: getting people to find you and, once they know about you, convincing them that your app is worth downloading or paying for. Knowing how to successfully market your app can help you boost your sales by tackling both challenges.
MO: What are common mistakes made in app marketing?
MP: For many developers, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the great features you added to your app. After all, I’m sure you’ve spent untold hours getting your app just right. But a common mistake I’ve seen when selling your app is focusing on the app itself and not the person who will buy it.
Try putting yourself in your customer’s shoes… so, instead of thinking “how can I sell my app?”, think “why would someone want to buy my app?” Customers will gladly pay for your app, but only when they understand what benefit they’ll get out of it, such as saving money, saving time, or just having fun.
MO: I have no money for marketing my app, do you have any suggestions to market my app for free?
MP: One of the advantages of promoting your iPhone app online is that many of the best strategies also happen to be free. Social media, for example. Every minute of every day, people are talking about apps on Twitter, Facebook, and more. So why shouldn’t they be talking about yours? In addition to making your own profile on these sites, try to reach out with communities that already exist around what your app is about (such as wine or sports) or who your app is for (like moms or students).
MO: My app has been in the App Store for several months and I have never marketed it. Would it be a waste of time and money for me to start now?
MP: I’m a firm believer that it’s never too late (or too early!) to start marketing your app. Here’s why: there was probably a lot of excitement around your app when it was brand new. But now that it’s been in the App Store for a while, it might start to be showing its age.
Shoppers love to find the latest apps, and often overlook wonderful apps that have been around for a while. You can freshen things up and revitalize your sales with some marketing. What’s unique about your app? How has it helped people who used it? These could all be perfect jumping off points for some promotion.
MO: What is the best way to find quality sites to review my app?
MP: Searching for “iphone app reviews” in Google brings up pages of results, so it can be tough to know where to start. If your app is new, you might want to start with smaller review sites to get some practice at sparking the interest of a site reviewer.
Review sites receive a large number of requests every day, so making yours stand out can be a challenge. By targeting smaller review sites first, you can perfect your pitch before approaching the most popular sites. Then, you can seek out some of the most popular sites such as 148Apps, MacWorld, AppSafari, TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog), or others.
MO: Does having a free version really help me sell more of my app’s paid version?
MP: Offering a free “lite” version of your app can certainly help you boost awareness of your app and increase your sales. It is really the best of both worlds: people love free apps (who doesn’t?), so your “lite” version makes it extremely easy for them to try it out at no charge. Then, when they want additional levels in your game or extra features in your utility app, they can pay to upgrade.
However, deciding to offer a free version of your app should be something you carefully think out. What features will you offer in the free vs. the paid version? Does the lite app offer real value or is it just an empty advertisement? Are you giving too much away in the lite app? Are the extra features in the paid app worth the money upgrade?
MO: What areas, from the app website to its description to the app icon, are important but commonly overlooked by developers?
MP: Every app in the App Store shows off their screenshots, but what many developers overlook is the power of video to sell their app. You can make a video of your app in action to show off its best features and quickly show customers why it’s a “must have”. Unfortunately, you can’t play your video in the App Store, but I’d recommend featuring it on your app’s website and YouTube. A short video can help your app stand out from your competition and quickly convince shoppers to buy your app.
MO: Can you recommend any books on marketing that will help me with my promotion plans?
MP: Yes, there are many helpful resources online and offline to give you ideas on marketing your app. Two books that give a good overview of app promotion are “iPhone & iPad Apps Marketing” and “Get Rich with Apps”. While there are many excellent books on marketing in general, these two books can give you strategies just for selling your iPhone or iPad app.
MO: Should I introduce my app at .99 and adjust from there or is there a better pricing strategy?
MP: Figuring out what to charge for your app is a top question app developers have. One trouble with starting out charging just 99 cents is that it is difficult to raise your price later. Customers start expecting that your app will be 99 cents and an increase may be harder for them to accept.
Before you decide on a price, take a look at what other apps like yours are selling for. Does your app have additional features you can charge more for? Or, can you undercut your competition with a lower price?
If you are deciding between two possible prices, you might want to start with the higher one and offer a sale later on. The limited-time discount can drive more people to buy your app now. However, with a 99 cent price tag, you are somewhat locked in: it may be difficult to raise your price and you are not able to offer a sale (unless you make it free).
MO: What is your best app marketing tip?
MP: If I could offer just one piece of advice, it’s just do it! Give it a try. Especially with apps and marketing online, nothing is written in stone. You can try new features in your app or revise your description in the App Store. An app that isn’t in the App Store will make you nothing, but if you’re out there and spreading the word, you can start building up sales and getting new customers.
MO: Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our readers’ questions.
Please feel free to ask additional question in the comments and we will see if Matthew can answer them.