If you have a mobile app in the App Store, you should know it functions much like a search engine. The App Store aims to deliver the apps users are searching for on their iPhones and iPads. Key components influencing your app’s visibility include:

1. App name
2. Description
3. Categories (primary and secondary)
4. Keywords
5. Reviews
6. General searcher behavior (conversion rate, etc.)

We advise every client to spend time monthly reviewing and optimizing their App Store listing. It’s a vast and often untapped source of traffic.

Note: this is a service we provide through Convert on Web, a Flywheel brand.

The App Store offers three frequently overlooked features that can make your listing stand out and give you a competitive edge. Some of these features are relatively new, while others are underutilized. Most apps should be leveraging all three today.

How to Check Your Traffic Sources

First, a brief side note: if you aren’t familiar with App Store analytics, navigate to the Analytics > Overview section to see “Total Downloads by Source”. This will indicate the percentage of traffic you’re receiving from each source.

For instance, one client receives ~62% of their traffic through App Store search, not direct app links!

Product Page Optimization

Ranking higher and improving conversion rates is crucial for consumer (B2C) applications. It’s often a numbers game, and understanding what drives changes in metrics can be challenging. Did a change in the description drive the traffic increase, or was it the new imagery?

With Product Page Optimization, you can run three tests concurrently to improve your metrics. You can test elements like app icons, screenshots, and previews both randomly and locally.

We recommend testing in core markets for most apps, as secondary markets often aren’t large enough to significantly impact your metrics.

Custom Product Pages

While Product Page Optimization lets you test changes randomly in the search function, Custom Product Pages allow you to differentiate the entire page for a unique experience. The App Store now lets you create up to 35 unique landing pages, each with different:

• App previews
• Screenshots
• Promotional text

These custom pages come with unique links that you can share via email marketing, social media, directly with users, or through App Store ads. Note that users searching the App Store won’t find these Custom Product Pages, so your main app store listing should remain generic or targeted to your primary market.

For more information about Product Page Optimization, visit Apple Developer.

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When and How Should You Use This?

Custom Product Pages are particularly useful for targeting unique market segments. For example, the app “Mountain Climber” can create unique landing pages for bike trails, backcountry trails, and rock climbing. This targeted approach can significantly improve conversions for each market segment.

App Store Analytics tracks each page’s performance independently, making it easy to see which pages are getting traffic and how they’re converting. This will help you refine your marketing tactics continually and optimize conversions.

For more information about Custom Product Pages, visit Apple Developer.

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In-App Events

For mobile apps with events, In-App Events allow you to highlight events in your app store listing. It’s an excellent way to show users why they should download your app now.

For example, the app “Evolve You” showcases the “Project Abs” event, a two-week challenge that adds a sense of urgency for users to download the app and join immediately.

We recommend not adding events too far in advance, as events scheduled for two months from now don’t convey a sense of urgency and might even discourage immediate downloads.

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So, What Should You Do Next?

Most App Store listings are outdated and not optimized for their current target market. The first step is to review your listing for relevancy:

• Is your app icon eye-catching?
• Do your screenshots show relevant information for target users?
• Does the description highlight new and relevant features?
• Are your tags aligned with what users would be searching for?

After updating your general App Store listing, we recommend using these three new features. Every app can benefit from Product Page Optimization, and most can use In-App Events and Custom Product Pages.

Using all three features will require a significant time investment, likely more than what you’re currently doing. Ensure you have an App Store “owner” on your team to manage the listing and report on key metrics and test performance. We suggest including App Store analytics in a KPI dashboard or Business Scorecard.

In conclusion, take advantage of the new App Store features and use this opportunity to reinvest time and effort into improving your listing.

App Store Optimization is a service Flywheel offers. If you’re interested in optimizing your app’s listing, feel free to contact us!