app store case study

• Ad Creatives , ASO

Case Study: Achieving 66% growth through App Store Optimization

This is an in-depth case study by Jiri Chochlik, an ASO Expert at AppAgent

Good mobile marketing managers are relentlessly looking for new ways to improve their user acquisition efforts. They spend time finding the best strategies to follow , hoping that they will give them an advantage over the competition. If you’re a big publisher or an indie developer, ASO is an essential strategy that you can use to grow your app business.

In this case study, we will give you an in-depth insight into the steps we took to achieve a 66% growth in organic downloads for Kiwi.com . We hope it will offer some useful app store optimization strategies that can use for your own app.

In this case study you will learn:

• How we defined opportunities for growth through ASO.
• What our ASO strategy for Kiwi.com looked like.
• Our keyword optimization process for US and non-US countries.
• Which assets have been tested and how we achieved an incredible 82% increase in the conversion rate from over 30 experiments.

ABOUT KIWI.COM

Kiwi.com is one of the five biggest online sellers of airline tickets in Europe, and the fastest-growing startup in the CEE region, according to Deloitte Technology Fast 50. The company’s turnover increases massively every year, reaching an impressive €700 million in 2017. Kiwi.com currently employs over 1,500 people and operates in nine countries across the world.

AppAgent acted as the full-service mobile marketing team for Kiwi.com for nearly two years. We’ve built up an incredible relationship with the business and the brand during this time. It’s a powerful partnership that’s delivering results.

IDENTIFYING GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

When we first assessed Kiwi’s app store presence, we found some common issues with both keywords and store conversions:

• Keywords weren’t properly structured, and they were frequently placed in the inappropriate field (title, subtitle, keywords).
• Many keywords were not generating decent traffic.
• In major non-US countries, keywords had been just simply translated without considering—and properly researching—local search queries.

Store conversion

• There had been very few A/B tests and store experiments in the past.
• Screenshot design was rather “dull”, did not stand out in the search results, and was due for an immediate update.

At a strategic level, while Kiwi.com offers flight tickets to travelers around the globe, its focus was mainly on the US store. This meant that they were missing key opportunities in foreign markets including France, Japan, Spain and the UK.

THE ASO STRATEGY

ASO consists of two distinct, but interconnected, areas: conversion rate optimization of the store listing and keyword optimization.

In order for us to have a solid understanding of the landscape, the first step we took was to perform an in-depth analysis of Kiwi.com’s competitors. We needed to understand how they present their services; their visual and language style; whether they use video or not; and their store listing experiments. All of these would need to be considered when we created the strategy, and calculated potential rankings for Kiwi.com.

In order to identify the countries where additional investment into ASO could be profitable, our data analyst prepared a list of top markets using available sales and market data. To narrow down the list of countries we looked primarily at three metrics: the average revenue per user; top-10 countries in terms of revenue; and market size (downloads potential etc.)

Being “on brand”, while keeping sufficient space for experimentation, is a never-ending challenge for any big brand. There are always keywords that could work well volume-wise in the title/subtitle, but which fall foul of the brand guidelines. To ensure we were always on point, