App Launch Checklist: What to Do Before You Hit Publish

It’s always an exciting prospect to get a product to market. Extensive planning and preparation are required for groundbreaking innovations. Apps are digital creations with the potential to deliver transformative solutions across a wide range of use cases. Before release, publishers must follow a comprehensive app launch checklist to ensure due diligence.

In an ideal world, A/B testing, KWs, screenshots, and user reviews present favorably for a new product launch. Although it often feels like a hit-or-miss scenario given the industry’s rapid pace of change, the right digital marketing agency can offer a comprehensive solution to support the success of your app launch.

ASO Kicks into High Gear

We begin with ASO (App Store Optimization). Take your mind off apps for a moment and think of any product or service that’s available. Without effective marketing, it’s lost in cyberspace. ASO is about aligning the app’s metadata with the user’s intent. It’s basically hidden until it’s properly indexed.

The app needs to be built into the construct where it is housed, and where users search for apps. It should be easily found, referenced, and accessed. There is a clear synergy between App Store Optimization and Conversion Rate Optimization. These go together, hand in glove.

The framework goes beyond discovery and extends into the scroll-to-install journey. Right up front, it’s all about gaining visibility. No app can afford to remain invisible, after all the technical, resource, and innovative investments ploughed into it. It’s about establishing digital residency.

The whole point of launching an app on the App Store, Play Store, or a native platform is to gain traction for downloads and installations. Remember, visibility says everything without uttering a single word. It’s the visual thrust that drives your app’s success before users read the titles, descriptions, and metadata.

The Creative Elements

Much has been made of the visibility aspect of ready-to-publish apps. However, merely being visible is insufficient. The true barometer of a successful app is found in the creative elements that drive action through emotion. It’s a delicate balance because people are moved by different elements. However, certain features are winners across the board. Two such elements are high-fidelity screenshots and preview videos. These are indispensable aspects of the app launch checklist.

Companies that specialize in data-driven creatives (think A/B testing) can tell what creative elements drive action better. For example, whether it’s a blue button or a green button. It may be a UI shot or a lifestyle shot – these need to be tested and verified before the app is published.

Everyone in the tech industry talks about the three-second rule. A user will decide whether to download or scroll past an app in about three seconds. The screenshot should reveal the UI and solve a growing problem, or promise to deliver on expectations. This is the dividing line between a feature and a benefit.

Importantly, localized creatives are far superior for global application rollouts. Every jurisdiction, territory, or locality has its peculiarities, nuances, and preferences. Tailoring applications to local market conditions, even on a regional level, is a winning formula.

Organic Versus Paid Media

There are divergent opinions on this topic; suffice it to say that organic marketing (preferred) is often the flywheel effect. Paid marketing is especially important in an era where fierce competition dominates the tech scene.

Sure, it’s entirely possible to adopt the slow-growth approach, but competitors may rapidly overwhelm one another if they go for the paid media route. With regards to content focus, there are CPI and ROAS options.

Cost per install and return on ad spend are considered among the ranking models. Think of Apple Search Ads or Google App Campaigns as cases in point. Importantly, the paid media option feeds the organic algorithm. Consider all the rapid downloads and the pace at which they occur with a paid campaign. It shows that your app is trending and this is exactly what drives users to download and install the application.

It’s important to get the app up the rankings list as quickly as possible, because the competition is often off the charts.

What Happens Next?

Once all these elements are checked and rechecked, it’s time to hit the publish button. The checklist ends at retain. The content focus should be on user acquisition, known as UA, as well as myriad retention hooks.

A successful app launch is typically judged by day 30 retention, not by day one downloads. That’s an important point to bear in mind.

A full-service app agency can monitor real time data to pivot strategies within the first two days of app launch. The data and analytics that are compiled within the feedback loop are designed to make necessary changes based on real-world user behavior.

This app launch checklist is a broad outline to follow prior to hitting the publish button. Remember, the post-launch process is also a feedback loop. Changes may be necessary, as required by user feedback, current market conditions, or technological innovations. Either way, it’s a competitive advantage that you’re after. And it requires all hands on deck.