The process of building your app seems like the most challenging step until everything is done and you run into the next milestone – delivering it to the users. If you want to submit your app to the App Store and gain access to 1.4 billion Apple devices around the world, you have to follow certain rules and guidelines. 

App Store currently has more than 1.8 million apps, and this number keeps growing, albeit much slower compared to the Google Play store. However, this doesn’t mean you should give up on Apple, particularly if your app belongs to its most popular categories such as gaming, business, education, lifestyle, and entertainment. 

Here are the steps you need to take to submit your app to the App store.

1. Prepare with the iOS 12.2 SDK

This is the step you’ve probably been aware of as you were building your app. Since March 2019, if you want to submit your app to the App Store, you have to build it with the iOS 12.1 SDK or any newer version.  It has to support the all-screen design of iPhone XS Max or the iPad Pro of the third generation. This also includes optimizing for the latest features, making changes in memory accounting, as well as updating compatibility.

Your app needs to be up to date with the latest iOS devices, including iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, the 11-inch iPad Pro, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. You will make sure of that by updating your information property list with the latest requirements. You can also repeat this every time you update your app. 

The final step before going to the app store should be testing. App Store recommends that you test with the simulator in Xcode 10.2.

In order to use the required software and later submit your app to the App Store, you need to be a member of the Apple Developer Program.

2. Create an App Store Connect account

The Apple ID you have from the developer program is a way to sign in to App Store Connect – mind it, this ID cannot be simultaneously used for distributing music, movies, books or for business management. 

Once you sign in, you can assign roles to various team members. You can control their access to developers tools and the actions their accounts can perform. Keep in mind that onboarding your team is not possible if you enroll in the developer program as an individual user. 

3. Add and Test Your App 

Adding your app to the App Store takes a few preparatory steps with your account. First, you have to sign the Paid Applications agreement and add your company’s contact information, as well as tax and banking details. All developers need to submit the U.S. tax forms, and there are also specific forms for Australia, Canada, Japan, and Brazil.

Once you settle this, you can start adding information about your app, including description, keywords, up to 10 screenshots, as well as pricing plans. Make sure this information is clear, informative, and enticing. Take special care to upload good screenshots – these are the first things your future users will see.

Upload the app utilizing Xcode or Application Loader. This does not mean your app goes public – it is only available in the Activity section until you choose what to do next – test or publish it.

App Store also offers one extra feature prior to the release of your app – beta testing it with TestFlight. This feature enables you to upload a beta version of your app and invite up to 10,000 testers. You can do this via email invitation or sharing a public link to the app.

Keep in mind that the app you submit for review and, ultimately, to the App Store, has to be final, tested, stable version with all required metadata and functional URLs. Messy submission or a buggy app will result in rejection and prolonging the release.

4. Submit the App for Review

Once everything is ready for release, it is time to submit your app for review. If you want to make sure this process goes as smooth as possible, you need to be aware of some App Store’s basic guidelines and requirements.

App Store has detailed, clearly outlined safety guidelines, so your app should not contain any content that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, risks physical harm, intended to disgust, in exceptionally poor taste, or just plain creepy. This is particularly important for apps with user-generated content, where you need to provide a mechanism for managing this content. This includes filtering, reporting, and deleting objectionable content. 

Apps that belong in the Kids category have a specific set of guidelines. They cannot include external links, purchases, distractions, third-party advertising or analytics. 

All apps have to operate in line with legal requirements regarding users’ privacy, collection, and handling of their information. Your app also has to comply with any relevant legal requirements in every country where the app is available.

It goes without saying that your app has to be original. Also, the App Store puts a special focus on sleek, innovative app design. Finally, the app you submit to the App Store has to be more than just a “repackaged website”. It needs to be useful, unique and have a clear value proposition. 

You can find more details about the App Store’s requirements here. 

Conclusion

Once you submit your app for review, it will take some time to have it vetted. The status of the review process will be updated in your App Store Connect account. In general, gaming, gambling, and lottery apps are likely to take the most time for review, since these are the most heavily regulated content in the App Store.

In case you are running on a tight schedule, you can request an expedited review. Once your app has been reviewed and approved, keep in mind that it will go public on the date you set for release. Also, it will take around one day for the app to appear on all storefronts. 

Finally, submitting is not where your work ends. Your app needs to go through regular updates, which you can set and manage using your existing App Store Connect account. Apps that do not keep up can end up removed from the App Store – so don’t let all the hard work go to waste. 

All you need to do is give us a call or simply fill in the below form – we will take it from there

Brands We’ve Worked With

The post How To Submit Your App To the App Store in 4 Steps appeared first on Gomeeki.

Launching a mobile app can be difficult, confusing, and will test your patience on occasion. However, if you follow these 30 steps, some of those stresses will be eased, if not eliminated!

Pre-Launch App Marketing Strategy

1. Identify Target Audience: Decide who will be using your app and why they need your app.
2. Register Domain and Landing Page: Have your app development team register a domain and create an app name in the app store & landing page for your app. This holds your “spot” in the app waiting room.
3. Claim Social Media Handles: Create social media pages and claim hashtags that are directly related to your app.
4. Create a Promo Video: Give a one-minute pitch about your app in the form of a promo video so that users can get a taste of what your app will be like.
5. Find an Online Niche: There are so many chat rooms and forums out there, so you are sure to find one that fits in your app’s “niche.” Advertise and conduct surveys in these forums to drum up anticipation for your app’s launch.
6. Find Reporters and Influencers: Locate any person that can give your app an edge once it is launched. This can be by advertising the app (reporters) or endorsing it (influencers).
7. Research App Submission Guidelines: Not every platform is going to have the same submission guidelines. So, be sure you know all the guidelines and that your app follows them to avoid launch delays or cancellations.
8. Identify Success Metrics: Discover what will push your app into the winner’s circle. Also, identify successful marketing and monetizing techniques that can be used prior to and after launch.
9. Build a Feedback Loop: Make sure you have a way for your users to send feedback about your app. Their suggestions and concerns will help you improve the user’s experience.
10. Plan a Beta Release: A beta release is a time when the app is made accessible to a small group of users for the purpose of testing mechanics and providing feedback.

