The quality of your App Store description can have a huge impact on downloads, so it pays to think it through, design it carefully, and make sure you get it right. While there are variations in the ways that each type of app should be presented, depending on function and target market, the tips below cover the most important things to keep in mind if you want your description to help, rather than hurt, the success of your app.
(As always, step zero is “Build a great app.”)
1. Get to the point
In the first few sentences, let people know what the app does and what the benefits are. Don’t get too lost in details and jargon; just get your point across quickly. Users are often browsing for a solution to a problem, and if you don’t say you solve that problem up front, you can lose a lot of potential downloads.
2. Keep it simple
This ties in to the first point. Your app may have a lot of neat features and use cases, but it generally pays to focus on your core offering in your description. Once core users are liking your app and submitting favorable reviews, you can worry about branching out into secondary markets.
3. Search engine optimization (SEO)
Rule number one of the Internet: be findable.
A distinctive and unique app title is nice, but sometimes the direct approach is better. Your GPS-enabled bathroom locator might sound cute as “PottyMap,” but “Bathroom Locator” or “Bathroom Finder” will bring you far more organic search leads. Follow through on this approach in your description as well. Hit popular and relevant keywords, and ensure that your description is working for multiple purposes and bringing searchers to your page.
Don’t be spammy, though. Just make your words serve SEO where possible, and only where your text will still sound natural.
4. Use a couple of screenshots
Don’t go overboard, but if your app is nicely designed, give prospects a taste of the user experience with a few screenshots. Sometimes, images are exactly the shortcut you need to connect with certain prospects who prefer to learn visually.
As always, a picture is worth a thousand words.
5. Consider including quotations from reviews or testimonials
Testimonials on sales pages have been found to boost sales. If you can find a way to work a credible testimonial, or better yet, an independent and favorable review quotation into your description, do it. The “outside voice” is more convincing to the consumer than the “inside voice,” who is always going to say that everything about the app is great. With testimonials and reviews, you gain the most important thing in sales: credibility.
6. Include a call to action
A clear CTA is a must-have at the end of your description. It should be straightforward, and something as simple as “Try it free, today!” is just fine. If you can generate a little urgency and excitement, even better.
As a final note – play around with a few descriptions if you’re not sure what will work best. Test different pages, tweak them based on what you learn, and then use the one that produces the highest conversions.
See you at the top of the charts!
