Advertising an app: link to AppStore or Lander?
We've just re-launched a massive Twitter stock market game after about 10 years of dormancy and part of the relaunch has been making proper mobile apps.
So we're testing ad campaigns - mostly on Twitter (cos, it's a twitter game really) but also FB, Reddit etc.
So far we've only tested against an Apple/iOS market.
But it doesn't matter how many people we send to the AppStores; the conversion to download, let alone registration, is awful (≤1%).
I feel like we're pouring money away.
Maybe our app copy & imagery is awful - but it's pretty consistent with the ad and people are clicking so it can't be all bad.
Are we better off sending people to a web lander, wooing them there.. and then offering them the app later? (See comments for why this isn't that easy!)
The AppStore pages are here: Apple, Droid
If you've advertised with clicks to the AppStores - or have any advice I'd love to hear from you.
I'd say redirect to the web version for ads displayed on web and to the mobile app if you're on mobile. Edit: Just saw your comment below, get why you can't redirect to the web version. In my opinion you should avoid the lander, as it is an additional step to signup and I'd treat the app store pages as lander. With the new updates from Apple and Google you can customize them for the ads.
Regarding the conversion rate: Do you infer the conversion rate from overall link clicks and downloads? Otherwise your calculation could be off. I'd assume few people allow access to their IDFA and thus attribution would't work well.
Thanks @thmsobrmlr! I agree - I don't like the idea of having a lander. Every step is an opportunity for people to disengage...
So - the good news is (HOORAY!) I've finally managed to get Twitter to allow our ads to web. This has been a battle for years. That gives us far more options to try... (and yes, web ads got to a web form, iOS ads go to AppStore and droid ads (which we've not tried yet) will go to the PlayStore.
However, the question remains - why do so many people click through an add and then NOT download the app.
Re. attribution. We're pretty keen not to add pixel tracking so our attribution isn't super-tight... but we can disambiguate between app installs, web installs & so-on without any IDFA stuff. The reality is the conversion of ad > appstore > download > install is atrocious. 😢
Try posting directly to applicable subreddits. Sure some will ban you, but you will reach more potential customers. Also Apple gives $100 to advertise directly on AppStore- try it just to see results.
Thanks @ultrajet ... Most subreddits I can find say you can't "self promote" which I'm worried I would be doing. I don't want to be a pest. Are you aware of any communities there that would be happy with a link?
Trying AppStore, thanks!
This is how I posted about my app to make it more about feedback: https://www.reddit.com/r/algotrading/comments/rh141f/company_360_ios_app_for_finding_undervalued/
Obviously we want to advertise through Twitter if anywhere because twiDAQ is a Twitter stock market... and at the moment, a Twitter account is required to sign up.
But! 🤦♂️ ... Twitter won't let us sponsor the website because 3 days of the week they think it's not a game, it's an actual stock market... 3 days of the week they thing it is a game, so much so that it must be a gambling site.
(1 day of the week they don't know what day it is).
Anyway - that's why, for now, we've only tested advertising the app.