App Store Optimization is the key in mobile marketing strategies to improve an app’s visibility because it brings qualified organic traffic and lowers User Acquisition (UA) costs. Also, a basic ASO project/strategy involves creative updates. This article will show the best ASO creative strategies to boost your app rank.

The app icon and screenshots are critical to getting the user’s attention among thousands of available apps, and gaming apps in particular have learned how to implement these creative update strategies successfully. In fact, gaming apps make up the most competitive category in the app stores and they have the flexibility to change their creatives and to use their characters in several different ways. 

Seasonal references such as Thanksgiving are used to redraw icons. Special creatives are produced depending on which design has the best performance in each country.  That’s because A/B tests are incredibly useful and very accurate; you can see a precise estimate of how a new icon or screenshot would affect the app’s performance, and there are cases here at Lab Cave where we saw an increase of 45 percent after a creative change. So, with tested and data-driven creative strategies that clearly indicate an improvement in an app’s performance, what could possibly prevent you from implementing it?

Non-gaming apps do not have the same flexibility as gaming apps with their creative features. If a company only uses red in their communication efforts, it is not worth trying to persuade them to use a blue icon, even when tests bring good results. But one thing is clear: this particular characteristic of non-gaming apps does not have to limit ASO’s creative strategies. Actually, it is just another factor that must be taken into consideration when creating new icons and screenshots. A branding book focused on the main elements that must not be changed (such as color schemes and fonts) is the first step. The second step is agreeing on the variants that could be created.

It’s also clear that it would not help to create an icon or screenshot that is not aligned with the visual characteristics of an app, because the user would immediately notice the difference and the User’s Return Rates would decrease — of course, that’s not what companies are looking for and it should be kept in mind during the creation of new artwork.

Non-gaming apps can take advantage of the same creative strategies that gaming apps are now using. Albeit with mildly restricted creative freedoms to support the main branding elements, non-gaming apps can perfectly increase their downloads without giving up strong branding. This kind of strategy is based on reliable data and research, so there is no need to be afraid to update your icons and screenshots with new designs.

ASO is a strategy that is slightly explored in the apps ecosystem, partly because it is something innovative, but also because it requires a high level of technical knowledge and a considerable amount of implementation time to see results. Look for a professional ASO company? There is no doubt that apprb is your wisest choice! We never let you down! Contact us now!