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Building an app is a fantastic experience, since many people will use it—and maybe even rely on it for daily activities. However, to make it take off, you need to publish it in the app stores and attract the right audience.

Have you ever imagined how many apps exist in Apple and Google stores? There are apps with all kinds of features, for every segment and audience. What differentiates one from another in this huge market is, basically, visibility compared to competitors.

For that to happen, you need to increase downloads and attract the largest possible audience to access your app. Through testing, your company has a better chance of retaining customers.

To promote your app, you can use every marketing tool available: word of mouth, a website, social media promotion—anything goes.

However… these channels can generate some results, but deep down they are nothing compared to ASO when it comes to getting your app discovered in the stores.

Remember this acronym—you’ll need it. Even if your app is high quality, without ASO it can go unnoticed inside app stores.

What is ASO—and how do you use it to get your app found in the stores?

ASO is the acronym for App Store Optimization, used for studies and best practices to optimize search results in app stores such as the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Because stores offer many apps with similar functions, app stores developed their own mechanisms to select the most relevant results for users. It works like Google’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization), but focused specifically on the world of apps.

To publish your app in the stores and be found by your potential audience through search, you need to pay attention to a few basics. We’ll list the most fundamental ones below to get you started:

App icon and name

When a user searches for an app, the first things that catch their attention are the icon and the app name.

So if you want to publish your app in the stores and improve visibility, be creative in design and produce something attractive, unique, and innovative.

Note that when an app goes to the store, the platform will automatically reduce the icon size to fit the standard. Therefore, design an icon that keeps its look even after being reduced.

The same applies when choosing a name for your app. Try to convey what it actually does for users.

Having an attractive icon (and a suggestive name) motivates people to be curious and explore your product inside the stores.

The more your target audience is interested in what you offer, the higher the chance of downloads after your app is published.

Keywords

To be found in the stores, you need to use keywords in your description, since they can generate more results—both on Google and inside app stores.

When choosing keywords, think about how users would search for them. Make a list of words you believe could be used. Don’t worry about what you write down, since this is just a brainstorming exercise.

This stage is important to understand, for example, how users might type your product name in app stores. If it’s a name that’s very difficult to spell, that can become a bottleneck.

There are specific tools that help identify keywords for your app—including free ones—such as SearchMan, Sensor Tower and Mobile Actions.

Each tool has its own metrics, and it’s up to you to evaluate and decide which one best supports your ASO strategy.

Description

The description is your opportunity to show what your app can offer to customers.

In app stores, descriptions don’t appear in full to the user, and usually only the first three lines are visible. So to drive conversion and make the user click “more,” your first lines need to be compelling and relevant.

When the user clicks “more,” they’ll see the complete app description. As you present all app features, remember to use the keywords you previously selected.

The description is not static—it evolves as the app is updated.

It’s worth remembering that to have an app, you first need to build it and go through many stages until you reach what the customer wants. It’s not a simple task!

That’s why you can count on X-Apps. We have the know‑how to build what you need with agility, efficiency, and aligned with your business concept. Talk to us!