ASO Challenges for Mobile Games

 

The landscape of gaming has changed a lot. Many developers have shifted their focus to mobile gaming, figuring out how every aspect of this entertainment segment advanced until today and what kind of challenges are waiting ahead in 2021, more here.

 

Primary App Store Optimization Challenges for Mobile Gaming in 2021

If there is one change that continues to occur in ASOmobile, then it is the fact that entering the featured list in the explore or browse section of the app stores is becoming increasingly difficult.

 

Getting Into the Featured List in the Explore or Browse Section

As time goes by, more and more new apps have sprung up, all the developers of which want to win the highest number of downloads and users in the app stores.

 

This means the competition is getting tougher, and getting into the featured list on the stores is becoming more challenging than ever. But when you can do it, your app will receive more hits and downloads. For a newly developed game, this can be a very positive start.

 

It is worth noting, though, that getting featured doesn't only come with advantages like increasing the number of installs, but also disadvantages such as drawing unqualified traffic. Your game could encounter Application Not Responding (ANR) errors and crashes.

 

It is also possible that your app will be featured temporarily, causing its organic downloads to decline after one week. Consequently, you will need to perform some Organic Uplift (UA) to boost its organic traffic again.

 

All things considered, your mobile game needs to be well-prepared before it can be featured.

 

You should also know that featured traffic is pretty much unstable. So the more apps get featured, the less likely entering the list will make a considerable impact on each app. In other words, the number of featured competitors greatly affects the performance of your mobile game on the stores.

 

Hypercasual and Ultracasual Games Gain More Popularity

2020 saw a drastic increase in the presence of hypercasual and ultracasual games in the stores, and the popularity of both genres seems to be further increasing in 2021.

 

Since smartphones are now in widespread use, games are able to enter anyone's pocket - that is, they have become extremely accessible. This allows hypercasual and ultracasual genres to expand their reach, entertaining users who love simple and intuitive gameplays.

 

Ultracasual games are enjoyable because they don't require players to concentrate on them. As these types of games are on the rise, you may want to consider making one as part of your ASO mobile strategy.

 

But more than just following this hyper or ultracasual trend, there is another important thing that you need to pay attention to, namely how to make your game unique and interesting in the eyes of users. Yes, your game has to stand out from competitors.

 

 

How Huawei AppGallery Stacks Up Against Google Play and App Store?

Huawei has its own app store called Huawei AppGallery, which is attempting to present itself as one of the most prominent app stores in the digital realm.

 

As a tech giant, Huawei has released a lot of devices around the world. The company could gain some momentum and a fraction of the app store traffic. Its AppGallery could also absorb some Android traffic to boost its own market size.

 

It will be interesting to see how the store will develop in the near future. As you probably know, time has given rise to many new platforms, although none of them have really survived in the competitive app industry. So it should pique everyone's curiosity whether AppGallery will thrive.

 

Becoming Unique Among Competitors

Almost every day, a new app is created and hits the stores, leading to some categories being crowded. You really have to do something different if you want your mobile game to stand out from the crowd. Generally, the following tips can be helpful:

• Stay on top of trends, follow ASO mobile and gaming blogs to stay updated on the latest methods of app store optimization, new visual and presentation techniques, and possibly free tools that will help move your mobile app forward.
• Perform regular A/B test to find out the best way to optimize your app for your target audience.
• Keep an eye on your competition and the most prominent mobile games in your category to discover the best practice that you want to adopt in a different way.
• Keep the quality of your product high by ensuring that your app can run flawlessly without any crashes or errors.
• Check out reviews to see what users want and expect from a mobile game like yours.
• Take inspiration from UA ads as they might give you fresh ideas.

You can improve your mobile app using various methods, based on the ideas and creativity that strike your mind. It is important to remember, though, that rising in your category does take time, and your mobile game won't stay on top every day. However, through the optimization efforts that you make from time to time, you will likely get positive results.

 

Proper Visual Asset Optimization and A/B Testing to Up Conversion Rate

One more challenge in mobile gaming is to make the most of your visual assets to boost conversion rate. Why visual assets? Because they are a crucial element of app store optimization.

 

Users will interact with your visual assets before deciding if your mobile game is worth downloading and playing. Your images and videos may even be the only elements that users are interested in, since they are increasingly reluctant to read the description text. This fact explains how important the role that visual assets play in boosting conversion rate.

 

It is also helpful to conduct A/B testing to better understand your target audience and the right type of content for them. Rather than just improving conversion rate, this is more about establishing an effective ASO mobile tactic that you can use to achieve long-term growth.

 

Google Play Store allows developers to run direct A/B test from its console. As for Apple App Store, the use of a third party tool like Splitmetrics or StoreMaven is required to perform the test.

 

It should be noted that visual assets also affect the visibility of your mobile game on Google Play, like in the Similar Apps section for instance, where similar icons and themes are a determining factor.

 

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, developing ASOmobile strategies in 2021 will require you to face a lot of challenges. The point here is that you should monitor the most important key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure organic success.

 

In addition, you should always track app store algorithm changes to keep your ASO strategies updated and relevant with the latest ranking factors. Remember that when it comes to ASO, things change constantly, therefore adaptability is the key to winning the competition.