Forced invites and timed shopping. This week in ASO news brings exciting highlights spanning user acquisition to innovations in shopping apps. From Lapse’s controversial marketing strategy to Yaysay’s limited-time retail experience, this article covers all you need to know for your weekly app marketing fix.
Lapse is a new photo-sharing app that invites you to live in the moment by providing a delayed photo processing feature that delivers your “developed” photos at random times later in the day. The concept is original, inspired by the analog cameras used decades ago to capture spontaneous moments and give users more time to enjoy experiences live. However, is their user acquisition one to boast about? It depends on who you ask.
Shooting up to #1 in the App Store’s Photo & Video category, the app’s cofounder Dan Silvertown describes their meteoric rise as follows:
“We are top of the charts because Lapse is resonating with young people, who are sharing millions of photos per day in our app. They are exhausted by existing photo-sharing apps and Lapse is a way for them to live in the moment and share memories pressure-free.”
Its developers credit the app’s growth as organic, but it’s hard to ignore one key element in its user acquisition strategy. You must invite friends to use the app before you can use it yourself. This tactic inevitably will lead to a higher volume of app page visits as sharing an app upon downloading isn’t the usual initial behavior users have, especially when they have zero experience or opinion formed yet.
User acquisition is at the core of ASO fundamentals and while Lapse’s strategy relates to in-app activity, it has proven effective at driving users to discover the app on the App Store. But ASO doesn’t stop at discovery. Once users land on your app listing, they should feel compelled to download, especially if their referrer hasn’t had the opportunity to explain what they like about your app or why you should use it. This is where effective conversion optimization comes into play.
You can increase your chances of achieving a download if your descriptions and creatives are optimized in a way that motivates users to dive into your app, highlighting key features, value propositions, and unique benefits. Although Lapse has seen unparalleled growth in a short period, it will want to ‘organically’ attract users by making sure its app store listing is doing its job as well.
Tired of endless options that overwhelm browsing clothing stores? Yaysay might just be for you. Each day you’re presented with a personal rack of items you might like. Simply tap the ones you’re interested in and Yaysay will give you a timer with 30 minutes to decide whether you want to buy it or not.
Looking to pioneer a new discovery-based shopping experience, Yaysay gives users the chance to purchase off-price items for popular brands and trendy products. This combination brings an innovative yet affordable purchasing experience to users tired of endlessly searching for new wardrobe additions.
Recently raising $10.3 million during their latest funding rounds, Yaysay is keen on making its mark by revolutionizing the way people find new products. However, even the most groundbreaking retailers can do with some App Store Optimization best practices for shopping apps.
Yaysay undoubtedly offers an exciting alternative to traditional apps. The e-commerce platform uses urgency to develop a model that makes the purchasing experience exciting and dynamic. Now it must focus on attracting the users needed to skyrocket its app towards the top of rankings.
By following ASO best practices through metadata and conversion optimization strategies they can increase their chances of positioning themselves as industry leaders and earn recognition as pioneers of discovery-based shopping. This includes incorporating relevant keywords, highlighting key features, and calling out their unique value proposition throughout their different app listing assets.
From an app that deploys divisive, but effective user acquisition strategies to one just starting off and looking to shake up the retail app space, virtually any app, regardless of how explosive (or not) their launch has been will benefit from ASO.
Both Lapse and Yaysay look to revolutionize their respective industries but should prioritize their App Store Optimization efforts if they want to take their growth to new heights.
For Lapse, being #1 in your category already offers a strong start, but that doesn’t last forever unless sustained by a solid app listing optimized for conversions. Acquiring users the way it has is effective for top-of-funnel objectives, but when it comes to downloading the app itself, a product page must adopt best practices that encourage users to download.
In Yaysay’s case, the app introduces an original way of shopping for products. However, their product page seemingly lacks a clear strategy when it comes to keyword optimization and value proposition prioritization. A good approach would be to analyze different niche competitors, study their keyword implementation, and incorporate terms relevant to Yaysay to begin to rank for the audience they intend to attract.
Want more ASO insights? Visit our Gummicube blog to learn the ins and outs of App Store Optimization!
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