Posted on October 3rd, 2017
Before the world met the newly designed App Store, many noticed that Apple made significant changes to their latest version of iTunes. This change completely removes the App Store from iTunes, returning the app to its original function of a music and entertainment player. For years, users have been able to get their iOS apps directly from iTunes, making the app massive and considered an all-in-one platform. Apple has taken significant steps in streamlining iTunes, most likely to match the newly redesigned App Store that launched on September 19th. Since its inception, the App Store gave users the flexibility to move apps around on their mobile devices and store old apps on their PC or Mac in the event they wanted to install them again. iTunes saved all data of purchased or free apps connected to that account, combining the functions of iTunes and the App Store. Even though iTunes is shifting its focus back to being the number one place for music, movies, TV shows, podcasts and audiobooks, many wonder what this means for their previously downloaded apps, and how “black hat” companies will respond? Where to Find Apps When looking at the overall body of changes introduced by Apple with iOS 11, it is very clear that the App Store team is trying to put the final nail in the coffin for companies that focus on buying incentivized installs to boost their chart rankings. In addition to relegating the ‘charts’ to a much smaller and less prominent presentation in the App Store (meaning fewer people will view them), this new change with iTunes will make it very hard for “black hat” off shore marketing companies who operate app install farms to survive. It is much harder (and more expensive) for these less-than-reputable companies to drive downloads from real mobile devices than it is to simply use iTunes from the desktop to trigger installs for a given target territory. Apple removing the App Store from iTunes also means that users will no longer be able to hoard old apps or reinstall directly from iTunes. Once iTunes 12.7 is downloaded, users who have been syncing apps through iTunes will need to redownload them onto their devices, which Apple has helpfully laid out here: guide to redownloading apps. By defining iTunes as a source for music, podcast, TV, audio books, and movies and redesigning the App Store, Apple has finally defined the intended purpose for both iTunes and the App Store, along with making it harder for “black hat” companies to operate. Finally, Apple’s two stores are separated for the first time in 9 years, giving Apple room to expand their efforts toward creating a beneficial experience for everyone across both platforms.
Posted on September 19th, 2017
Apple has finally announced when users can expect iOS 11 to launch, and that golden day is September 19th. For months, developers have been rapidly gathering their resources to make sure their app’s metadata is prepared for the all-new App Store. In order to make sure your app won’t get rejected or lose any of its visibility, look at our checklist for iOS 11 just in case you need to make any last-minute adjustments.
Posted on September 6th, 2017
We are thrilled to announce that we will be exhibiting at MWC Americas in San Francisco from September 12-14, 2017. In addition to exhibiting we will be sponsoring Mobile Growth House’s “Aha Moments in App Marketing” on Thursday, September 14 at 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM. Also, we will be a stop on the MWC Americas Tour of Mobile Advertising & Apps Tour. Gummicube is very excited to have the opportunity to exhibit and attend along with some of the top mobile leaders in the industry. We look forward to having transformative conversations and plant seeds for meaningful partnerships with our co-attendees. We will be located in booth 616 on the first level of the West Wing. Gummicube co-founders Anh Nguyen and Dave Bell, as well as some of our senior account managers, will be representing Gummicube to engage with customers and partners.
Posted on August 30th, 2017
With more and more dating apps in the app store market today, it's essential for developers to implement ASO best practices into their app marketing strategy to compete in an increasingly congested market.
Posted on August 22nd, 2017
If you are an app developer, you have probably seen your fair share of user reviews. Many can attest that while they enjoy seeing praise for having a great app, the scorn of negative reviews leaves a lasting impression. Clean up those wounds and turn a negative into a positive. Look at all reviews as information and an opportunity to use that information to improve your app and communicate with users. User reviews can serve many purposes for developers and give insight on how to improve their app and allow them to mine valuable information about their users such as: do user’s like the app, are there bugs that need fixing, or are there features active users consistently ask for? By paying attention and interacting with users, developers will see better results in user retention, lessen uninstalls, and possibly turn a negative one star rating into a positive star rating. While a negative review is not the end of the world, sometimes it is a premonition that a user is ready to uninstall. As the combined total of apps on the app stores crossed the threshold of 4 million, developers are pressured more than ever to prevent users from uninstalling their app and downloading a competitor. It is imperative that developers take the necessary steps to avoid the common reasons users uninstall apps to guarantee continued success.
Posted on August 18th, 2017
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, using visual aids to capture users’ attention within the App Stores has become a vital part in the acquisition funnel. As competition in the App Stores continues to grow, developers need to find ways to differentiate themselves from their competition. Utilizing ASO best practices to optimize an app’s metadata (app name, keywords, description, etc.) is the most efficient way to target an app’s audience. While focusing on the metadata is crucial, developers need to pay close attention to creating visually appealing screenshots to convince users to download and/or buy the app, thus increasing conversion rate.
Posted on August 12th, 2017
Developers that have an app on the App Store or Google Play Store need to use App Store Optimization (ASO) as a tool to market their apps. As developers create their ASO strategy, it’s imperative that ASO best practices are utilized to maximize visibility. Before developers start utilizing ASO, they need to avoid some common ASO mistakes to boost their success.
