Apple’s App Store is the largest software market in the mobile industry and it provides huge opportunities for developers. However, it is important for them to assess qualitative factors of the marketing effort, instead of relying on typical online advertising methods. In an industry that’s dominated by CTR rates, PPC campaign, unique page views and other metrics; developers should consider how they should improve their brands.
Although Apple has established a screening process, trusting a single developer can still be an inherent issue. Many developers only deliver a single, impressive app, while other consistently releases mediocre but usable apps. Before we spend money on apps, we should decide who to trust. Is it the company that publishes an amazing app after prolonged hiatus or developers that release predictable apps almost each week?
People often argue that apps are just product that encourage repeat purchase cycles, but only a few developers manage to establish very successful brand in the App Store. As an example, when people prefers specific developers like Roxio, they tend to promote each new gaming app it releases. But in many cases, very rarely we hear more about the developer instead of the app itself. Like in any industry, firms that are able to establish strong brand in App Store will be able to gain huge advantage.
To a certain extent, issues could be caused by the fact that developers use tools that are based on quantitative metrics, instead of qualitative metrics. As an example, when using Twitter, developers rarely consider whether they are true provider of information, instead of follower gatherer.
They fail to consider that providing part of the solutions in advertising and social media can translate to higher number of downloads in App Store. Consumers tend to think highly of brands that can help them in their daily lives.
Consequently, developers who are planning to build a strong brand in App Store should be particularly helpful, instead of focusing too much on the app itself.
On the other hand, game developers may face added challenge. Developing a stellar gaming app is actually the easier part, but tweaking it, fixing bugs and adding more content will require more effort, time and money.
At this point, firms need to realize that they need to allocate a team that’s permanently attached to an app to provide bug fixes and enhancements. In this case, social media platform can be useful to provide information to consumers on upcoming updates and request feedback. Firms that consistently fail to build a stronger brand should realize that there are activities that can help them to address their problems.
As an example, they may reward beta testers with promotional codes to allow them to get free content and even free games. This way, they’ll spread the word about the company and any kind of recommendation in the iOS world can go a long way.
Companies that provide both solutions and constant communication can finally emphasize on qualitative factors. As development firms gain more loyal followers, they need to build relationships beyond the typical client/vendor concept.
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