App Preview Guidelines: How to Sway Users to Download your App in 30 Seconds

In the market swarming with countless apps, the main challenge that entrepreneurs face is how to get their business applications to stand out from the rest of the competitors. Although there are many marketing tactics to achieve this objective, the App Preview is a must-have when it comes to getting the users to download your app. 

“The First impression is your Last impression”

While this may sound like a cliche, it doesn’t make it any less of the truth especially given the intense competition on the app store. You only a fraction of time to capture user’s attention and get them interested enough to download your app.

In this article, we’ll be going in-depth about the app preview feature in the app store and how to make the best use out of it. So without further adieu lets get started, shall we?

Let’s start with a quick introduction of App Preview

In short, an App preview enables your business to explain to the user what your app is all about and get them interested. It is a 30 seconds video that users can see on the app store when they come across your app.

Every App preview must have the following basic components.

• Introduction to your app brand
• Giving users an idea of how the app’s interface works
• An overview of the app’s key features and values

All these parts in coordination with each other should convey to the visitors that your app is worth downloading. A successful App review should elicit an emotional response like excitement, while briefly explaining your app’s core functionalities & values.

Although the above points sound simple, however, the challenge lies in how to achieve all this in just 30 seconds. Let’s have a look at some of the steps you can take to make it possible.

Step 1:  Identify your core values

It’s crucial that your audience understands why your app is valuable and unique after watching your App Preview. To hone that first make a list of your app’s most important features to highlight and value propositions.

Once you have outlined the main value propositions proceed further in prioritising which ones would make it into your App Preview. It’s advised that you use the value props based on their critical importance, engagement level, and ease of understanding through a visual interface. 

It’s ok to leave out some of your app’s smaller value propositions if they’re more complicated to explain or not visually engaging. An App Preview just needs to get the audience excited enough to come and install your app.

Step 2: Aligning your visuals and value props

Not you need to communicate the value of your app to users and you need to give them a feel for how it works as well. Thanks to App preview’s 30-second time limit, the best way is to find ways to do both at the same time.

To accomplish this, take your list of core value propositions and compare them against your app’s features to find points of alignment or reinforcement. These points of alignment not only demonstrate where your user experience perfectly reflects your intended purpose but they also visually represent how your user will relate to those values.

Pro Tip: Instead of creating different video clips it’s better to leverage your in-app footage to showcase how a user might move through the app.

Step 3: Structure your story

After finalising your most important value props and aligned visuals, it’s time to lay these items out in sequence and move them around in a logical context. 

While mapping out your concept, make sure to keep it simple. Story structure is important in App preview because it lets you map out what you want to say before you actually spend time saying it. 

Since the App Preview is so short, that main challenge is that you don’t have enough time to tell the story you want. Rather than trying to shorten individual parts, see which ones you can combine or omit entirely. From our experience, it’s better to have a shorter but clearer story than one that is longer but confusing. 

Step 4: Bring it all together in an AV script

An AV script is a proven, widely-used industry tool that is very easy to interpret in comparison to the traditional screenplay. Initially, you should map out not only what you want the audience to see and hear in the App Preview but also how the video transitions from one moment to the next.

An AV script helps in ensuring that there is clear communication about the App Preview across team members, and it is especially useful while hiring technical support. AV script accurately tracks timing, shot numbers, notes, and changes to all the moving components within your App Preview.  It makes sure everyone knows what to expect across all elements and versions of your App Preview by clearly defining where audio and visual elements overlap.

Conclusion:

Follow the above-mentioned steps to create an app review that will make the users fall in love at the first sight of your app.

We hope you found our take on the app review creation useful but just in case you have any questions about app review or need any assistance with your application simply contact us and we’d be delighted to help you out.