App Store Spotlight - Leap Day Mobile Game

August 22nd, 2022

by David Quinn

VP of Strategy & Partnerships at Gummicube, Inc.

“A New Level Every Day”

That’s Leap Day’s selling point – introducing a game that entices users into downloading by promising perpetual level additions coupled with simple yet entertaining arcade gameplay. With new monsters and obstacles at every jump, players will navigate through challenging routes as they climb towards the finish line.

Describing arcade games with straightforward gameplay can be tough. With a single premise and almost identical levels, developers need to find other avenues to convince potential users to download. Whether it be through attractive creatives, strong branding, or in-app rewards, there are a few routes publishers can take when trying to attract users. Leap Day does a good job of mentioning a differentiator, but are they overlooking some basic App Store Optimization (ASO) steps that can lead to more downloads? We’ll answer that question in today’s App Store Spotlight.

What is App Store Optimization (ASO)?

App Store Optimization is the process of modifying app metadata to position it as best as possible for keyword rankings and conversions. Different elements affect how an app ranks, from keywords that improve visibility to creatives that influence downloads, analyzing these can help developers better understand what adjustments to make to attract more users.

By incorporating best practices into our App Store Optimization strategy it is easier to resonate with our target audience, capture their attention – and as a result – improve the app conversion rate. Below, we’ll examine how Leap Day’s current metadata contributes to its performance and how it can improve.

Metadata - Leap Day App

The developers of Leap Day do a great job of highlighting their main value proposition: new levels added every day, forever. While this value proposition can undoubtedly retain users in the long term, it may not be the most effective message for attracting new players, especially if it is the only message being used to describe the app.

APP SUBTITLE

The app subtitle is a great area to briefly describe what the game has to offer prior to users reading the full description, and it's also a field where the app could gain visibility for keywords incorporated within it. Leap Day’s developers currently use this field to mention the appeal of their “new level every day” feature. Unfortunately, this neither describes gameplay nor grants Leap Day additional visibility.

While the developers can showcase the main differentiator, they may want to consider combining this selling point with some of the game’s core features by incorporating keywords researched using ASO technology. This will help the developers of Leap Day communicate their unique value proposition while potentially indexing for keywords users search for.

APP DESCRIPTION

The full description on iOS is a primarily conversion-centered field that provides 4000 characters to convince your target audience. Developers can include everything from core app features, update information, and calls to action in their full description. However, some developers treat the field as an extension of the subtitle – leaving plenty of room to include valuable information empty.

In Leap Day’s case, the developers do a great job communicating that their game offers a new unique level every day, but any more information about the app is lacking. By placing so much emphasis on new level inclusion, the developers skip out on explaining other features that users – especially new users–may find useful in making a decision as to whether or not to download.

Whether it be describing different monsters, collecting characters, or detailing the in-app experience, there are sure to be a number of gameplay-related characteristics that the publishers can capitalize on that would attract users. As a developer, think to yourself, “Have I provided readers enough information to convince a user to download?”

Creatives - Leap Day App

The app creative set is a great way to present a visual representation of the app features and its gameplay. Leap Day does a good job utilizing in-app imagery to represent the different levels in each image. The screenshot set also incorporates colorful characters as supplementary imagery and design elements.

However, if we want to follow optimal app store screenshot design practices, we can see there is some room for improvement. While the visual appeal of the image in a creative set is important, coupling it with relevant copy can amplify its effectiveness in attracting a user. Elements such as text banners, visible copy, and emphasized keywords all enhance the visual experience being presented when viewing screenshots.

Leap Day’s developers can consider including text within the creatives themselves to provide context or drive conversions. Combining copy that supports the visual elements of an image helps users relate each image to the in-app experience in a way that would otherwise not be apparent before a download.

Overall

Leap Day’s gameplay is straightforward. Jump onto the next platform while avoiding monsters along the way. This type of gameplay can even be hinted at with its title and icon. However, when thinking about how to promote your app, a title and icon are usually not enough to drive a download unless the app has strong brand awareness backing it.

Leap Day’s developers have given their app a colorful personality with unique retro-inspired levels that present characters of all shapes and sizes. Their current metadata accurately highlights one standout feature that serves as their main selling point, but it isn’t targeted at potential users.

Applying basic App Store Optimization practices is a great way to increase visibility on the app stores and provide your users with strong value propositions.

Want to learn more about App Store Optimization? Contact Gummicube and we’ll help get your strategy started.