Boost app downloads during the holiday season with these tips

With Halloween over and done with and November underway, it’s officially holiday season. In the US, everyone is already talking about Thanksgiving and that means, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas are all just around the corner.

Google says that the holiday season is a key driver of app downloads, with more new users during this period than any other time of year. As a new app development business opportunity owner, you’ll need to know how to capitalise on this trend.

Read on for a few of our essential tips to boost downloads between now and the end of December…

1. Get the basics right first

To give yourself the best chance of seasonal success, you need to do a quick audit and make sure that you have got the basics of app marketing right, so your creation stands out on the App Store or Google Play.

That means having an interesting, eye-catching and memorable icon, a concise yet catchy description, great screen shots and other supporting materials such as videos and good reviews. All of these will help to instil confidence and increase downloads.

2. Make your app useful

Depending on your customer and what your app does, you could update the app to make it particularly useful for the holiday season. A food store or artisan bakery could add Christmas recipes for example, while an app for a travel company might include a new tool to help make planning seasonal journeys less stressful. Apps for retailers could include seasonal discounts or perks such as free gift wrap or shipping. Making your app useful by considering what people actually need from you at this time of year can help to boost your download figures.

3. Consider ads

If you’re serious about ramping up installs this Christmas, consider a seasonal, holiday-themed advertising campaign such as a Google Apps Universal Apps campaign or display advertising. Making your app as visual as possible, perhaps with updated festive visuals (such as tinsel or a Santa hat superimposed on the standard app logo) is an easy way to improve your user count.

4. Have a plan to keep your seasonal users year around

Lots of apps downloaded for the holiday season get deleted after the tree comes down but this doesn’t have to be the case. If you have a retention plan in place for after the festive period, you stand a much better chance of a long term boost for your app. User in-app behaviour data to track what users do most often and where they bounce. This will help you tailor your approach and give you insight as to which areas of the app need a closer look.