Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 1

App Marketing 101 For Windows 8.1 and Windows PhoneEverything you need to market and sell your app.

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 2

04 Get to Know Your Audience

06 Plan & Build Your App

09 Quality & Certification

12 App Store Optimization

16 Promoting Your Published App

20 Design for a Global Market 22 The App Marketing 101 Checklist

In the following pages you’ll find easy

tips and tricks for turning your app into

a polished, ready-to-publish masterpiece.

We know marketing isn’t your favorite

thing to do—so use this checklist to ensure

your app will soar to the top of search

results and make you the money you

so very well deserve.

Welcome to App Marketing 101!

Table of Contents:

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 3

Get to Know Your Target Audience

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 4

Focus on Their Needs

Put together some focus groups of family

and friends who you think fall into your target

audience and ask them about their motivations

and needs when it comes to apps (also see the list

of questions at the end of this section). If getting a

group together is too much work, you can just send

out questionnaires.

Give a Sneak Peek

Create a private beta version of your app and give

it to friends and members of the app community

who you respect. The feedback won’t all be rosy,

and that’s a good thing. Don’t ignore constructive

criticism—take it to heart and use it to edit and

improve your app.

Make Sure They’re on Windows!

Make sure your target audience uses Windows 8.1

and/or a Windows Phone. If they don’t, find people

who do and then focus on their specific app needs.

Also make sure the people you’re talking to use

apps in general.

Learn From the Competition

Research your competitors’ target audiences.

Their current customers will likely be similar to

the people you are trying to reach. And be sure to

keep an eye out for any niche markets within these

segments that your app might be better suited for.

Strategically determining who your target audience is and what their needs are should be the first things you do before you ever begin to plan or build your app. Understanding your audience is about so much more than just marketing—it directly impacts everything from design and messaging, to overall product development.Already built your app? Don’t panic, but do still study up on your target audience and see if there are any valuable lessons you can use to tweak your app and make it even better.

Get to Know Your Target Audience //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 5

Questions to Ask

Here’s a list of some questions you should ask when

establishing what drives your target audience to

click the download button:

■ Are they male/female?

■ How old are they?

■ Where do they live?

■ What is their marital and family status?

■ What is their ethnic background?

■ What do they do?

■ What is their income level?

■ Where are they when they use apps in general?

■ Do they love a competitive app? Why?

■ Why are they interested in the topic?

■ What are their biggest fears?

■ What are their biggest hopes?

■ What are their interests and hobbies?

■ What Internet tools do they use most every day?

■ What Internet tools do they not use ever?

■ What drives them to make decisions?

■ Are there enough people in your target to be profitable?

■ Can your audience afford your product/service?

■ Do you need to break your target up into niches?

■ Can you reach them with your message? Are they

accessible?check out these App appearance tips.

Get to Know Your Target Audience //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 6

Plan & Build Your App

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A Reason for Being

Make sure your app serves a purpose. Here are

some of the reasons why someone would use

your app:

Makes something easier—buying shoes, watching a movie, finding a house you want to buy, etc.

Valuable information—sports scores, stock prices, subway schedules, lake conditions for fishing, etc.

Fun and entertaining—games, Location Based services, Augmented Reality, etc.

Saves money or saves time—like Couponing Apps.

The All-Important First Impression Just like meeting your significant other’s parents,

apps need to strike a positive chord, immediately!

If a user’s initial experience is positive, they’re more

likely to want to add the app to the family.

Nothing Beats an OriginalThe market is flooded with copycats, so be bold

and create something new. First assess what is

missing on the app market, and then turn your

idea into a reality. If nothing else, find a twist that

makes your app special, different, original.

Don’t Hold HostagesConsider making ads optional for users. And always

immediately remove a user from your mailing list if

they request you to do so. It’s sad to see them go,

but it’s better than letting your image take a hit by

frustrating users.

Make a Money-Making PlanPraise and pats on the back are great, but you

want to get paid for all your hard work. Whether

you plan on creating a free, add-supported app,

or an app with an upfront fee, you’ll want to create

a plan for monetization. Read more about creating

such a plan for Windows 8.1 here, or for

Windows Phone here.

Before you get too far building your app, be sure to spend some time thinking about why you’re creating it, and for whom you are creating it. Here are some tips to get you, and your app, off to a successful start.