Posted on August 9th, 2017
Quality over quantity is a concept that is increasingly difficult to achieve in the app market, especially on Google Play. Currently, the Play Store has over 2 million available apps, but in an attempt to help users find quality apps and games, Google has made drastic changes to their search algorithm. Google will now hide crashing apps from the Play Store and display higher quality apps more often than lower quality apps. The tech company made its decision after conducting an internal analysis of current app reviews on Google Play, where they noted that half of 1-star reviews mentioned app stability. Hiding apps that crash is Google’s way of trying to meet users’ expectations for performance and quality, and essentially weed out unstable apps and games. Google has expressed that they have already seen a positive impact on user engagement, and that users have already been able to use higher quality apps, which has in-turn lowered uninstall rates. Despite Google hearing positive praises from users, what about the developers? For those that fear their app or game falls into this category, there are ways they can monitor their app’s performance to ensure their app will not be hidden by Google’s new search algorithm.
Posted on August 5th, 2017
Popular comics, TV shows, movies, and celebrities have recently made the shift to mobile by recreating their content into mobile apps. While developers are struggling to get recognized on the App Store and Google Play Store, well-known names such as Gordon Ramsay, Marvel Comics and more, have found an instant groove, reaching a new audience, and increasing daily downloads. Transitioning into the app world with a recognizable and popular brand is great, but to remain relevant, you need an ASO strategy. Games like Pokémon GO have proven that they need an ASO strategy to continue success in the app stores and retaining users. While Pokémon GO proved that it could attract loyal fans without having a great ASO strategy, many of those fans ended up abandoning the game within six months due to monotonous gameplay and no new updates other than one-time bug fixes. With an ASO strategy, Pokémon GO could have gained new users that were unaware of its brand or popularity. Having a built-in fan base is great and automatically guarantees a number of downloads, but understanding ASO and why a strategy is important, can do wonders for continuing an app’s success.
Posted on July 27th, 2017
Mobile apps – a growing market that affects nearly every person in the world. On top of creating an app, developers must market their apps to a specific audience. For an app to advance, keeping their audience in mind throughout every step of the optimization process is crucial. As technology continues to grow and the app market progresses, developers need to continually market their app to their target audience. Recently, as more and more developers crowd the marketplace, some have started adjusting their app’s metadata toward millennials. Smart phone users around the world run into the billions and within the US alone 85 percent of smart phone users are millennials. For the most part, once an app goes live on the App Store or Google Play Store, roughly 25 percent of the world’s population can access the app. Even though 25 percent seems like a small number, it still adds to an app’s overall visibility. Should developers really focus their efforts on targeting just millennials, or should they broaden their scope and target everyone? Generations of Users In today’s society, it is a commonly known fact that millennials have grown up with technology more than previous generations. For most, their daily life consists of staying connected through their mobile device, which strongly includes the use of mobile apps. Even emerging markets such as India have millennials making up the largest population group, meaning there are rapidly growing markets with easy to target audiences. While ASO best practices highly suggest targeting your app to a specific audience, targeting only millennials can limit your app’s visibility in the app stores. By focusing on only one group of individuals, your app can never reach its full potential or become relevant to other generations of users. Instead of focusing on just one generation, it’s important to look at what your app does and understand who the app is intended for. Once you understand who your target audience is, it will be increasingly easier to optimize your metadata.
Posted on July 20th, 2017
With the close of Q2, we’re looking back to the beginning of the year to see how revenue and downloads changed thus far for giants of the mobile industry. The numbers are in, and companies like Google and Apple reported positive net revenue, in addition to overall growth of the App Store and the Google Play Store. Google announced back in May of 2017 that the company saw 82 billion downloads from the Google Play Store in 2016, causing surge of revenue for the tech company and app developers. Apple echoed this number by stating at WWDC 2017, the App Store attracts over 500 million weekly visitors and has achieved 180 billion app downloads. On top of this information, it has been reported that across both stores, there as $15 billion in downloads at the end of Q1 2017. Across iOS and Android, downloads also grew 15 percent year-over-year. As the number of downloads and revenue continues to grow, it begs the question what is in store for the app market? Which Company Had More Growth? Despite Google being labeled as the clear winner of global app downloads, Apple is closing the gap in revenue growth. The App store saw 45 percent increase in consumer spending compared to Google’s 40 percent year-over-year growth. Apple now leads in consumer spending by 100 percent, up from their 90 percent lead in Q1 2016. Regardless of Apple being the leader in consumer spending, the company still has catching up to do on the global scale. Globally, most of the phones that shipped in Q4 2016 were Android. This is not surprising considering that Android software is used across multiple devices and the price of Android phones is relatively lower than that of an iPhone. Along with the large number of Android phones shipped last year, third-party Android app stores are also on the rise, especially in China, one of the leaders in the app market. Some of the marketplaces include Tencent, Baidu, and more. Other than China, Google Play is exceptionally recognized in India, as indicated by several of Google’s presentations at I/O 2017. Google has essentially cornered the market in India, making it a key factor in the tech company’s year-over-year growth of 40 percent. Even though Apple has catching up to do in the global app market, the numbers both companies have reported for Q1 2017 are astounding. This immediate progression only meant that the demand of mobile apps will continue to increase.
Posted on July 14th, 2017
Developers are currently scrambling to make sure their metadata will be completely ready for iOS 11’s launch this coming fall. Apple announced big changes to the App Store such as the revamped navigation bar, which now features three new tabs, Today, Games and Apps. This redesign means that Apple has finally separated games from other apps, essentially creating two App Stores with their own separate top charts and featured content. Making games its own tab concretely separates games from other apps, and allows for all games genres to be better categorized on the App Store. The games tab will have its own top charts, but will also have separate top categories section. 
