Why You Should Pre-Optimize Your App

February 2nd, 2019

by David Bell

CEO at Gummicube, Inc.

When is the best time to optimize your app? While some developers may wait until after an app launches to see where their App Store Optimization needs to improve, it may be a wiser choice to optimize ahead of time. Pre-optimizing an app can help you start off strong from the moment you launch.

What is Pre-Optimization?

Pre-Optimization is the process of preparing an app for its launch by following the App Store Optimization best practices. This means researching keywords, competitors and creatives before the app’s launch and determining what variants of the app’s creatives work best. It also requires writing a description for the app that follows ASO best practices and guidelines for each store, properly utilizing the keywords you’ve determined. By pre-optimizing, you can make sure your app is set to start picking up keywords and converting users upon its launch.

Why Pre-Optimize?

App Store Optimization is an iterative process. Each new version of an app store listing builds upon the success and data from the previous iterations, strengthening what works and avoiding that which doesn’t.

With that in mind, it’s important to start strong from the app’s very launch. A pre-optimized app will already have well-tested creatives that appeal to users and a focus on the keywords it’s targeting both in its keyword bank and description.

Think of it as running a race. Apps that are pre-optimized have studied the course, stretched ahead of time, and ate a healthy meal in preparation. Apps that have not pre-optimized are still buying running shoes. Even if they start at the same time, the pre-optimized app is more prepared and can get a head start on the competition as a result.

After a pre-optimized app’s launch, you’ll be able to gather data from an already strong position. The later versions will be building upon a solid foundation that’s already built relevancy to rank for important keywords. A non-optimized app may have to rebuild their creatives, descriptions and keyword bank from scratch when they begin to optimize.

In short, pre-optimizing the app saves valuable time by starting off with a strong app store listing and provides a solid start for the app when it launches.

How Do I Pre-Optimize?

The first step to pre-optimizing is the same as for optimizing after the app’s launch: research and testing. This includes:

Research the relevant and high-volume keywords
Research what your competitors are doing and see what’s working
Test different variants of your creatives and see what appeals to focus groups
Research the market and determine what demographics and needs your app will target

Understanding the market and best practices is essential for a well-optimized app, whether it’s pre-optimizing or has been on the App Store since the beginning. When you have a solid understanding of what your ASO strategy should be, you can begin implementing it.

Design creatives for the app based off what the testing and competitor analysis determined works best. Write descriptions for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store that follow best practices and utilize the keywords. You can also soft launch your app to test its ASO before launching it in your target region.

The more information you have before launch, the better your pre-optimization will be.

Overall

Pre-optimizing your app helps you start off strong and build ASO momentum from launch. It helps you start with a solid ASO foundation to build on, rather than launching an unoptimized app then improving it over time.

Pre-optimizing does take time and research, but so does optimizing an app after it’s launched. It’s worth the effort it takes pre-launch to prepare an optimized app store listing. This helps ensure your app gets a strong launch and starts off on the right foot.

If your app is not optimized when it launches, you’ve already fallen behind.

Want more information regarding App Store Optimization? Contact Gummicube and we’ll help get your strategy started.

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