Plan & Build Your App //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 8

Plan Now = Payout LaterPlanning ahead for different form factors,

accessibility, monetization, and selling in the

global market can reduce your development

time and make it easier to create a high quality

app, get it certified, and watch those download

numbers soar.

User Experience & Design

Use the Windows Store user experience guidelines

and design patterns. It makes it easier for you to

design an app that’s attractive and easy to use.

Consult the UX checklist. And if you’re creating

an app for Windows Phone, be sure to consult

our Windows Phone design principles.

Compatibility is Clutch

Try to make your app compatible with a variety of

devices, including feature phones. The more devices

your app works on, the more potential customers

you’ll have!

Become an Expert

The best way to create an app that people will

genuinely find useful is to be a subject matter

expert in whatever category your app falls under.

This means following hashtags relevant to your

category, reading what other experts have to say,

and persistently monitoring the competitive

landscape so you know what the competition

is up to. And if you’re developing an app for

Windows Phone, be sure to connect with

popular sites like WMPowerUser and WPCentral.

Have a Dime? Save Some Time!

Though this e-book is already arming you with all

the tools you need to market your app on your own,

if you happen to have the budget for it, you can

always pay a professional App Marketing Agency

to take the reins for you. A quick internet search

can help you find local shops. And here’s a list of

the top 10 App Marketing Agencies in the world.

Plan & Build Your App //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 9

Quality & Certification

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 10

Use Common Sense

The certification process really revolves around

ensuring you have used a practical, common sense

approach to creating your app. Following these

larger principles will usually ensure a successful

certification result:

• Clear purpose and identity

• Predictable and reliable behavior

• Respect for user trust and security

• Responsible monetization methods

• Considerations for accessibility

• Considerations for global markets

Safe and Secure

Always offer your users a secure online

environment. Take special care to protect their

passwords and other sensitive information.

Nothing can sink your app (or your reputation)

faster than a security breach that jeopardizes

your users’ personal information.

Do Your Homework

When you submit your app it doesn’t just

get published. First it must go through several

testing processes to evaluate its quality before

it can be certified. You can help your app by

designing it to meet specific user experience and

app stability requirements. All Windows Store and

Windows Phone apps must meet the certification

requirements before they can be published!

Luckily, you can read the Windows Store

certification requirements here, and the

Windows Phone certification requirements here.

Stay Current, Stay Relevant

Be sure to periodically update your app—especially

after receiving valid user feedback and reviews.

And never let your app go down. Staying accessible

to the user at all times is key to your success.

Before you can kick back and watch your app achieve new levels of app fame and glory, your app first must go through the Windows Store certification requirements process. While it may seem daunting, it’s really easier than it sounds, and we’ve even created some guidelines and tools to help you through this important stage.

Quality & Certification //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 11

Validate and Test, Test, Test!

TTo give your app the best chance of being certified, validate and test it on your computer before you submit it for certification and listing in the Windows Store.

To make this process easier for you, we’ve created the Windows App Certification Kit.

After you test your app with the Windows App Certification Kit, you will get a detailed report on the following categories:

Test Behavior Required

App failures The app must not crash or hang. App failures, such as crashes and hangs, disrupt and frustrate customers. Eliminating such failures improves app stability and reliability, and overall, provides customers with a better experience.

App manifest The app manifest must contain all the required attributes.

Windows security features The app must use Windows security features.

Supported platform APIs The app must use only APIs from the Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows 8.

Startup performance The app should have a fast and responsive startup experience while consuming a reasonable amount of system resourc-es (CPU, file IO, memory, and so on) to enable fast switching and multitasking between previously unopened apps.

Suspend performance The app should have a fast and responsive ‘Suspend’ experience while consuming a reasonable amount of system re-sources (CPU, File IO, Memory, and so on) and release resources efficiently.

App resource validation The app manifest must have valid resources defined in the resources.pri file, as explained in the App package manifest schema.

Net check The app must use .NET 4.5 or later.

Quality & Certification //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 12

App Store Optimization

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It’s All In The Name

The single biggest driver for discoverability and

downloads of an app is an attention-catching

name. Try to get relevant keywords into this field.

