Over the past few years, the app market has become exceptionally competitive. In fact, there are currently 2.87 million apps available for download on the Google Play Store, and 1.96 million apps available for download on the Apple App Store.
So, while a web app is a great way of reaching new people and delighting your current customers, you do need to establish a comprehensive app launch strategy to give your app the greatest chance of success.
With that being said, let’s take a look at seven important steps you should follow to launch an effective web app.
1. Test app prototypes with possible users
There is only one place to begin, and this is by testing your app on real users prior to the launch. Things that may seem obvious to you may not be clear to others, and you may find that users do not use your app in the manner that you intended.
As a consequence, it is pivotal to get conceptual feedback from your target market early on so that you can avoid costly errors and validate the design of your app. Carry out user testing to understand how people will use your app and leverage these user-centred design insights to deliver the best possible application.
One of the most powerful tools for gathering vital feedback is to build up an interactive mockup. To enhance the effectiveness of this process, choose testers who fall into your “ideal consumer” range, i.e. the sort of people you are going to be targeting with your app.
Don’t leave any part of your website untested. You can use this PHP email validation guide when it comes to testing the contact part of your website. After all, nothing frustrates people more than trying to get in touch with a customer services team only to reach a dead-end every time.
Encourage anyone who tests your app to review it on launch day and to become an ambassador of your app. This will help you to get the ball running.
2. Select a launch date
A lot of business owners make the mistake of launching their app with little thought for timing. However, timing is key, so picking a launch date is a vital step in the process.
Choose a launch date with a goal set in place. This will give you the ability to plan marketing activities and development timelines around your release schedule. Keep a checklist for your launch because there are a number of things you will need to consider.
It is important that you keep on track of any big announcements from the major players in the tech world. This will enable you to make sure that your app launch date does not end up clashing with any other tech events, as you do not want the release of your application to be overshadowed.
3. Put together a marketing plan
Another error that we see a lot of people make is putting a marketing plan together after they have developed their app. Promotion should begin before your app even hits the app store.
Once you have established the core features of your application, get the marketing team involved and begin brainstorming different ways to spread awareness for your application before it is released.
This is important because it will help to generate strong awareness for your application that could bump it up to the top of the store on the launch day.
Marketing an application involves careful planning and making the most of a selection of marketing mediums and techniques. It is advisable that the advertising plan for your app is split into three campaign phases; pre-launch, launch, and post-launch.
One element of your marketing campaign that you need to consider carefully is the attribution tools and analytics you are going to use to measure your marketing efforts. After all, it is not enough to simply put a marketing strategy in place; you need to measure your approach to ensure that it is successful.
You will then be able to make any adjustments that are required to continue to improve your marketing campaigns.
A mobile attribution tool is a good choice to help you tie the installation of your app to a single ad type, platform, or target audience so you can optimize your marketing efforts. Some examples of mobile attribution platforms that are used by many companies today include Kochava, AppsFlyer, and Adjust.
4. Extend your network
Extending your social network during app development is vital. Bloggers and reports can help to generate awareness for your application. It is vital to know who the most relevant people in your industry are so that you can reach out to them and get them to do some promotion for your app where possible.
Identify reporters and key influencers who could be interested in your app. Try to reach out to the bloggers that your target audience deems to be key influencers.
You should also conduct some research into the publications that review and cover applications that fall into the same category as yours, and identify who at each publication is going to be most excited about your application.
It can also be valuable to get involved in different online communities that are popular with your target consumer base. Search for any forums that are relevant and start to get involved with the community.
You should also keep in mind that it is important to reach out to your entire list of contacts and researched reporters on the day of your app launch. Let them know the specific date and time that your app is going to be released and keep everyone in the loop.
In addition to the tips that we have mentioned so far, social media is also an important tool when it comes to driving engagement and organic growth for your application.
Promoting your app via social media channels enables you to drive traffic and create hype.
You will want to make sure that your app has a presence on all of the key social media networks ahead of time. From Facebook to Instagram, do your research to find out about the social media networks your target audience tends to use and make sure you are present on them.
Use these platforms to reach out to target users in your community. You can also integrate social media into your app so that users can easily promote and share your app.
Using social media throughout the three stages of your app launch will enable you to identify an audience for your app, generate downloads, and build engagement with possible users, converting them into loyal fans.
To build interest, post demos and feature previews, and point users to your landing page so that they can enter their details to join the waiting list.
6. Create a press kit
If a blogger or journalist is not able to find information about your application, they may lose the motivation to write about it. Having a press kit in advance will make sure that this does not happen.
A press kit should be a single file that provides all of the information anyone in the press could need about your app. Make sure to include company information, previous reviews, app description, video demo, screenshots, store icon, and a press release.
Ideally, bloggers and reporters should be able to publish content about your new app as soon as it launches. Make sure you have your press kit ready to go so that you can send copies to anyone whenever they are needed. There is no time to waste!
7. Create promotional videos
Last but not least, videos work incredibly well when launching any new product, as they tend to be much more engaging. Videos provide you with an effective and expressive way of showing off the capabilities and interface of your app.
Promotional videos provide a visual way of convincing someone to download your new app. You can establish a voice and communicate the value of your application.
Demo videos work well, as they provide a sneak peek of your app, as well as demonstrate the most popular features. This is essential in terms of driving organic downloads.
Try to create a video that will capture your app’s essence in a one-minute pitch. It is vital to demonstrate app interactions and identify whether your application is available on Android or iOS.
Final words on launching a successful web app
As you can see, there is a lot that needs to be considered when launching a successful web app. Your launch is critical because you will want to drum up as much interest as possible so you can stand out from the crowd.
From testing your app to web accessibility testing, follow the ideas and suggestions that we have mentioned above to give yourself the greatest chance of success when launching a web app of any nature.
