Most people think that developing a mobile app is getting the job done and hope to taste success right after launching the app. If you belong to this group, think again. You need to have an excellent marketing strategy for your app to achieve success.
If you want your app to be downloaded by users you need to spend a lot of time in promoting the app. But sometimes you invest too much in creating the app and you are left with limited resources to proceed further. So how can you achieve success if no one knows about your app?
Success doesn’t happen by itself. You can’t just wait after having invested in the project even though you only have a small marketing budget.
One of the ways you can promote your app for free is to submit it for review to various popular app review sites. If at least one of these publishes your app, you already gain some popularity and chances are your app will get much more installs. Here are the top 10 app review sites that you MUST submit your app to.
LAUNCHING NEXT
Just like Hollywood does a lot of hype before releasing a new movie, you must build hype prior to releasing your mobile application. Through Launching Next you can submit a review of your app before the app is actually available for the public. You only have a few words to say but that could be enough for creating hype and is better than other conventional methods of making the audience aware of it. A good number of apps are accepted here so you have a chance at having yours published too. Just be sure to give users a reason for being hyped about your app: Submit your app to Launching Next.
THE STARTUP PITCH
Similar to Launching Next, The Startup Pitch provides a platform for showing your app to users before public release. Getting featured on it is a combination of multiple factors, essential being how unique your app is. Also, they make you answer several questions about the app so invest some time in answering correctly. It “forces” you not to simply talk about the app, but also what benefits will provide for users that want to install it: Submit your app to The Startup Pitch.
PRODUCT HUNT
Product Hunt is a community of developers, enthusiasts, founders, users that provide their views on launched products. Products that get good reviews always hit the jackpot and are installed by thousands (at least) of users. You also get valuable feedback and you can answer to user questions this way having the opportunity to present yourself to the audience in a differnt light. You can’t just submit your product though, someone from the community needs to “hunt” your product and you’ll need a large number of upvotes to be featured but you can pitch some of the members: Visit Product Hunt.
SPRINGWISE
Springwise is quite different from other websites as it doesn’t accept just any mobile app. To be considered by it, your app should offer something different. To put it briefly, your app should offer something truly groundbreaking. If your app has that, then be ready to get a lot of exposure to a large audience. The good point is that it’s not just mobile apps that get featured on it, any unique and new ideas are also published. Even if you don’t get featured, you should at least subscribe to receiving their newsletter as it contains valuable ideas: Submit your app to Springwise
Startupli.st
Who doesn’t like followers of any kind, on any social channel? Not only you can be proud of having a strong following, but you can use that following for your advantage too. The same idea can be applied to your mobile application too, by generating enough exposure your app can build a following. On Startupli.st that’s the idea, you submit your app and you get followers if they like the idea/concept. You can publish a small description alongside a pitch of what makes the app unique. By doing that you have a chance at getting an audience that always looks for something new and your app might interests them. You can also include links to your social media profiles: Submit your app to Startupli.st.
Rate My Startup
You can submit your app to Rate My Startup for feedback and why not some promotion. They’re not limited to mobile apps, any app/idea can be submitted. It is a platform where different Start Up owners rate each other’s ideas and provide insight. Being an entrepreneur is important as you can get helpful feedback for your web or mobile app. Impress the community and your app will be featured in the “Top App” section. Just be patient, as generally it takes 4-8 weeks to be reviewed but you can pay to speed things up: Submit your app to Rate My Startup.
Betalist
Betalist provides an overview of upcoming internet Startups. Therefore, if you’re about to launch your app this is a great place for promoting your app or idea. The exposure and response you get are impressive and you can increase your future list of users. Sign-up is free but only Startups with a “coming soon” page are accepted, meaning your app shouldn’t be available publicly: Submit your app to Betalist.
AppStorm
AppStorm is a mobile-targeted website categorized down into different sections specifically for different mobile platforms. Perfect for native apps, especially Android. AppStorm itself reviews certain apps and sends out a regular roundup newsletter to interested mobile users, so getting featured there is gold: Submit your app to AppStorm.
Netted:
Nobody knows the web better than The Webbys team. If Netted says that an app is a killer or a site is a must-visit, it is. Netted features apps of all kind, from Android to iOS, but your app must have that something special in order to be featured, otherwise you’d just waste your and their time. If your app is good and gets featured on this platform, then it is sure that your app will get a lot of exposure. Your mobile app will get additional coverage by being included in their regular newsletter roundup. So try pitching them only if your app is good enough. Submit your app to Netted.
Of course there are a lot of other app review sites you can submit to, but the ones above are le-creme-de-la-creme.
It’s not enough to have a great idea and you focus on creating an exceptional mobile app, you also must focus on promotion. When it comes to app promotion, don’t leave any stone unturned and try to pitch everyone. The more you do it, the better your chances at achieving app popularity.
General rule of thumb is that the more you promote your app, the easier and faster the process becomes. Even if you’re on a small budget, submitting to app review sites only consumes your time – the aforementioned review sites are gold in termss of marketing and feedback for your app.
About the Author: Jessica is an ed-tech enthusiast and has been associated with CWS Technology as a writer for more than 5 Years. CWS is the leading android app development company that also provides iPhone app development and other IT solutions. Jessica has a passion for writing on emerging technologies like application management outsourcing, consulting, system integration etc.