Sometimes this may not be practical, or it may look

too awkward from a user perspective, so use your

judgment. We can’t overemphasize the importance

of choosing the app title wisely. This is the identity

of an app and if done right can help the app stand

out from the crowd.

For tips on picking a good name, as well as length

requirements, see What to name your app.

Keywords are Key

Always use an effective keyword list when you sub-

mit your app. Keywords determine which searches

bring up your app, so be sure to do your homework

on which words will work the best. Start by research-

ing competitor’s keywords. Don’t use the same

words you used in your title, and don’t use phrases

or multi-word keywords.

Work that Icon

Like a shiny fishing lure, an attractive app icon plays

a huge role in attracting clicks. So make sure your

icon stands out. It may not have any direct effect on

your search ranking, but along with your app’s title,

the icon is the first element a user will see. Keep

it simple and consistent with the app design, and

don’t use words (especially the app’s name) in the

icon. Just remember, putting some effort into creat-

ing a professional and eye-catching image can yield

vast rewards (and downloads). For tips on graphics,

check Choosing your app images.

Correctly Categorize

Listing your app in the right category and subcat-

egory is vastly important for helping users to find

and understand your app. Take care to choose the

category that best describes your app. Then choose

a subcategory, if there are any for your category.

An app can only be listed in one category (and one

subcategory, if available). Review our Overview of

categories.

Congrats! Your app is written…now what? Use these handy app store optimization tips and tricks to get your app ready for the Windows Store or Windows Phone Store and ensure that as many people as possible see it.

App Store Optimization //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 14

Description and Screenshots

Your app profile page can make or break your

app, and users generally don’t spend much time

browsing these pages. So capture their attention

(and downloads) with a well-written description

and customized screenshots. The first few lines of

your description should generate curiosity and build

enough interest to encourage users to read more.

And never simply upload random screenshots from

your app. Rather, take care to choose screenshots

that show how the app works and convey the value

and benefits of the app to the users.

Not sure you can write a compelling description for

your app? Fear not! Just use our App Descriptorizer

tool. In six easy steps, it will help you create an

app description that will turn heads and drive

downloads.

Take a Peek at Your Future App

Each app has its own listing page in the Windows

Store using info that you provide when you submit

an app. Search engines such as Bing and Google will

point users to this page. To make sure it looks good,

check out these App appearance tips.

Choose Your Markets

With customers in over 200 countries and regions

around the world, the Windows Store has a lot of

reach. You have the option to choose the markets

you’d like to offer your app in, but choose wisely

with these tips, as different markets have different

rules and regulations for apps.

Spread the Word

Word-of-mouth and user reviews are critical for

showing up in searches, while positive reviews

increase the likelihood of downloads—both organic

and inorganic. Apps designed to encourage or

simplify user review submissions are likely to see

more success when it comes to leveraging user

reviews for driving downloads. Highly rated apps

will also pop up first when a user sorts their search

results by ‘Sort by highest rating’.

Get Some Lovin’

Having your users spread the word is the most

powerful tool you have at hand. Luckily, you have

the ability to track metrics on who is using your app

and at what frequency, so you can target users who

are likely to give your app a positive review.

For example, after the 5th startup of the app, ask

the user to quickly review it. You can find ready

made code to use in your Windows 8.1 app right

here and Windows Phone over here.

Here are a few tips when asking for a review:

• Disrupt the user as little as possible.

• Thank them for using your app.

• Make rating the app as easy as possible.

• Prompt at every update until they review.

• After the user has reviewed, thank them and

suggest they share their enthusiasm on their

social networks.

As part of the App Marketing Kit, we’ve created

some premade, “rate my app” banner templates

for you to use. Access them here.

App Store Optimization //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 15

Rewards for Ratings

A simple way to generate ratings and reviews is

to incentivize users. In other words, reward users

for rating your app. Think about offering points,

currency, new levels, or new pieces of content that

are ‘unlocked’ when the user rates your app.

Praise Publicly, Criticize Privately

Keep negative feedback out of the Windows Store,

while addressing the needs of disgruntled

customers. Think about integrating two rating

options in your app: “Send Feedback,” and “Send

Love.” “Send Feedback” opens up a screen, which

looks and feels like a review, but sends an email

directly to the developer. “Send Love” takes users

to the app store where they can express their love

for your app in a review.

