1.
Bringing Your App To Market Tips, Tricks and Tools for a Successful Mobile App Launch Breanna Hughes, Xtreme Labs February 6, 2013

2.
Who am I?Product Manager, Xtreme Labs@unbrelievable on TwitterCSI Member (Ladies Learning Code)

3.
Xtreme Labs

4.
Xtreme Labs

5.
What do I know?

6.
Mobile Product ManagerWork with many clients, from startups to Fortune500 companies, to design, build and launch theirmobile productsLaunch a new mobile product about every 2-3monthsApp Store Featured clientsBig user bases

7.
What do I want you to know?The essentials on how to successfully launch amobile app, and the tools to help you along theway.

8.
But first...

9.
The App Store Landscape 700,000 apps 700,000 apps 120,000 apps 105,000 apps (70,000 for BB10)

10.
What platform is better?

11.
What are your users saying?

12.
Errrrr....

13.
What is the data saying?

14.
Typical Roadmap?Mobile iOS Android ??? Web

15.
Timing...

16.
Approval Timing * 10 Days (first launch) iTunes App Store 5 Days (update) Google Play Minutes!Windows Phone Store 7 Days BlackBerry World 10 Days Mobile Web INSTANTLY! * Approval timing will vary depending on queue, and connections

17.
Free vs. Freemium vs. Paid Free - what is your revenue model? In-app advertising? Purchasing of hard goods? Freemium - in-app purchases has seen growth in 2012, from 53% to 69%. Less barrier to download. Paid - Games, Business and Navigation apps see the most success with paid. Customers are willing to pay higher prices for iPad apps.Source: http://www.distimo.com/publications/archive/Distimo%20Publication%20-%20Full%20Year%202012.pdf

18.
Back to the successful launch...

19.
Set Goals. App Goals.Launch Goals.Launch Goals.Launch Goals.

20.
SampleInstallsUser Base and # of Launch Goals Sign up 30% of mobile users in first monthRevenue Drive 5% of total revenue through appReviews Receive 30 positive reviews in first monthPress Coverage Featured on 2 tech outlets, and 5 App Review Sites

21.
Preparing for launch...

22.
During DevelopmentAside from the actual development of the app, it’simportant to think about the right tools to integrateinto the app to properly measure it’s success.

23.
Analytics!

24.
Most Popular for MobileGoogle Analytics (FREE)Flurry Analytics (FREE)Omniture ($$$ but powerful) Pssst... you can also use more than one!

25.
Track EverythingWhat functionality are people not using?Where are they getting stuck (maybe in a goodway)?Where are they leaving?Time in app before they make a purchase?But most importantly, make sure you are tracking“conversions” - what is the goal of your app?Make sure you are tracking all the possible wayspeople can get there.

26.
Track the stuff you don’t want -- crashes!

27.
Crash ReportingCrittercism (my personal favourite)BugSenseCrashlytics

28.
You can even track whatpeople are -trying- to do...

29.
http://heatma.ps (not free)

30.
Track where app installs are coming from...

31.
Tracking InstallsBeyond the traditional analytics for your app,there are also App Store analytics, and ways totrack where your app downloads are coming from.They are not 100% accurate, but it’s important totrack your marketing and advertising efforts.

32.
Tracking InstallsDistimo (FREE!) http://www.distimo.com/http://yoz.io/ is free and great but.... Beta hasended, so we have to wait for them to goprimetime!

33.
Try it outhttp://app.lk/ebuddyxms

34.
Deep linking?

35.
Deep linking is extremely powerful, but highly underutilized.

36.
What is it?It’s a custom URL schema that your app, and onlyyour app, can read.In other words, it allows you to open up aparticular page within your app.

37.
What does it look like?myapp://articleIDmobile web iPhone app

38.
Deep linkingWhile in development, you need to set your appup to be able to handle the custom URL schema.Unfortunately, it doesn’t just work like magic.