Three Weeks Before Mobile App Launch

1. Compile a Press Kit: Create a directory of your app’s assets, including links to social media pages, website, etc. Sending a press kit to reporters, influencers, bloggers and journalists will help maximize the odds of media coverage for your app’s launch.
2. Send a Pitch: Now that you have identified reporters, influencers, bloggers, and journalists that may be interested in covering/endorsing your app send them a pitch email that briefly provides information about the app and links to its press kit.
3. Decide on App’s Messaging Descriptions: Take feedback from beta tests and discussion forums to make any necessary changes to the app’s language and wording.
4. Identify and Install Software: Beta testers may run across technical issues in your app that can be fixed by installing a software component. Be sure these issues are fixed and that the app is ready to go by launch time.

Mobile App Launch Time

1. Submit App: Submit your app to the app store(s) of your choice. Once approved, your app will be live for public download.
2. Notify Email List: Send out an email to all your contacts letting them know the app is available for download.
3. Notify the Press: Send emails to all reporters, influencers, bloggers, and journalists you have been in contact with about the app’s launch.
4. Utilize an Analysis Software: One of the best pieces of software you can invest in is an app monitoring and analysis system. Use this data to identify what parts of the app are drawing in users and which are not. Then make changes as needed.

Post-Launch App Marketing Strategy

1. Monitor: Check feedback and analyze user retention and interactivity with the app. Assess customer satisfaction through discussion forums, social media pages, etc.
2. Interact with First Customers: Taking the time to engage with the first customers that downloaded your app can go a long way. Ask for suggestions, find out what they like best about the app, and thank them for being among the first to give your app a try.
3. Encourage Reviews: Provide relevant review prompts to users for instant feedback. Let them feel their voices are being heard!
4. Monitor App Store Stats: Be sure to keep an eye on the download growth (or decline) in the app store(s). Also, monitor the number of users uninstalling the app.
5. Release an Update: Not every app is going to work perfectly upon its first release. Make notes of bugs that need to be fixed in the app, then release an update to fix these bugs as soon as possible.
6. Add to Your Performance Stats: Continue to add data to your performance software dashboard so the health of your app can be monitored quickly and thoroughly.

Three Months After Mobile App Launch

1. Customer Requests: Organize and prioritize customer requests about app issues or improvements that should be made.
2. Set Your 3-Month Product Road Map: You can’t please everyone and stay true to your app’s purpose. Evaluate your product and decide how to bring it more in line with your vision after customer suggestions have been considered.
3. Incentives: Break out the incentives to retain your user’s attention. The hype of the launch is over, so bring your user back to your app every day by offering an incentive or two in exchange for their interactivity.
4. Win Referrals: If you have an app that is satisfying your customers and retaining their usage, you are winning referrals! When the users are happy, they will want to share your app with all their friends!
5. Push Notifications: Review your data, specifically the average user’s habits, and decide what improvements can be made with push notifications.
6. Evaluate Performance: Continue to evaluate all data and feedback. Make improvements when needed.

Bottom line: When you launch a mobile app, the work doesn’t stop at launch day. That’s why it’s important to team up with a professional, dedicated development company. Gomeeki is one of those companies that go beyond launch day by continuing to monitor and make improvements to your app. We want to make sure your app succeeds. 

Brands We’ve Worked With

The post Best App Marketing Strategies (Works Great In 2019) appeared first on Gomeeki.

App development is a whole process of coming up with an idea for an app, searching for and hiring an app developer, developing the app (coding, appearance, functions, etc.), launching the app, and maintaining (analyzing and improving) the mobile app after it has launched.

Development of a mobile app can take a few weeks to months to complete, depending upon the complexity of the mobile app, timeline desired, and budget.

Let’s get Started:

So, you have one or more app ideas. Now what? Research, research, research! Unless you are professional, certified app designers and developers, you will more than likely need to spruce up your knowledge on the application development process, current app market stats, and much more. To make it easier for you, here’s a list of some questions to ask yourself:

BASICS:

1.  What do you hope to accomplish with your mobile app? (Hint: These are your short-term and long-term goals for your app)
2. Who will your app benefit? (Hint: This is your target audience)
3.  In what ways will your customers find your app useful and convenient?
4.  What platform(s) will your app be available on? (Examples:  app for iOS and/or Android or web applications)

COMPETITION:

1. Who will be your app’s biggest competitors?
2. What apps do your competitors have?
3. What are the features your competitors offer their app users?

DEVELOPMENT:

1. How much is your overall budget for your app’s development?
2. How long are you wanting to spend on mobile app development? (Example: Number of weeks, months, or even years)
3. Once development is complete, when do you hope to launch your app? (Example: A set date or a certain time of year)

 MARKETING:

1. What is your mobile app business plan? (Hint: This will include your marketing budget)
2. In what ways will you market your app pre- and post-launch app marketing plan? (Example: Online ads)

Whew! Great job on researching and answering all of the above questions! Now, you are ready to move to the next step: Assembling your superhero development team! Well, they may not appear to be superheroes, but they should be experts in their individual fields. Do your research and select professionals to fill the roles of team leader, marketing specialist, sales specialist, app developer, app designer, IT advisor, and so on. Once your development team is assembled, share your thoughts and findings (your answers from the above questions you researched) with them. Discuss your app ideas and develop a plan based on the input of every team member. Tip: Establish an “open door” policy between team members. Collaboration and feedback are key elements of an app’s success!

Next Steps: ↓

Here’s the deal: When you make the decision to build a new app for your business, there are important factors that you have to consider. Going on Google to do a simple search might end up being an expensive mistake. A lot of people advertise themselves as a top business app development company and maybe they do have knowledge of the business. But you would be better served sacrificing some of your time to do some necessary research about top app development companies who have prior experience in your niche and have case studies to help you understand their software development process and success.

Think of it this way

When you decide to purchase a new car, will you just blindly drive to the dealership and buy the first car you see? Probably not! Instead, you will more than likely look at the specs of each car (such as gas mileage, safety features, warranty options, etc.). When you invest in a mobile app for your business, it is a lot like buying a new car. You need to do the research and know what to look for in an app developer. So, to get you started, here are six tips for choosing the top-rated mobile application development companies in Australia ( or anywhere in the world, for that matter!).

