10 Tips to make Organic User Acquisition Easy!

User acquisition is a continual challenge for most app developers. A highly innovative app can become a major flop if it fails to attract new users. Because of this, user acquisition marketing takes up a large portion of an app publisher's budget.

But, app user acquisition is not cheap. Some examples of user acquisition costs are

 
App installs - $1.22 - $3.60 per user 
In-app purchases - $77.45 - $86.72 per user 
Registered users - $2.17 - $7.55 per user  

These days, most app marketers rely on paid advertising to maximize user acquisition. As a result, strategies for Google Ads, PPC, and Social media marketing are implemented, which incur ongoing costs. Once you stop them, new users stop downloading your app.

To reduce this problem, app developers are trying to improve organic user acquisition. This is, however becoming increasingly difficult due to the heavy competition in the market.

So, let's take a look at 10 organic user acquisition tips to help overcome this issue: 

Optimizing your App Store: 

As app developers, optimizing your app store is the best way to increase organic user acquisition. Apple says more than 65% of organic user acquisitions are due to direct searches in the App Store.

ASO or App Store Optimization can help improve your app visibility to the audience using App Stores. With the right keywords, titles and descriptions, screenshots, and reviews & ratings - you can become the frontrunner in user acquisition marketing.

Content Marketing: 

Content marketing is one of the most complex ways to drive organic user acquisition. But, once set this is the most lucrative option. 72% of marketers agree that content marketing increases the total number of organic user acquisitions they get.

The biggest challenge with content marketing is choosing the right messaging content, distributing it strategically, and coordinating with the same audience multiple times to drive a conversion. Ultimately, it is about providing your users with helpful content that compels them to use your app as a solution to their problems. 

Work on the website: 

It is important to keep your website in mind even if you have an app. A good website should serve as a crossroad to showcase the unique features of your app with details such as descriptions, screenshots, contact details, demos, and feedback. It should also have all your social media channels so users can visit and follow you.

App stores also have a part in promoting websites for apps. For example, with the launch of iOS 6, Apple introduced the Smart App Banner technology that lets app publishers build a connection between the app website and the app itself. 

Work on app previews: 

In 2014 Apple Inc. introduced the concept of App Previews while releasing iOS 8. These are 30-second videos that app publishers can use to impress potential customers. Initially, they appear as screenshots. But when played, they showcase the app's value to potential users. These videos are also built to appear in searches and can be played directly from the search result.

30-seconds is a long time to let your customers decide whether they want to download the app or to move away. But these 30-seconds can help improve your app user marketing as potential customers can get a real-time feel of the app.   

Incorporate in-app behavioral analytics tools: 

Once a user downloads your app, there are two options: use it regularly or delete it within a few days. App user acquisition is crucial when most apps retain only 20% of their users. If you cannot retain your users, your app will move down the search network in App Stores.

But, some behavioral analytics tools help app developers understand their customer behavior and, using machine intelligence, calculate the best time to send out notifications. Again, a user experience is crucial as it helps you understand your customers. These tools can help move your app from zero to hero in a few moments!  

Add User Referral programs: 

Another excellent app user acquisition tool is word-of-mouth of referral programs. According to a survey, 52% of respondents said they become app users after discovering that a friend, family member, or colleague is using the same app.

Though, it is challenging to build a proper growth strategy for referral programs considering the human element is involved. In addition, there is always that doubt that people may not refer your app to others. The good news is that you can turn your users into a powerful organic user acquisition channel by using robust strategies.

Add some positive reinforcement: 

Positive reinforcements are excellent boosters for anyone. So, rewarding your customer efforts for even minimal actions, such as filling in information labels, shows a sign of success. These validators can range from green checkmarks inside account creation in form fields to adding a progress bar as a user in graphs and percentages.

One of the best examples of this is the Zomato app. They have a 'foodie level meter' which adds to every food delivery you get. Once the levels are added, you are promoted to the next level. This is visible to others on the app, imparting users a competitive consciousness. 

Add reviews and ratings: 

How often have you looked at some reviews highlighting how the app helped them and downloaded it immediately?

Reviews and ratings not only improve customer reliability but, at the same time, it increases your app visibility on the app stores. As ASO algorithms work here, apps with a 5-star or 4-star rating also get a higher position in-app search results. You could add a 'Rate our App' plugin that pops up at strategic times when users are active on your app. You could also offer some incentives when people rate your app. 

Localizing your app: 

A study found that the localization of an iPhone app increased downloads by 767%. But, localizing for a single country is foolhardy. But it helps increase the number of potential audiences. You can always hire translators or go for online solutions to get your app translated to connect with more potential audiences. Take advantage of all options available in the market, and use them well.  

You could achieve this by localizing your metadata for as many locations as possible. Even if your in-app content is not localized, start with your app store first. In fact, localize your app name, description, keywords and any screenshots or videos. This will help boost discoverability in new areas with the added benefit of App Store Optimization. Localization plays a major role especially in ASO, as it opens up different markets to app developers 

Add suitable screenshots, videos, and icons: 

Combining suitable screenshots and videos is enough to lure in potential customers and increase organic user acquisition. Each screenshot should highlight a benefit of your app, and the video should showcase how to use it. Keep in mind that your screenshots should tell a story. The very first two are essential as they have the highest place value. If users do not like the first image, they will drop it off. So, use screenshots that showcase the good of your app.

App icons are the first thing users see when scrolling through their App Store. It has to be appealing enough and tell your brand story. Please keep it simple but make sure that it represents your brand.

Organic User Acquisition - A Success or A Pain? 

Except for a viral explosion, organic user acquisition does take some time to gain momentum. The best news is that most organic channels have a compounding effect, which helps in increasing app user acquisition velocity over time. But the process is painstakingly slow and time-consuming.

If you want a quick way out of this, then sell your app online to us at KalaGato!  

You can easily sell your app with us by still maintaining the anonymity and security of your business. Get the support of expert developers on the team to understand how you can improve your app to get the best market rates. If you want the easiest and smoothest way to sell your app online, connect with us today!