Condone Constructive Criticism

Don’t ignore or reject negative reviews. Take user

feedback very seriously and act on it by making

periodic updates to improve your chances of

sustaining top ranks in the Windows Store!

App Store Optimization //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 16

Promoting Your Published App

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 17

Share! Share! Share!

One tweet is not enough. Repeat the message

on all your social channels, then repeat it again.

For Twitter, make sure you use #WP8 for phone

apps and #win8 for Windows 8.1 apps. Consider

designing your app so that people can interact

socially within it. If users are able to use your app

to reach out to their contacts, you will instantly

get a ton of natural, built-in referrals.

For even more information, refer to our Social

Media e-book: How to Market Your App with

Social Media.

Link It Up

Help customers discover your app by linking to

your app’s listing page in the Windows Store and

on the web. Use it as an email signature, tweet it,

even consider creating a Facebook page. Learn

more about linking to and from your app.

And be sure to use the approved Windows Store

and Windows Phone Store badges when creating

links.

Use Our Logos

Use our logos to promote your app and gain instant

credibility. You can easily access and download our

logos here in the App Marketing Kit.

Take Advantage of Free Tools

Use tools like AdDuplex, a cross-promotion network

specifically targeted at Windows 8.1 and Windows

Phone apps and games. It empowers developers to

promote apps for free by serving ads for other apps

on your app, and serving ads for your app on other

developers’ apps.

Power of the Press

Doing your own PR can seem daunting, but actually

it’s not too hard. Start by using our press release

template to create a compelling announcement.

Then send it to numerous media outlets, bloggers,

writers, and review sites (shoot for ones with

readership of at least 5k). In addition, try using

online services like PRWeb and Marketwired.

Congratulations, your app is in the Windows Store; now it’s time to get it downloaded. Aside from making your app the best it can be, here are a few more things you can do to make it easy for others to showcase your app and help it get more attention.

Promoting Your Published App //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 18

Here, Take My Card

Business cards are a tried and true way to promote

your business (or app). We’ve gone ahead and

created an app developer business card template

for you to use. Just drop your name and app

information in, and start handing them out to

anyone and everyone.

Join the (3rd) Party!

Posting your app on 3rd party sites will not only

get your product out there, but will also boost your

findability on search engines. Use 3rd party sites

such as:

CNET.com

Softpedia.com

Appsmarts.com

Downloadplex.com

Greatwindowsapps.com

Win8review.com

Appslooker.com

TopAppReviewSites

Join the Reddit community and post your app in

subreddits like Windows Phone, WPDev,

and Windows 8 Apps.

Charm Them

Always include charms or links that easily let users

share your app with their social networks. And make

sure your app name and description appear in the

share text.

Build Your App a Website

Create a simple two to three page website

(or blog or video podcast series) that tells the

world about your app and provides multiple direct

links to download it from the Windows Store.

Make sure you use colorful, interesting screenshots

from the app and attention-grabbing headlines

and body copy.

Collect Customers with a Teaser

Build a teaser into your app website and invite

people to share their email address to stay

updated on when your app launches. It’s a clever

way to build a database of people interested in your

app, who you can keep informed about the launch

of your app, and future apps you’ll be creating down

the road.

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Already have a website or blog, or have a

previously created app? Be sure to use these

mediums to promote your new app and build

upon your past successes. Even if the products

aren’t related, it still can’t hurt to let your friends,

family, and fans know you have a new product out

and available for download.

Sound the Trumpets!

Your new app deserves a big splashy

announcement to go alongside your website,

blog and Facebook page—and we’ve created

several email announcement templates for you

to use! Just drop some beautiful screenshots and

well-written words into them and send away to

your friends, family, and adoring fans. Access the

email templates here.

Promoting Your Published App //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 19

Fly Your Banner

Placing a few well-made banner ads on sites

frequented by your target audience is a great way

to increase your downloads. And the good news

is we’ve done the hard work for you and created

multiple premade banner ad templates. All you

have to do is drop in some screenshots and copy

from your app and you’ll be ready to go. Check out

the banner ad templates here.

