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When developers offer an introductory discount or free trial, it’s typically a one-time deal. That’s about to change with a new update to iOS 12. Developers will now be able to offer discounts and deals on their subscription services, which may prove beneficial for their App Store Optimization.
Session replay technology provides developers with valuable insight on drop-offs, bugs and more in-app activity. However, many apps have not been disclosing that this information is being collected and for what purpose. As a result, apps across the store were given a sudden 24 hour notice to remove their session replay SDK, receive explicit permission from the user to allow recording, or be removed from the store.
Being named as an Editors’ Choice is great for an app – it places them in a distinct section on the front page of the Google Play Store to improve discoverability. The same is true for being placed on its quarterly Android Excellence list. Now, Google is even sending notifications to users on their devices to promote editorial content.
The App Store and Google Play Store are filled with millions of apps, making the app environment intensely competitive. Some virtual phone app developers have attempted to get a leg up in the App Store by posting several versions of the same app with minimal differences. These apps managed to avoid detection for some time, but they were recently found to be in violation of the App Store Review Guidelines and were subsequently removed. This serves as a valuable lesson in why proper App Store Optimization is more important than loopholes and tricks.
Apple sets several guidelines for acceptable app practices. Failure to follow them can result in an app being removed from the store, but apps still often try to work around them. Recently, Apple has begun targeting apps that violate certain guidelines. Apps that require users to watch videos, download other apps or tap on ads in exchange for compensation as a primary feature are at risk of removal.
Google has announced a change to A/B testing experiment metrics on installations. These metrics can provide new insights for developers to understand how well each variant is converting and retaining users. Using the information gleamed from the experiments, developers and marketers can test and improve their App Store Optimization strategy and improve their app’s performance.
Google Play recently announced new changes to its security policy for SMS and call log permissions, which may impact apps with those features. This could result in several apps where sending text messages and recording calls are included in the functionality being removed from the store. Apps concerned about removal should check the policy, their app’s functions and their App Store Optimization to remain safe.
2018 proved to be a record-breaking year for Apple and the App Store, with consumers worldwide spending over a billion dollars between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The week of profits was then concluded with New Year’s Day 2019 setting a new single-day record. This impressive start to 2019 continues to illustrate the growing value of the app economy, as well as why App Store Optimization is essential for success within the App Store.
In mid-2018, mobile app developers such as Netflix and Epic Games tried to circumvent the App Store’s cut of the profits from in-app purchases. Now Netflix has launched a global change to no longer support iTunes as a method of payment, so as to ensure that Apple will not be receiving any percentage of the developer’s profits. Following this announcement, one must understand how Netflix is doing this and whether or not other developers can, will or should follow their lead, as well as how it can impact their App Store Optimization.
Google is doing a little cleaning up and revamping before the holidays, with a new anti-spam system and redesigns to the Play Store. While some of these changes are simply visual updates, others may have an impact that developers should consider.
2018 was quite the year for the mobile app market. Between innovations in app technology, changes to the app stores, new devices and more, it’s a world very different from what we saw at the beginning of the year. As such, with 2018 drawing to a close, it’s time to look back and see what changes the year brought.
Apple Search Ads has added a new reporting feature that will make it even easier for developers to track their app’s performance for a wide array of metrics. In addition to the new reporting tools, it’s also expanding its availability to nine more territories, allowing developers to reach more users around the world with their Search Ads campaigns.