App Store Featuring

What is App Store Featuring

App Store featuring is the process whereby App Store editors feature an app in one of a few placement locations within the App Store. These can be in Today, the Games or the Apps tabs (under various collections like ‘Must-Have Apps.’) 

Being featured on the Today tab is sought after as it’s the most visited page in the App Store, all users (except those that come via an ad known or a link), arrive there. Though the Games and Apps tabs receive less traffic than the Today tab, they do still receive a large volume of visitors. Editors curate lists inside these tabs, some which are permanent such as ‘New Games We Love’ and others that change according to seasonality. These visitors have a higher intent as they’re looking for a specific game / app. 

It’s worth mentioning that not all ‘featuring’ is equal, it depends on where in the App Store an app is featured and the type of feature it’s in. For example, an app may appear as a ‘story’ (on the search results page / on the Today tab) that covers one single app (more focused) or can be part of a collection of apps / games that share a common theme (blended focus). 

Why App Store Featuring is Important

A key target for any app is to experience high impression numbers (exposures) that lead to visits to the app listing that in turn convert to installs. Being featured gives an app a significant boost in discoverability for organic users visiting the App Store. It’s the equivalent of placing a product in a shop front’s window; increased footfall means a larger number of people will see the product compared to if it’s placed inside the shop. 

There is a caveat. Yes, being featured on the Today tab will expose an app to a large audience, but these users are considered low-quality when taken as a cohort; they may have no interest in the app = a lower conversion rate (CVR.) It’s therefore more desirable for an app to be featured in the Games / Apps tabs on a more relevant list, which would mean a lower number of impressions, but a higher CVR thanks to being exposed to an audience of high-quality and better intent. 

App Store Featuring and ASO

Getting featured is one of the activities ASO teams are pushing in order to increase discoverability. There’s no ‘one way’ to get an app featured, but there is a methodology that will help maximise the probability. 

A fundamental element of the process is driving the large numbers of visitors from a featured placement to install an app. Traffic from the Today tab may be broader, or more targeted (from the Games / Apps tabs) so the creatives / marketing messages must appeal to both in order to maximize conversions. 

An ASO strategy that covers valuable ‘featured’ scenarios is worth its weight in gold; what a wasted opportunity it would be to fail to convert a large influx of visitors by failing to optimize a product page for a certain audience. Through A/B testing, Storemaven can help surface the most effective creatives and marketing messages for when an app does get featured.