Freelance App Developers Vs. App Development Agency

This point is not a swipe at freelancers in any way, but you should know that while there may be a lot of people that can build mobile apps or wearable apps, there is a difference in quality, and more importantly being around in the future to provide ongoing support once the mobile application has been released and on the market. If you run a small-scale business that is specifically working with a very limited budget, you might be tempted to work with freelancers or a new app company for your web and mobile development projects.

But be sure to ask your shortlisted freelance designers and developers about their past software development jobs (preferably with some client references). You can also check their qualifications by seeing what certifications they have (specifically whether they have completed a software engineering program or attained a mobile developer certification). This will give you more confidence when understanding their expertise in the different operating systems. The other easy way to verify credentials is via social media platforms like LinkedIn or Behance.

Options

If you’re a mid-to-large scale business, you should not even consider the freelance option. Instead, go with a top software development company. Mobile apps are a big part of the growth of your business and you must not compromise on quality. Apart from the fact that freelancers are hardly ever specialists in all the niches, they will also work for you based on their own schedule. On the flip side, a genuine app team will work on your schedule, and they will have high-quality web and mobile app development team that can successfully deliver software products that align with your business objectives. Generally, you are guaranteed high quality and better insurance for your project’s success.

Identify Your App  Needs

This may sound a bit obvious, or even crazy, but know what your business needs for it to grow. In other words, you must have clarity about your business and how exactly a software development enterprise will help you drive it forward. Before you worry about the functionality and features that you want in the app, you should take your time to establish what the business needs, and if you indeed do require an app. Knowing this will help you while you are evaluating your options for mobile application development.

Ask questions related to your app idea/mobile platforms

Don’t be afraid to ask questions when discussing with your mobile app designers what your ultimate business goals are. Sometimes you will have a goal that you aren’t sure how to reach. Ask the android studio top app developers or ios app developers/app team. Chances are they will have an idea or two about how to reach that goal through the app.         Want to Introduce Gamification in your app?

Here’s an example: ➠

If you have a goal of reaching/acquiring 100 new customers in a month. The app team can offer suggestions such as in-app purchase discounts (where customers are offered a discount the first time they purchase an item through your new app).  Remember: The app company you choose should be supportive of your ideas and willing to work hard to reach your fullest potential.

Identify the Needs of Your End Consumers 

So, you have identified the needs of your business. Great! But here’s the kicker: Now you need to identify the needs of your end consumers which includes UI UX design. This is even more important than identifying the needs of the business itself. As there really is no point in developing a mobile app that doesn’t perform the functions your customers want to use. The consumers drive your business, so you must identify what they want from you, possibly by conducting a survey or monitoring user behavior. You need to work with an app company that can deliver these capabilities. Many times, business owners will decide to have an app developed for their business because of user needs.

Here’s an example: ↓

For instance, if you have a small-town grocery store that serves mostly retirees or elderly people. Then you may have the idea to develop a grocery app for your store. Which allows users to shop for groceries on mobile devices and have the groceries delivered to them. In this situation, the app would need to be simple and easy to use, as well as have features like shopping and delivering. This is just one example of how important it is to know what your customers need and how your app can fulfill those needs.

Gomeeki was asked to work with Aussie Farmers Direct to create ‘ AisleOne’, the world’s simplest way to shop online. AisleOne had to be Australia’s easiest, quickest and most intuitive online shopping/ user experience.

Research

One other important step that you must take when choosing a custom software or app company is to do your research. Find out which businesses the company has worked for in the past For ex: If you are a real estate company then you can ask about real estate application development experience. This will provide you with potentially valuable information about the best designers and developers you are hiring. Because you might find a mobile app company that has worked with a client in your niche

It may be easier to just quickly search the internet for reviews on an app developer, but it’s not as beneficial as taking your time to really find out the specifics of their past work. Knowing what kind of experience an app developer has will help tremendously when you are making your final decision for hiring your mobile app developer.

Cost of App Development

Application Development Cost is one of the factors that you should consider while selecting a good app company. A word of advice: The cheapest isn’t always the greatest. Spending a few extra dollars for a reputable mobile application development company will deliver additional value in the long run. Sometimes that extra $10k you invest with a more experienced team will outweigh the risk.

Every business wants to save money. But where does the compromising end? With the development of an app for your business, please don’t compromise for the sake of costs. Hire an app company that will deliver in quality and success.

Consider Your Local App Development Options

Having a local app development studio or app developers has benefits for you and the company. For you, there is the benefit of proximity to your business (which helps when your schedule is tight, but you need to quickly meet with your development team). For your app team, a benefit for them can be the ease of visitation to your business. Evaluate them with the other tips we have provided. And if they check the right boxes, then seek out an initial discussion.

Why Gomeeki? 

The first thing that you should do now is to begin your research. One way you can start is by checking out our high-quality mobile application development services at Gomeeki. We are one of the top web and mobile app development company in Australia & Thailand with a vast portfolio of products and experience.

Brands We’ve Worked With

The post How to Hire Best Mobile App Development Company? appeared first on Gomeeki.

Great news! After months of brainstorming, designing, coding, testing, fixing and testing again, your app has launched and is ready to go. You were approved to put your app in the Google Play Store and the App Store, and you have seen a good response to it so far in the first few weeks after its release. 

Over time, unless your app hits it big right from the get-go, you may start to see the download rates of your app start to slow down, sometimes even declining. When this happens, many app owners may decide to try to get creative when it comes to marketing their app, and this is a good idea.

In addition to the traditional marketing methods such as running digital advertising, one viable option to drive more views too, and hopefully downloads of your app would be to use the power of word-of-mouth. Oftentimes, the best piece of marketing any product can receive is a referral from someone who loves your product.

That’s why many app producers have explored the option of an in-app referral program to increase downloads by incentivizing current users to recommend the app to their friends, families and online connections. 

But how do in-app referral programs work?

In-App Referral Programs Rely on Incentives

Unlike a traditional marketing or advertising campaign, an in-app referral program relies on current users recommending your app to other people they think might enjoy your app. This is what makes an in-app referral program so great. You won’t be marketing directly to new people who may be unfamiliar with your app. 