Plug for Promotions

Using the same guidelines as when you ask users to

rate your app, you can also ask users to share it with

friends. For example, after the 2nd start of the app,

ask your users: “Do you like this app? Why not share

it with friends?” Social app marketing—engagement

based on social elements, like users inviting friends

to use a mobile app via a Facebook page—is the

number one tactic for getting more downloads.

Pay to Play with the Big Dog

If you have the budget, consider using Sponsored

App promotion on Facebook. Not only can you

target very specific audiences, but your ads will also

embed into newsfeeds and show future users which

of their friends are already using your app—giving

them added incentive to download it.

An Oldie But a Goodie

You can always opt for some more traditional

advertising options. Billboards, posters, stickers

(with a QR code or other link to your app), radio,

and newspaper ads have been around for a while

because they work. And if you really have some

extra budget, there’s always TV advertising as well.

And just for good measure, here are a few more app

promotion tips.

Promoting Your Published App //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 20

Design for a Global Market

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 21

Go Global

Don’t just think of your own language and culture.

Be sure to globalize your app for wider audienc-

es or markets and localize your app for a specific

audience or market. Check out our guidelines and

checklist for globalizing your app guidelines and

checklist for globalizing your app.

Be Inclusive

Make sure your app can be used by everyone.

Follow these tips to ensure as many people as

possible can use your app:

■ Do not use technical jargon, abbreviations, or acronyms.

■ Avoid culture-specific text or images.

■ Display numeric values, names, and addresses

appropriately for global markets.

Here are a few more tips on Designing for a global

market.

Windows is used worldwide, in a variety of different markets and by customers who vary in culture, geographical region, or language. Follow these guidelines when designing your app, and get it into as many hands as possible across the world.

Design for a Golbal Market //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 22

The App Marketing 101 Checklist

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 23

Get to Know Your Target Audience

□ Did you collect information on your target,

audience through a focus group, questionnaire

or free beta version?

□ Did you ensure your target audience uses

Windows?

□ Did you research competitors’ target audiences?

Plan and Build Your App

□ Does your app serve a clear and

useful purpose?

□ Is your app original?

□ Have you created a plan for monetizing

your app?

□ Have you reviewed the UX checklist and/or

design principle documents?

□ Is your app compatible with a variety

of popular devices?

Quality & Certification

□ Make sure your app adheres to each

of the following principles:

□ Clear purpose and identity

□ Predictable and reliable behavior

□ Respect for user trust and security

□ Responsible monetization methods

□ Considerations for accessibility

□ Considerations for global markets

□ Have you read the Windows Store or

Windows Phone Store certification

requirements?

□ Have you tested your app using the

Windows App Certification Kit?

□ Does your app offer a safe and secure

environment.

The App Merketing 101 Checklist //

Windows 8.1 App Marketing 101 24

Promoting Your Published App

□ Read the second e-book in this App

Marketing Kit: “How to Market Your App

with Social Media”

□ Are you using the Windows Store and

Windows Phone Store logos provide

in the App Marketing Kit?

□ Are you taking advantage of the free tools

and 3rd party sites for promoting your app?

□ Have you created a website, Facebook

page, or blog for your app?

□ Have you begun to build a database of

tusers who you can message about updates,

and to help you spread the word?

□ Did you use the approved logo assets

provided in the App Marketing Kit?

□ Have you created any promotions for getting

users to rate and/or share your app?

App Store Optimization

□ Does your app have a memorable

name and a catchy icon?

□ Have you researched and created a

keyword list?

□ Did you write a compelling app description

and pair it with screenshots that highlight

the value and benefits of your app?

□ Did you use the App Descriptorizer tool?

□ Have you carefully chosen the correct

category (and subcategory) for your

app to be listed under?

□ Did you choose which global markets

your app will be listed in?

□ Do you have a plan in place for asking users

for reviews (including ways to incentivize them)?

□ Did you use the premade, “rate my app”

banner ad template included in the App

Marketing Kit?

Design for a Global Market

□ Have you read the guidelines and checklist

for globalizing your app?

□ Do you know how you’re going to globalize

your app for wider audiences?

□ Do you know how you’re going to localize

your app for specific markets?

□ Were you careful to not use words or symbols

that do not make sense in all global markets

(is your app inclusive)?

The App Merketing 101 Checklist //