How to Increase App Installs and Downloads? 15+ Strategies Revealed!

Mobile apps are now making each and every task easy, but on the downside, on the app stores, users will get multiple alternatives of each app. So, the problem is as soon as the users find an app irrelevant, they switch and it results in fluctuating number of app downloads and installs. But what’s the way out? Is it even possible to increase app downloads and installs?Well! The low number of app downloads/installs is a real concern! It is a struggle to get more app downloads and a bigger concern is to remain installed.

You can get app downloads and installs increased up to twice their current value with clever marketing. And users will remain glued to the app as well.

Eager to know how you can increase mobile app downloads? Check the following!

Mobile App Downloads and Installs – Amazing Facts

Why Does The Number of App Downloads and Installs Drop?

We attempted to discover the prime causes of low app downloads and installs. Check what is the problem you are facing and let’s fix that to boost app downloads.

App Quality

No matter how wonderful features your app has, the users will refrain from installing it if the features seem irrelevant. So, on the install page itself, your app needs to be appealing enough to increase mobile app downloads.

Keyword Shifts

Another possible reason behind low app download can be keyword shifts. It is a common problem where the keywords you optimize in your app for in PlayStore and AppStore lose their value.

As a result, other keywords have taken their places. So, you need to optimize your app for stronger keywords to get ranked and get more app downloads and installs.

Algorithm Update

The crawling and ranking algorithms of Google are ever-changing. Unless the apps are updated with the recent algorithms, they will not be visible anywhere. As a result, the mobile app will have limited downloads.

Poor Color Schemes

There are some trending colors for different domains and target audiences. An app loses its relevance if it does not follow these, which is another reason behind low app downloads.

Average Graphics

Well, colors are not all, app downloads may fall due to poor quality or average graphics. If the graphics are not impressive enough, users feel less connected to the app. As a result, they either do not download the app or uninstall it after using it once/twice.

Insufficient Tech Stack

A mobile app without advanced features will fail to appeal to the target group. As a result, the number of downloads will come downward.

Slow Loading Speed

When a mobile app is prone to crash or it has 3+ seconds of wait time – the users will not take a second to uninstall it. Therefore, you must optimize its speed to get more downloads and installs.

Strong Competitors

Strong competitors can be a reason behind low app downloads. Maybe a newbie cannot cope with the graphics, features, or offers of competitors; as a result, it does not get enough downloads.

Actually, the newcomers struggle to be visible to users because of the competitors. And then, on finding minimal glitches, users uninstall these apps as so many alternatives are there.

Too Many Ads

While running the app, if users see too many ads that affect the app’s smooth usage, they will not rethink before uninstalling it. It is possible that they never turn up to this again. So, ads that block the UI are a direct hindrance in boosting app installs.

Blackhat Practices

Unethical SEO practices can result in a very low ranking, impacting the app’s visibility. So, users will not install the app at all.

Marketing Gaps

The merchants need to put some effort and investment into making the app visible. A lack of proper marketing and promotion can also cause low app downloads too.

Now, let’s move on to the most important and awaited part of this blog: how to increase app installs. Well, it is possible to boost app downloads, but you will not necessarily get instant results – it takes some time and patience to see results.

How to Increase Your Mobile App Downloads and Installs?

Find proven ways to increase app downloads and installs in this segment.

1. App Store Optimization (ASO) For Better Visibility

You must optimize the app to increase its installs right from the place from where people download it. App Store Optimization or ASO can directly help you in getting more app downloads than before with a higher app-store ranking and a wider reach.

Find out: A Complete Guide To Turn Your Shopify Store Into A Mobile App

2. Improve Branding To Create An Appeal To The Users

While app store optimization helps in better visibility on the app downloading platform, a better brand presence will grab the attention of your buyers on different platforms. Altogether, these will help you to boost app downloads.

Read the Success Story of AmorEarth after using MageNative Shopify Mobile App

3. Utilize Social Media Platforms To Expand Your Reach

Right now, social media platforms hold a wide number of users; therefore, these can be excellent mediums to expand the reach of your app. So, to get more app downloads, social media marketing can help you by securing higher views and organic traffic. Social media marketing also helps the app to stay trendy.

Check out: Spice Up Your Customer Retention Strategy With Mobile Apps

4. Utilize The Followers Of Influencers (Influencer Marketing)

Along with social media marketing, influencer marketing also deserves a little investment for higher app installs. Influencers have huge followers; so, once you collaborate with them and get their shoutouts, you can utilize their audience for your app. So, identify influencers who deal more with your target audience before collaborating.

Glossier, Daniel Wellington, and many other brands are making the most with Influencer marketing. 

5. Content Marketing For An Engaging Online Presence

Engaging content will always be a part of your game when your target is to increase app downloads. It will help improve your online presence and ranking to ensure social shares.