Instead, you will be marketing your app to your current users and asking them to do the work for you. This is a very simple thing for app owners to do since they very likely have already gathered some information on their current users, in this case, most importantly their email address.

To market the in-app referral program to current users, you can start with an email marketing or push notification campaign to your current users educating them about the program and asking them to participate. The question you might ask is, “Why would my current customers want to participate?” 

The answer is that you will be incentivizing them to do so. Many apps incentivize current users to participate in their in-app referral programs by giving both the current user plus the user they refer a credit to use toward their services. For example, a food delivery app may give a current user $20 for referring a new user to the app, and also give that new user $10 to use on their first order.

Incentives such as these make it a no-brainer for current users to participate in the referral program, and it also provides new users with an attractive incentive to try your app. Even if you don’t operate a food delivery app, for example, you can still provide current and new users with incentives for in-app purchases and other items relevant to your specific app.

The in-app referral program also makes it easy for you to predict what your marketing costs will be – simply the total amount of the incentive on both ends. These costs are also often much lower than other digital marketing options and often result in getting you more highly-engaged and highly-active users than those other marketing options.

When to Market Your In-App Referral Program

With the benefits of an in-app referral program so great, and the cost of running one so affordable, you may be tempted to launch one as soon as possible. This is not always the best idea, though. 

When your app first launches, you may be providing incentives for new users to try your app anyway. Back to the food delivery app example, you may be offering free delivery on the first order to the first 1,000 people who download and use your app. Adding another incentive on top of that to people who may already want to try your app wouldn’t do you much good then. It will only cost you money.

The most successful in-app referral programs rely heavily on the most loyal and engaged customers serving as the champions of your app to other people. Beginning an in-app referral program too early won’t give you time to acquire and turn users into loyal repeat customers. Plus, unless you have a large list of customers and their email addresses already, the impact of the email marketing for your in-app referral program won’t be as good as it can be down the line.

At the same time, you need to make sure that you constantly monitor the download and usage activity on your app. Launching an in-app referral program too late – when a large number of your once loyal customers stop using your app, for example – could be detrimental, too. That’s why timing is so crucial when launching an in-app referral program.

Once you’ve initially launched your in-app referral program, you can remind your users on a semi-regular basis through follow up email marketing or push notifications campaigns to keep them engaged in case you missed them the first time. 

Bottom Line:

In-app referral programs are a great way to drive engagement and acquire new users, but they often require the assistance of an experienced mobile app company to optimize perfectly. Gomeeki is one of the top mobile app companies that can help you design and launch your in-app referral program in just the right way, at just the right time. 

Brands We’ve Worked With

The post How to Implement an In-App Referral Program for Your App appeared first on Gomeeki.

Gamification is a key decider in the success of any mobile app. The regularity of your user’s interaction with your app determines how well-built it is. However, getting your customers to engage with your app regularly is not so straightforward, as users nowadays, especially millennials, have a low attention span, and they tend to lose interest easily,  It is not enough that your app brings value to the customer, it will be abandoned if the user does not find it interesting enough. This is where gamification can help you out. Gamifying apps is a strategy that has been proven to help motivate users to engage with an app more often. It keeps them interested and excited. 

Gamification Ideas: A fitness training app that allows users to share their weight loss statistics on social media with friends. This strategy serves as an incentive for the user to engage with that app more, as they would be motivated to share success stories with friends, or even compete with them by swapping scores. The strenuous process of getting fit becomes fun. This is how gamification works!

Now, what is the best way to gamify your app to boost customer engagement? There are a lot of ideas, and some of them are niche-specific, but for the purpose of this article, we have compiled a list of seven gamification ideas with brief explanations for your perusal.

Gamification Marketing Ideas 

Digital Scavenger Hunt

The idea behind this is simple. Say, you own a mobile app for an online/physical store, you can start a contest by hiding a product within the app and telling customers to look for that product. You could offer a product discount for whoever finds it. This strategy is sure to get a lot of users clicking away on your app, as everyone struggles to be the one to get the discount.  Because if you run these sort of campaigns at regular intervals, it will increase your customer engagement substantial, as your users will get into the habit of scrolling through the app, looking for something or the other.

Customer Loyalty Rewards 

This basically suggests that you keep track of the customers that are engaging with your gamified app the most, and encourage them by occasionally giving out loyalty rewards. The form that these rewards would take would depend on what your app is about, but it should be something related to your business.

Polls

This is another great way to get customers to engage with your app. When you run polls on topics related to your app occasionally, users are bound to check them out, out of a willingness to participate or out of curiosity about the opinions of other people. For example, a soccer app runs a poll comparing two famous players, soccer lovers are bound to flock to the app to vote or check out what people are saying about the polls.

Interactive Troubleshooting

A sure-fire way to lose a customer’s interest in your app is by making your troubleshooting section difficult to understand. You could make a fun, interactive quiz session to identify the customer’s problem and guide them through a solution.

Loyalty recognition

This is not the same as loyalty rewards, although they are similar. While loyalty rewards are targeted at giving loyal customers gifts, loyalty recognition comes in a different, more competitive form. You could set up a leader-board on your app, listing the most loyal users by rankings or points. This acts as an incentive for the most active customers, and they struggle to stay atop of other users. It’s great to have new users, but keeping the old ones happy is even more important.

Flash Sales

Running flash Sales at regular, unannounced intervals will also help you to improve customer engagement. 

Ideas for Social Media Engagement

Best way to improve customer engagement within your gamified app is a link up with social media. Most importantly make it possible for users to share data from your app to their social media, and conversely, you should also run social media accounts to promote your app. Most people that have a smartphone to run your app will have social media accounts, and so, integrating both platforms is bound to increase customer engagement.

Looking to build a gamified version of your app to improve customer engagement? Gomeeki has mobile solutions that you need. Our team of mobile app developers is wonderfully knowledgeable about gamified apps. We are quite certain that we can find a strategic match for you. A great example of a properly gamified or Fan engagement app is the FanTribe app that we built for modern sports fans.  

