Before we get into the common design errors of app marketing sites, a piece of good news: the absolute worst mistake you can make is not having a website at all. So if you're reading this, congrats—you've avoided the most flagrant offense in app marketing.
If your app doesn't have a marketing website, stop what you're doing right now and get one. This is not an optional feature, or a luxurious nicety. This is a necessity. Of the one hundred most successful iOS apps, 98% of them have a site. They are an absolutely indispensable tool.
Stop reading, go get one. I'll wait.
Ready?
Okay, welcome back.
Unless you went through a web development agency, your new app marketing website probably has some mistakes. Same goes if you were on top of your game and had a site already. Don't worry, these mistakes are common, but still significantly consequential.
The following is a brief breakdown of these prevalent blunders, as well as actionable advice on how to remedy them, and a counter-example of a successful app marketing site that has implemented the solution.
Treat this like a list of symptoms—if you see your site exhibiting one of them, it has a case of poor web design, and must be cured immediately.
Forgetting The DevicesWhen a visitor is linked to your app marketing site, the first three things they should see are the app's name, its logo, and the devices it's compatible with. The first two are (hopefully) no-brainers, but often times the mobile phones or tablets are forgotten.
This is detrimental to the entire purpose of your marketing site. By prominently displaying compatible devices, you make it crystal-clear that the product you're marketing is a mobile app, rather than desktop software, a browser extension, or a web app.
Featuring the physical mobile devices on your marketing site also provides an opportunity for you to showcase your app's most visually striking screenshots and to engage the visitor by offering a window into how the app actually looks and operates on their phone.
GroupMe, one of the most popular messaging apps in both the Google Play store and App store, executes this to an extreme.
Their hero image features a catching shot of an iPhone, with a GroupMe chat on its screen. When a site visitor scrolls down, they see an exhaustive offering of all the different devices GroupMe can be used on.
It may seem like overkill, but GroupMe doesn't want to pass up an opportunity to conspicuously display their app on a variety of different screens, and target as many phone owners as possible.
Lack Of InteractionApp marketing sites can have a beautiful interface, high-quality content, and a multitude of CTA's—but if user engagement & interaction isn't a pillar of the marketing strategy, the site isn't functioning at its full potential.
One of the reasons apps are so ingrained in our culture is because of the high level of interaction they offer. Shouldn't your marketing site mirror that interactivity when promoting it?
Take the marketing site for IndiCard, a promotional app that offers discounts, deals, and other rewards for workers in the service industries. When visiting their marketing website, users are first asked if they're "in the industry" on a splash page. Entry into the marketing site is only granted if the user responds affirmatively.
It's a small, but significant addition to the site's interface. It not only forces their target audience to directly engage with the site, but it also adds to the air of exclusivity that IndiCard wants to cultivate—the feeling that you're in an elite club when you use their application.
Zero SupportWhile the primary purpose of your app's marketing website should be promoting the application, current users often expect the platform to also provide support when they experience bugs or technical issues.
For example, Shazam's superbly marketing site features a link to a support page, where users can easily learn more about their application, as well as troubleshoot based on what device they're running Shazam on.
It's an often forgotten aspect that's crucial to the success of your mobile application. Of the top 100 paid-for iOS apps, 92% had some form of support or help page.
ConclusionThere are literally millions of applications in the Apple and Google Play app stores. If your company's mobile platform wants to stay afloat in the ocean of competition, your marketing website needs to perform at it's absolute highest potential. There can be no room for mistakes.
So even though we've touched on three common app marketing faux-pas, it's often prudent to find a trusted web design & development company to ensure perfection.
A well-designed marketing website is the foundation of a high-quality marketing strategy. And superior marketing is what separates the must-have applications from the ones doomed in obscurity.
Source: 3 Mistakes Your Mobile App Marketing Site Is Making
No comments:
Post a Comment