Once you implement all these, you can track the number of social shares and SERP ranking to understand whether it brings results.

6. Initial Free/Discount (Freemium Approach) To Pull Traffic

The Freemium approach is a great way to increase app installs; however, it may not always be affordable for all. For this, all the paid features of the app are made free for a particular span.

After this period when users have to pay for the features, they cannot avoid the subscription as they started liking the services. So, your app installs do not come downward.

You can offer promo codes, first-purchase discounts, and free samples to bring you a huge number of installs.

DropBox, Spotify, WordPress, Candy Crush, MailChimp, and many other companies have used the freemium model to make money. 

7. Get Reviews And Ratings To Strengthen The Brand

Once done with the promos and offers, do not forget to ask the users for reviews and ratings and track the number of users who availed the offer. All these will make your brand strong and users rely on the app more.

Check out: Top 8 Ways A Mobile App Can Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment

8. Get Referrals To Bring More Organic Traffic

Referral marketing is another way to increase app downloads and installs for higher organic traffic.

Check out: Benefits of Shopify Mobile Apps – See What Your Business is Missing Out Without an App

9. SMS And Email Marketing To Reach Buyers Directly

SMS and email marketing are some of the killer ways to boost app downloads and installation. It may take time to bring a result, but it can convince users for app downloads even after uninstalling it.

So, showcase your offers with crisp content in emails to increase app downloads and installs.

10. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a slow but sure way to increase app downloads; it may bring results pretty slow but it can be highly profitable. Pick the third-part publishers wisely to ensure your profit in the future.

11. Paid Campaigns and SEO

Lets now discuss the ads and SEO practices – a strategy that can cost you a few bucks but it will bring more app installs for you.

Did you know? 
Top apps spend $1000+  to boost app downloads!

12. Upgrade The Website To Get The Web Audience

The web audiences can also help you to get more app installs. So, you must also work on your website – you can upgrade your website based on the trends and colors. A new website can also help you to get the attention of the users who use browsers to install your app.

13. Localization of Contents And Listings To Target A Wider Range Of Audiences

Localizing makes your app friendly to your target market, so try to localize the content and listings. Use multiple languages, geo-location tracking, multi-currency, etc., to reach more people with your app.

All these will create reliability among the users and increase mobile app downloads and installs for you.

14. Simple Usage With Top-Notch Features

On the app downloads and installs page, your app needs to appear simple yet unique. You have to ensure that they find all the necessary features they need and at the same time the user needs to look simple.

So, incorporate the mCommerce features (AR, VR, Social commerce, sustainable commerce, voice commerce, image search, live commerce, etc.) to get more app downloads than before.

15. Optimize App Loading Speed

Fast app loading speed can increase your app downloads and installs. You can use Firebase help to reduce wait time. It will result in better user experience followed by higher session durations.

After implementing Firebase, track crash rate, retention rate, session length, and uninstall rate to monitor the number of downloads daily.

16. App Tracking with KPIs

Once you implement the strategies, you need to track their performance. It will help you to determine the number of app downloads. With this, users can monitor the app’s performance and get more downloads and installs.

You may also be interested in 25 KPIs That Measure Performance, Success, And Growth Of Shopify Mobile Apps

17. Offline Activities

Once you complete these online activities, you can take the help of offline activities like press releases, offline ads, etc. to get more app downloads.

You can also use your connection with the media to approach companies to use your app for their benefit.

What Can Merchants Do Before Launch To Increase App Downloads?

You can use these activities to market your app and increase its downloads and installs during and after it is launched. Now, let’s take a look at pre-launch activities.

Market Research

Proper market research helps in identifying the profitable factors for you. You will get to know the on-demand products, scopes of the industry, market size, etc., to avoid any big loss. So, spend sufficient time to ensure more app downloads and installs.

Identify Target Audience

Once you identify the niche, point out your buyers and understand the percentage who can use an app. It will help you to have an idea of how many app downloads you may have on average. Unless you identify the target market, you cannot determine the use cases. Therefore, concentrate here.

Identify Their Preferred  Platform

After identifying the target market, check the platform where your target audience has huge participation. You have to start your pre-launch campaigns there to get noticed so your app installation and download will increase.

Competitor Analysis

You must also identify companies with the same niche and target audience. After that, you must understand their strategies and discover how to exceed them.

Low Number of App Downloads and Installs – Is It A Matter of Concern – Why?

A low number of app downloads and installs will always be a concern since it hints at a high customer acquisition cost.

So, if you cannot increase your app downloads and installs, you will need to take more help from paid campaigns. However, it will bring your net profits down. Therefore, you can use these proven strategies to increase your app downloads and installs organically.