Brands We’ve Worked With

Looking for Gamification Companies in Australia? 

Talk to us today, and let us help you find your own fit!

The post Best Gamification Ideas & Examples for Business appeared first on Gomeeki.

Why Return On Ad Spend Is Important? Most businesses today recognize the value of digital marketing. In just a few short years, digital marketing has gone from an interesting idea, to a cool option, to a necessary add-on, to an absolute necessity. In fact, digital marketing makes up the majority of most businesses’ ad spend dollars, or at the very least, it’s the focal point of their overall plan.

When digital advertising first began, there were only a few models – either CPM (Cost-per-Mille) or CPC (Cost-per-Click) that charged an advertiser based on the number of instances the ad was served or by the number of times a user clicked on the ad. That was then, though, when about the only digital marketing offered was banner display ads.

Since then, the digital landscape has changed quite dramatically, and pricing models of digital advertising have changed as a result, as offerings have expanded to drive different sorts of engagements. Today, in addition to CPM, other digital advertising pricing models include CPA (Cost-per-Action) and CPI (Cost-per-Install).

But what is the best digital advertising model that drives the highest return on ad spend? The answer, of course, is it depends on what action and engagement you are trying to encourage through your digital ad campaign.

What is Return on Ad Spend?

Before we can dive into the three types of pricing models, it’s important to first understand exactly what Return on ad spend (or ROAS) is. It’s a very simple metric, actually, that advertisers can use to determine the value they’re getting out of their digital marketing campaigns.

The beauty of digital marketing is everything can be tracked, and as such, it’s very simple to perform a calculation that spits out a solid measurement to assess the campaign’s performance.

To calculate your ROAS, all you need to do is take the revenue you received from the ad and then divide that by the cost of your ad. For example, if you spent $1,000 on advertising, and your campaign netted $2,000 in revenue from it, your ROAS would be 2:1 or 200 percent. In other words, for every $1 you spent in advertising, you earned back $2 in revenue. That would be a pretty solid return.

Now that we know what ROAS is, let’s take a look at the different digital pricing models to see if one stands out among the others in terms of driving a higher ROAS.

Cost-per-Mille (CPM)

The CPM model is the original model for digital advertising. It was designed for banner advertising, and because of that, it’s a way businesses traditionally look to increase brand awareness. It’s very similar, in fact, to the model of a physical billboard.

Under the CPM model, the advertiser is charged for every 1,000 times the ad is served to visitors of a site. In this model, it doesn’t matter how many (or how few times) a person actually interacts with the ad. The pricing is only based on how many times the ad is served.

The CPM model is great because it allows for scalability on a very large scale. It’s easy to just buy more impressions and pay for those impressions at the same CPM rate. Advertisers that create a very engaging creative for that ad can get an excellent ROAS on the CPM model, because the cost of the ad does not increase as more people interact with it. On the flip side, though, CPM doesn’t guarantee any results at all, since it’s based just on how many times the ad is served.

CPM is great for mobile advertising, because mobile’s ability to offer rich media capabilities can drive engagement and, therefore, drive the cost-per-engagement much lower than other models. If you are after impressions and branding your company to a wide audience, then the CPM model is a great way to boost your ROAS.

Cost-per-Install (CPI)

The CPI pricing model is a newer digital advertising model, since it is only possible because of the advent of easy accessibility to apps and other digital downloads. Under this model, a business is charged every time a particular application is installed by a visitor who clicks on the ad.

Under this scenario, the digital advertisement would look to influence visitors to download a mobile application, and when they click on the advertisement, it would redirect their device to automatically download the app.

CPI, then, is very simply calculated by diving the cost by the number of installations. Because this is such a highly-specific engagement that businesses are driving through this advertising, the cost per install can be quite high.

On one hand, that cost may be off-set by the fact that the business knows that just about everyone who clicks on the ad will actually be downloading and using the app. On the flip side, the CPI model only emphasizes the number of app installs and nothing else. The business, in this model, doesn’t have control over any other actionable steps the visitor takes.

Cost-per-Action (CPA)

The third model charges an advertiser for a specified action the visitor takes. This action takes place after the ad is served, and after the visitor clicks on the ad. These actions could be an install of an app, an in-app sale, the submission of a form and other actions.  A lot of businesses prefer the CPA model because it allows them to have the assurance that what they are paying for results in an engagement they can measure.

On the one hand, the Cost per action model is great for the advertiser because it allows them to know exactly how much they are going to pay for each action before the action even happens. At the same time, the advertiser isn’t able to track what their consumers do beyond that action, and they may not be able to reach a large number of potential customers like a CPM model would. In essence, a CPA model emphasizes that final step of the visitor’s journey and nothing before and/or after it.

What drives Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)?

Ultimately, what drives the best return on ad spend depends largely on the action or actions you are trying to encourage with your digital advertising. It is extremely important to fully grasp what it is you’re trying to accomplish before choosing a pricing model. By doing so, you’ll be ensuring yourself a much higher ROAS.

Bottom line: Partnering with a professional, experienced app development company can help you get the most out of your mobile app. Gomeeki is that company that can make your mobile app experience the best as possible.

Why not see what our customers are saying about us and how we approach your project:

Our fast growing team of 40+ mobile app developers have experience across responsive websites, system integration, cloud technologies, iphone app development, Android app development & native app development.

The post Return on Ad Spend: CPA vs CPM vs CPI – What’s the Best Model? appeared first on Gomeeki.

Questions and more questions. If you are new to the app development world, you probably have an endless amount of questions. This is good! Having a bunch of questions means you are wanting to produce a top-quality app by doing it right the first time and you are wanting to be a part of the development process. One subject you probably have questions about is building a business plan for your mobile app.

Building a business plan for app is a necessary and important part of app development. In your line of work, you may have already developed business plans for different aspects of your business. However, whether you are already comfortable or unsure about business plan development, you probably still have questions about an app’s business plan.

Let’s get you started by delving into 4 questions that will help you build a business plan for app.

Why do you want to develop a mobile app?

