Chasing every metric to increase your app downloads is neither justified nor conducive. Here’s a quick list of hacks (that deliver and matter) to make you reach your one million mark in no time.
Brilliant UI
If your app cannot entice your user, it won’t do much for you as well. Your consumers have matured over the years and therefore are ready to wait, than invest their time in a shoddy app. This leads us to two things-- first, the UI should be responsive across devices and, secondly, should be able to delight the customer in the first go.
Crash Free App
No one likes a buggy app. Period. The utmost priority for a developer is to ensure a smooth app for its users. For the same reasons it is always advised to test the app in beta. There are numerous platforms and some of them are listed below:
There are numerous other options that are available for the developers and one should choose the right platform even if it requires an investment. Poor or fewer reviews may lead to limited fixes to your app, making the complete task futile.
User Ratings on Playstore
Apart from being buggy, as mentioned above, there may be umpteen reasons for users to rate your app poorly. The task is to keep yourself abreast about everything related to your app and continually support your customers. In my experience, customer ‘appiness’ is quite underrated, and, therefore, it needs to be embedded in the core value of the team. Nailing user ratings on playstore requires a clear strategy and should not have a run of the mill approach. Developers who fiddle with the user experience are shown the door by today’s evolved users.
In-App Referrals
A lot has been said about word-of-mouth/referral marketing and it’s high time that app developers/marketers take notice of this tactic.
Cab industry worldwide has been at the forefront of using In-app referrals and your app can too!
But there’s more than what meets the eye and a lot of developers face challenges while implementing one, since it requires time and money. The best approach here is to opt for a plug-and-play approach, that solves all this instantly, just like AppVirality.
AppVirality’s solution helps app developers by incorporating this feature from deep within the app and is already powering major Indian e-commerce apps in categories that include shopping, mobile recharge, travel, telecom etc.
Please The Press
The presence of press is always debatable, however, if your app is reviewed by a prestigious platform/reporter it sure adds some value to your app’s popularity and initial growth. With millions of readers up their alley, a positive feedback from the press can give the initial spurt that is required to make an app shine on the playstore. Developers should also look out for specific platforms promoted by the Press. For example, YS supports a platform called ‘App-Friday’, where they feature recently launched apps.
Launching On The Right Platform
Let’s face it. A press release will give you that initial mileage, but what happens post that is what determines the longevity of your app, in the mind of your userbase. Marketing and PR with big budget always remains an option but one must realise the ‘real press’ in today’s time comes through your users and the app community.
I’ve always been of the opinion to showcase an app/product on a platform where it makes sense. A platform that has active users who are really interested in your product. That’s why I am a big advocate of a platform like
Product Hunt. Not only will your product get the right kind of visibility, feedback from users will also help you to improve your product and scale well.
Growth Hacking In App Share Intent
The simplest yet the most ignored aspect of increasing app downloads lies in the In-app share intent. Most apps have no control over default share intent, which is a major roadblock when it comes to recommending an app via social media channels through your phone. Most users have to scroll through unnecessary icons to reach out the platform of their choice. Imagine this happening with millions of users who want to suggest your app to other!