How to Do Mobile App Market Research for Google Play?

Mobile App Market Research for Google Play

Better research of the market can help you grown your business. The next set after creating an app is to market it. People usually find it hard to market their mobile apps.

There are different ways to market your app on the Google Play Store. Like any other apps, you will need to market your application to make it a successful one.

After launching several apps for our clients and ourselves, we have learned the art of mobile app market reach. After talking to several app store optimization experts and developers, we have a better idea of what we can do to make an Android app successful.

We have shared quite a few marketing ideas here on our blog, and now it’s time for more. This time, we will answer the questions that we have got from readers, like:

  • How to launch a new Android app on Google Play Store?
  • Is there anything method that I can follow to make people download my app?

This post will help you learn a lot about marketing an Android app. You will find out about android market research via it. To set things straight. There is no “secret recipe,” and our marketing strategy is not exhaustive.

It is evident that each app is different; thus, your marketing strategy can also be different. But it is always a good starting point as it gives you options with which you can do experiments. 

There is also no step-by-step way to launch an app, and some of these things have to be done simultaneously. Most of the time, what you have to do first is to do your research before building an application.

1. Do Your Research before Building an App

You need to understand your targeted audience before creating the app. You have to predict the trends, know what is hot in the market, what users are downloading nowadays, and what they need.

You can determine such things by conducting surveys or by sitting down with your beta users. This market research will guide you in the app development process. 

Let me explain you with an example. In 2015, Cartoon Network announced the Powerpuff Girls Reboot Series, and it was on air in 2016. Some wise app developers took advantage of this announcement.

Way back in 2015, there were only a few apps or games on Powerpuff Girls. Since it would be a big hit worldwide due to its fan base, it was a good idea to create or develop a relevant app. Guess what, they were right!

Take, for example, Puff Girls Puzzle, Defenders of Townsville, and Power Girl Game. These were not good apps, but they were getting many downloads because of high traffic and low competition.

That was a wise move by some of the app developers. Some developers usually target trendy keywords. They search for trends and create an app on it. Developing applications on trending events can help you get more traffic in a shorter period.

2. Conduct Market Research with Google

There are various features and tools provided by Google that you can use for better android market research. Here, you will learn some vital methods to use Google to execute the mobile app market research the right way. You can also use different market research app for this task. 

· Google Search and Related Searches

You can take assistance from Google search and related searches to learn about the trends. When you perform a Google search, you will see a drop-down box that shows some alternative search terms related to the phrase or keyword you typed.

Google Search Suggestions

Note these suggested keywords in a notepad file. You can utilize these terms in your keyword list. Besides, you will also see a few more related search terms after you click search.

At the bottom of the search results page, you will find the “searches related to” section. Make sure to note these keywords as well.

related google searches

· AdWords Keyword Tool

You can also use the AdWords keyword tool to locate the trends and relevant keywords. The keywords and search phrases are significant because it drives the Internet.

Google has provided us a valuable tool to tell us which keywords and phrases users are typing to find the desired information. It is the keyword planner, also known as the AdWords Keyword Tool.

With this, you can search for a specific country, a set, or all countries. The AdWords tool is more valuable because it shows an accurate search volume.

Using this tool, you can identify the traffic and competition of any keywords. Make sure to select a keyword with high traffic and low competition. See screenshot below:

AdWords Keyword comptetition

In this example, the term “Kobe Bryant News” is an ideal keyword because it has a high search volume (4000 average monthly searches). Apart from high search volume, it also has a low competition score, making it the right keyword.

· Google Trends

Google Trends great option that you can use to find trendy topics. Do not jump into your app business blindly. Do proper research by using tools and websites like Google Trends.

With this tool, you can unlock some valuable information about your targeted market. Doing this will save you time, effort as well as money. It will also help you in developing your market plan as this tool can answer these essential questions:

  • For what are people searching?
  • What is your targeted audience?
  • Is your niche trending up or down?
  • Where are they located?
  • What are related topics to your niche?

Google Trends can help you find answers to all these questions and access essential data about your audience.

How to Use Google Trends for Research?

Using Google Trends is an easy step. Following are the few steps using which you can utilize the Google Trends tool the right way. 

  • Go to http://google.com/trends
  • Enter Your Keyword in the box. 
  • Analyze trends. You can find the trends of a particular thing worldwide as well as in a specific region. The graph will tell you if the market is trending up or down. However, make sure not to use the first search term as your only validation. Try to practice different variations to get a better perspective.
google search trends

Ensure to use the map to identify the location of your targeted audience. You will learn from where people are searching, with the help of the map. It will help you know where your target market is present. In the given screenshot, it is evident that the targeted market should be the Philippines.

target countries on google trends

You can also use the AdWords tools’ related searches to locate more popular topics and keywords related to your niche.

related trends on google

· Google Alerts

Google Alerts is another approach to stay in touch with what is hot in your targeted market. It is straightforward because all you have to do is to enter the most popular keyword in your market.

Google will then send links to your email, based on the option you select. These can be in the form of news, blogs, weblinks, videos, and groups. If you desire a mix of all, you only need to select comprehensive.

· Google Web Search

Another popular way to execute the mobile app market research is by using a web search. It is beneficial because it can tell you what type of content is essential based on your search term.

In my example, I saw blogs, new sites, and images. It gave the idea that I should write a blog or reach out to news sites to reach the top 10 positions on Google. I did not find any Web 2.0 style sites such as Blogger, but that could be another avenue.

Also, there are no AdWords ads on the right side of the screen, which tells that your preferred market is commercially viable and, more importantly, that your keyword is good enough to pay for.

3. Build a Proper Marketing Plan

Planning is vital in app marketing. Therefore, you should do proper planning on app marketing. Following are a few tips to build a good marketing plan for your Google Play Store app.

  • Build Awareness: You can use PR, Social networking sites, news sites, and websites relevant to your niche to build awareness. Here you can find the coverage for your app: https://submit.co/.
  • Trial: Also use free/trial version, mobile ads, incentivized downloads, and cross-selling to promote your application. 
  • Purchase: Mobile/web, discounts/offers, notifications, Bulk sales, CRM
  • Repeat: Loyalty program, bug fixes/updates, social networking sites integration, product extensions.

Even if you do not have the budget to buy the latest marketing tools, there are still many ways to get vital information using Google’s free tools.

Use those tools to your advantage and market your Google Play Store app. Are you starting to love them now? I hope this advice and tips will help you. If you have time, you can read my other articles about app marketing.

4. Monetize Your App

After completing your mobile application, you should also think about monetizing it. Many other ways are available, through which you can monetize your mobile app and earn money.

You can also think about it during the earlier stages. Try to find out which monetization works best: it might be through ads or by going for a paid app.

If you want to go for the paid app route, I suggest that you start with the higher price, which you can later lower down by offering discounts. You can also choose the hybrid model with multiple monetization methods, like a free app with in-app purchases.