Behind every action you take, you have a motivation or reason. Therefore, you need to ask yourself why you are wanting to develop an app. Is it a completely profit-based reason? Are your customers expressing the need for an app? You need to decide why you are developing this app and why people will download it. Once you know your motivation for building the app and the motivation behind users downloading the app, you are ready to proceed to the next step in building a business plan for your mobile app.

How will you prove the need for your app?

Justifying the app is a big part of your app’s business plan. Think about it: If you are going to spend thousands of dollars on an app, you will want to make sure it is the type of app that will be successful in your target audience. You won’t want all your hard work and money to go down the drain! So, here are a few ways you can research and prove there is a need for your app:

Ads and Trends: Within the Google “universe,” there are elements that will help you before you even start developing your app. A great place to start is playing around with Google ads to see how much of a response you get from potential users. Then, check out the Google trends feature by typing in keywords that are related to your app. For example, type in “sports scores app” in the Google search bar to get an idea of how many apps are out there that will be in competition with yours.

Evaluate Competition: Continuing from the previous step, find and review any apps that can be considered competition for your app. Find out what makes that app successful, it’s rank (stars) in overall performance, what people are saying they like and don’t like about the app, and so on. Once you have full evaluations on your competitors, you can move forward, armed with valuable market knowledge.

Surveys: At this point, you are probably still unsure about what your target audience will respond well to. Most of, if not all, your doubts can be put to rest by sending out questionnaires or surveys to potential users. Find out what elements they would like to see in your app and what they don’t want to see. Cast a broad net, meaning survey a diverse group of people from different geographical locations, cultural backgrounds, etc. This will ensure receiving the most variety and “real” data.

Now that you have utilized different methods to evaluate the market and the need for your app, you are ready to move forward in building your app’s business plan!

What about your app’s marketing plan?

In the previous section, we discussed ways to justify the need for your app. All of those ways involved marketplaces in some way or another. Therefore, this section just builds on the previous. Here are a few elements to incorporate into your marketing plan:

USP: Your USP (unique selling proposition) needs to be relevant, current, and appealing to potential users. Make your app’s proposition creative and highlight what makes your app better than all the others on the market. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn! After all, you have a great app and you want users to know it!

Marketing Channels: Social media, search engines, and digital advertising become your best friends when marketing your app (pre-launch and post-launch). Getting your app out into the digital universe will not only reach the greatest amount of users all around the world but will also create your best line of profit! Use any method you possibly can to showcase your online presence and promote your app.

Marketing is considered a “fun” element of app development because you get to put your creativity to the test. If you aren’t the creative type, hire a marketing team that specializes in app marketing and let them show off their proven tricks of the trade!

What about your app’s financial plan?

Every business plan would not be complete without a financial plan. As mentioned earlier, app development isn’t a cheap venture. Therefore, you need to evaluate certain elements to make sure your app will be successful and turn a profit.

CAC: Customer acquisition cost (CAC) refers to the monetary cost of each user’s download of your app. Research other app’s CAC and find a middle ground. Work that average CAC into your financial plan.

CLV: Customer lifetime value (CLV) refers to the amount of money a customer spends in your app over his or her lifetime. Data monitoring software will give you the best picture of what your CLV is after your app has launched. Until then, look at established apps that are the most similar to yours. Find out what their CLV is and use that as a starting point for developing your financial plan.

Monetization: It isn’t a secret that apps offered on the marketplace for free are the ones most downloaded. So, how do these apps make a profit if they are free to download? There are a few ways, but the most common are subscriptions, in-app advertising, and in-app purchases.

Here’s the list:

• Subscriptions are apps that require a paid subscription to unlock elements in the app. For example, CBS has a free app where you can stream this week’s shows. However, if you want to view episodes from a show’s previous season, you will need the “All Access” pass (a monthly subscription program).
  
• In-App Advertising is what you see when you are using a free app and an ad pops up on the screen or scrolls across the top or bottom of the screen. Teaming up with other businesses by displaying their ads in your app for a price is a quick and easy way to get started with your income flow.
  
• In-App Purchases is exactly what it sounds like. Your profits will come from users buying products directly through your app. Having an easy in-app purchase system will encourage repeat purchases and build loyalty among users.

Finances are a big part of any business. Your app’s business plan isn’t complete without a financial plan. Take your time when developing your financial plan. Be thorough and seek outside help and support when you need it.

Why Gomeeki?

Building your app’s business plan is a necessary process, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring or cumbersome. It is safe to say that motivation and enthusiasm are requirements in app development. At Gomeeki, each and every person is both motivated and enthusiastic! We are excited to meet you and work with you while development of app, marketing, launching, and monitoring your mobile app. We offer tailored business plans based on our clients’ needs and goals. 

Brands We’ve Worked With

Contact us today and let’s begin this incredible journey together!

The post How To Build A Business Plan For Your Mobile App appeared first on Gomeeki.

Creating an app requires time, effort, and money. As a business person, you want to eventually make a profit from the app you are spending thousands of dollars to create. For this reason, it is common knowledge that every app owner wants to make money from their app. Whether it is money coming directly to you, your company, or a charity, it is still some sort of revenue. There are many ways to increase your app’s revenue based upon your app type and target audiences.

#1 – Customer Loyalty Program

All customer loyalty programs have a common goal: Increase the number of repeat users. You want your customers to use your app on a regular basis; becoming a part of their daily routines. Customer loyalty programs, such as reward points that can be redeemed for free merchandise or discounts, are perfect for increasing customer loyalty and mobile app spending. Reward your loyal customers by giving them special discounts on in-app purchases. Offer double reward points on their first in-app purchase. These are just two of the many ways you can increase your customer’s mobile app spending activity.

#2 – Customer Behavior

If you want to get ahead in the mobile app spending competition, you need to see where your customers are spending the majority of their time while using your app. Monitoring their behavior will give you a sense of what areas you can target and use to your advantage. For example, you may have a user that searches for a particular item in your app to purchase, but never completes the purchase. That customer may have second thoughts about the price, or the product may not be exactly what the user is looking for. Either way, a purchase isn’t made. So, send advertisements or push notifications that specifically pertain to this user’s interests (using the user’s search history as a guide). Knowing what your customers want out of your app but aren’t getting is the first step to correcting the problem. Once the problem is fixed, your chances of future app spending by the user soar.