39.
You are now set up to track your success,so now all you need to do is press submit and everyone will download it.

40.
Right?

41.
Sure.

42.
If you are lucky. (and the App Store features you)

43.
(20 million downloads in 5 weeks after launch)

44.
I’m not lucky. *(*A slot machine in Vegas ate my money my first and only time playing.) (*I was hit in the head with a hockey puck while watching a game.) (*I have broken my nose a few times.)

45.
Take luck into your own hands.

46.
A month before launch...

47.
Beta Test (if you can)

48.
Internally or ExternallyMost popular tool to distribute pre-release builds:TestFlighthttps://testflightapp.com/(Free!!)Gather feedback, but use it more as a sanity testto make sure you didn’t miss anything big

49.
Research Press, Bloggers (Build relationships if you can. Twitter can make it easier.)

50.
Create Content (but don’t publish yet!)Press ReleaseVideoEmail blastsTweetsFacebook Posts

51.
Press ReleaseKey features - highlight what makes your appunique or differentiating elementsVisuals - choose screenshots that highlight the keyfeatures of your appPlatforms - make sure users know if they candownload it on their phoneHuman Quote - from someone on the project or acustomer that saw the pre-release

52.
Bonus!This site has a huge list of App review sites: http://mytangibles.tumblr.com/

53.
“ASO”: App Store Optimization

54.
App Store PlanningApp Name - is yours unique, what currently comes up whenyou search for it?Description - make it compelling, explain your companybefore app featuresKeywords - these are extremely important, keep themfocusedCategory - Where are your competitors?Screenshots - use the most compelling features of your appCountries - what regions will your product be available in?

55.
Just LaunchedApple just announced “Vanity URLs” to make iteasier for people to find your appused to be:https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/shop-mec/id573282599?

56.
It’s launch time!

57.
Wait.

58.
Slow down.

59.
Not so fast.

60.
Launch softly.

61.
Soft LaunchRelease the app quietlyLet it sit for at least a few days, test it in the wildShow to key stakeholders in the organizationFor your sanity, but also because bad reviews arehard to bury

62.
All good?

63.
Start your marketing engines!

64.
All channels, one message:

65.
DOWNLOAD NOW!

66.
Incentives help, too.

67.
App Banners

68.
App BannersFull ScreenSmart BannersRedirect

69.
Full ScreenUsed most often whenthere is no mobile websolutionAlways have a link to the fullsite, especially iffunctionality is missingLinks to iTunes to Install

70.
Smart Banners

71.
Remember Deep Linking?

72.
RedirectYou can also skip the banners altogether, detect ifthe user has the app installed, and automaticallyredirectBest used when you don’t have a mobile weboptimized siteThis can be annoying for users that just want toread the article quickly and leave

73.
Don’t Force ItIf you have the functionality onmobile web, don’t FORCE users todownload the app.People have their preferred waysof reading.

74.
You’ve launched. Now what?

75.
Advertising...

76.
Google AdMob

77.
Facebook

78.
Tapjoy

79.
Tip! If you have an Android device, you can directlyinteract and see your ads live using this app:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google

80.
Drive Happy Users to ReviewsMake it easy for them to leave a review, but onlywhen they are at a happy pointAfter a certain number of uses over a period oftimeIf they don’t want to, don’t bug them againDON’T BE ANNOYING

81.
Appiraterhttp://www.cocoacontrols.com/controls/appiraterEasy to integrate and free!

82.
How to get featured?No one really knows exactly, however, I have seena few tricksDrive the big bulk users to download in one shorttime frame, don’t spread it out too thinGetting to the top in your category increasesdownloads and gets you on Apple’s RadarBuild a relationship with Apple, Google if you can

83.
Make it easy for users to contact supportSend a support email right fromthe app, and automatically attachdevice informationTap to call customer service,Tweet

84.
Keep Engaging Your Users Keep talking to them on social networks, respond to support emails Ask them what their favourite feature is Ask them what features they would like to see in the future

85.
Iterate!You will not get it all right in the first releasePlan at least one update within the first few weeksof release (and try to incorporate user feedback)Roadmap, roadmap, roadmap!

86.
Questions?@unbrelievablebreanna.hughes@xtremelabs.comhttp://www.xtremelabs.com