#3 – Feedback

Encouraging feedback from users is always a positive element to incorporate into your app. All users want to voice their concerns or praises about the app. Many users will offer suggestions for future updates to the app. These updates may include advanced features, different products to purchase, or a loyalty program incentive. Taking your users’ feedback and developing updates for your app to accommodate some suggestions will show your users that you are listening and respect their opinions. When their suggestions are heard and made into reality, they are ten times more likely to invest in your app through in-app spending!

#4 – Branding

Branding is so important for mobile apps and should never be taken lightly. Developing a brand and name that customers know they can trust, with regards to quality and security, is a key component to increasing mobile app spending. You need to show your customers that your app’s security is top-notch by providing security features, such as fingerprint scanning or multi-step passwords. You can also prove your credibility by posting reviews from other customers (good and bad). Being transparent and becoming a trusted brand in your physical and online communities will pay off in the long run. It may take time, but having customers know yours is a trusted brand is a reward worth working towards.

#5 – Promote

Promoting your app before, during, and after launch is essential when increasing your in-app spending. If you have an ad (and direct link) on your website showcasing your company’s free mobile app, you will get many more users than you would without the ad. In the same way, social media platforms can be powerful marketing venues. Posting ads or incentives for downloading your app on social media increase the number of downloads, which will (hopefully) increase customer mobile app spending. Whether it is on paper, billboards, websites, or social media, promote your app to any and all users you can!

#6 – Push Notifications

Push notifications can be your app’s greatest ally or its worst enemy. They can be extremely useful when notifying users of events, sales, etc., which in turn, increase app spending. However, if they aren’t used properly and end up annoying your users, push notifications become your app’s downfall. Learn when to use push notifications and what to say in them. Do your research on what push notifications appeal to your target audiences and how frequently you should send them out. You can also run beta tests with a small group of your users to determine what sentence structure/format receives more clicks, as well as what time of day the notifications receive the most hits. Take into account users’ product preferences, location (geographically), and feedback when developing your push notifications. Again, if used properly, push notifications can increase your mobile app spending exponentially.

#7 – Mix Strategies

Don’t be afraid to mix up your approaches to increasing mobile app spending. Not all apps and their target audiences are best suited for customer loyalty programs. For those, push notifications may be the best fit. There is no shame in trying a strategy out and finding it doesn’t work for your app and your users. Switch it out for a different strategy and keep trying until your find the one that works the best for you. The worst thing you can do is give up when one or two strategies don’t work. Running a successful mobile app isn’t easy and is ever changing. Keep trying until your app is deemed a success!

While none of these are a guarantee of success, they are the strategies that tend to work the best for apps wanting to increase customer mobile app spending. Don’t know which one to start with? Seek the advice of people who know their way around the app market. Giving your app its best chance at success must include the input of others who are experts in their fields. When you have the right app team assembled for your app’s development, launch, and maintenance, you will be ready to market your app and see the revenue begin pouring in.

About Us

Gomeeki is an app development company that offers professionals from all walks of life. Each of our team members bring a variety of ideas and expertise in a wide range of fields, including app development, launching, maintenance, and marketing. 

Our fast growing team of 40+ mobile app developers have experience across responsive websites, system integration, cloud technologies, iphone app development, Android app development & native app development. Contact us today and we will open your app to a world of possibilities.

The post How to Increase Customer Mobile App Spending appeared first on Gomeeki.

Step 1 – Strive for Quantity and Consistency

Becoming a high-ranking mobile app isn’t easy, but it is doable. To begin, research the number of downloads other apps in your app’s category have. Tip: Free downloads will absolutely be topping the ranking charts, so keep your app free. The top free apps have anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 (and up) downloads. These may seem like intimidating numbers, but when you have the right ingredients for your app, they are most certainly attainable!

Consistency is another part of this first step to increase your app downloads and improve mobile rankings. When you launch a mobile app, you want to see a surge in downloads. However, it is also prudent to remember that after your launch period, you need to make sure that you have a steady stream of downloads that continues no matter how much time has passed since the app’s launch. Strive for consistency.

Step 2 – Ask for User Reviews

All users want their voices to be heard when they have a complaint or compliment about the apps they are using. Give your users the opportunity to voice their opinions by encouraging reviews. Send them notifications or prompts reminding them they are welcome to review your app within the app store. Provide a direct link that will take them to the app store so they can leave their reviews. Also, provide links to popular social media platforms (such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) so they can share their reviews with friends.

Plan out when the notifications to review your app are sent. Don’t bombard your users with a message every 30 seconds to review your app. A reminder after they reach a certain amount of active app time (like 1 hour of activity) is more reasonable and will encourage positive reviews rather than negative ones. Additionally, try adding a contest or incentive to your review process. For example, let users know that if they take the time to review your app, they will automatically be entered into drawings for free gear, cash, or gift cards. Everybody loves free stuff, so go ahead and use that to your advantage.

Step 3 – Have a Clear Icon

Sifting through 20 or more apps trying to find your app will be frustrating to all your app users. However, having a clear app icon that is easily recognizable will eliminate those frustrations. For example, can you recall a time when you didn’t know what the lowercase “f” in white font and on a blue background stood for? We can’t either. Icons like Facebook’s “f” and Amazon’s “A” are clear and easily recognizable. Make sure your icon doesn’t leave users wondering which app it belongs to. Make your design simple, but iconic (pun intended)!

Step 4 – Use Other Platforms

We always encourage app creators to use a variety of platforms to promote your app. For example, you can reach hundreds, thousands, or even millions more users by promoting your app on Facebook, rather than just on your website. Even further, utilizing your website, Facebook, AND Twitter to promote your app and encourage downloads will reach even more users. Don’t be afraid to spread your reach by promoting your app on many different platforms. Just be sure that when you update one platform’s content with app news, contests, etc., you update all of them. Organization and careful planning are key in making multi-platform marketing successful!

Step 5 – Keep Updating

Every single app ever made needs updates at some point. Whether it is one day after launch or one month after launch, problems will arise, and it is your responsibility to update the app to fix those problems. Technological bugs will always find their way into your app, so releasing updates to fix them is key to keeping your app users happy and positive reviews coming in. Also, releasing updates periodically with a new feature (perhaps a feature suggested by your users) is a great way to get more downloads and improve your ratings. You need to keep your users interested and willing to spend a lot of time interacting with your app. So, keep improving and updating your app when needed to encourage positive user interactions!

Step 6 – Utilize Screenshots

Before users even download your app, they want to see previews of what the app looks like and the features it offers. Uploading screenshots of the app’s design and features to your download’s description in the app store will intrigue and encourage more downloads. Screenshots also give the sense of professionalism and consideration on your side because you took the time to showcase your app by uploading screenshots. Don’t be afraid to boast your app’s design and features through utilizing screenshots!

Step 7 – Promote Your App

This may seem like a common-sense step, but you would be surprised how often it is considered a “back burner” item. Promoting your app should always be forefront in your mind (pre-launch, launch, and post-launch). Promoting and marketing your app will be your greatest ally. Take the time to meet with marketing professionals and develop a marketing strategy that best suits your app’s goals. Marketing professionals will bring promotion ideas that you may not have thought of, and vice-versa. Developing a marketing strategy will ensure your app’s success in downloads and rankings. So, get out there and promote like crazy!

Making sure your app is a smashing success is a multi-step process. It can be expensive and time-consuming. However, with these 7 steps, you give your app its best chance for downloads and improved mobile app rankings. Evaluate your app (even if your app is currently on the market) and make sure these 7 steps are a part of your app’s development and marketing plans. You will be (or have already) spending time, money, and effort to make your app a success. So, don’t short-change yourself by skipping over steps, like these, that may seem unimportant in the “big picture” of your app.

Why Gomeeki?

At Gomeeki, we are committed to ensuring your app’s success. We understand the importance of the number of app downloads, as well as positive mobile app rankings. We will help you every step of the way during the development, launch, and maintenance of your app. We are here to offer you an app development process that is proven to be successful. 

Why not see what our customers are saying about us and how we approach your project:

Our fast growing team of 40+ mobile app developers have experience across responsive websites, system integration, cloud technologies, iphone app development, Android app development & native app development.

The post How To Increase App Downloads and Improve Mobile App Rankings appeared first on Gomeeki.

When beginning the journey to app development and launch, you are often confronted with the fear of app failure. Will all this time and money that goes into app development be worth it? If you know the reasons why apps fail and how to avoid them, the answer is yes – it is totally worth it! So, let’s take a look at the top 10 reasons apps fail and how to avoid them:

Reason #1: Lack of Market

If you have an app that is deemed common on the app market (meaning there are many apps just like it on the market), then your app won’t be in high demand and will surely fail. To avoid this, make sure you have an app that is useful to your target audience and is unique in appearance and function.

Reason #2: Lack of App Development Strategy

When you work on any project without a strategy and end-goal, you are taking huge unnecessary risks. Knowing what you would like your app to do and where you envision your app being in the future (in terms of downloads, customer loyalty, etc.) can help save a lot of development time. To avoid this easily fixed problem, make sure you know what you want the app to look like and where you want it to be in the near future before you meet with your development team. Then, have the development team pitch in ideas on how to reach your goals.

Reason #3: Lack of Analysis

App management at any given time will involve analysis. However, many people make the mistake of doing a poor job of analyzing their competition even before the app development process begins. To avoid this egregious mistake, enlist the help of specialized analysts who will provide a detailed and thorough analysis of your app’s competition. Knowing your competition will put your app above them and ensure its success for years to come.

Reason #4: Lack of Attractiveness

An app’s great design could be the missing link when looking at an app’s success or failure. If your app’s design is too plain, or even too busy, users will uninstall your app and move on. To avoid this, find the right balance between efficiency and visual attractiveness. Once you do, your app will be well on its way to success.

Reason #5: Lack of Target Audience Elements

If you are developing an app for an older generation who did not grow up using electronic devices, presenting an app that is complicated to use and visually overstimulating will deter that target audience from using your app. To avoid this, do extensive research on what your target audience is looking for in an app. Knowing their thoughts and needs will help your app reach its fullest potential.

Reason #6: Speed Issues

One of the most frustrating issues for mobile app users is a slow app speed. When your app is full of bugs and/or unnecessary graphics, you are setting yourself up for a slow app that will discourage users. To avoid this, make sure your app runs quickly and smoothly by monitoring your app’s performance and fixing any issues that come up in a timely manner.

Reason #7: Lack of Cross-Platforms

Although creating an app for one specific platform (like iOS or Android) saves time and money, it doesn’t help in your app’s overall success. To avoid this potential reason for failure, take the time and spend the money to develop your app on many platforms. Reaching the greatest amount of users will tremendously increase your app’s likelihood for success.

Reason #8: Lack of App Testing

Beta tests are an essential part of app development. If you build an app and skip the testing phase (with a small target audience), you run the risk of technical issues that could have been avoided if you had only tested the app before releasing it. So, to avoid this issue, run thorough tests on your app and make corrections as needed before your app’s official release.

Reason #9: Lack of Marketing Strategy

Having a marketing strategy is just as important as having a development strategy. You need to know how you will advertise your app so it will have its best chance at success. To avoid this mistake, confer with an app marketing professional and develop a marketing strategy that fits your app’s goals and target audience(s).

Reason #10: Lack of Monetary Strategy

The final strategy most people overlook is a monetary strategy. This is a strategy that highlights your use of funds for advertisements, such as Facebook ads and Google ads. It is important to work within the lines of a budget and know which ads will be well worth the money spent. The ads that will benefit you the most are the ones that are going to reach the majority, if not all, of your target audience. So, to avoid this reason for app failure, create a budget with your marketing and/or development team that suits your app’s goals and needs for success.

When you are developing an app, so many questions and fears will arise, especially for first-time app creators. Apps can fail or succeed based on how well you confront these common problems. The goal of every app developer is success. This guide to avoiding common app failure reasons will hopefully help you in your app’s development process. With the right tools and knowledge, app success is achievable!

The post The Top 10 Reasons Why Apps Fail & How To Avoid Them appeared first on Gomeeki.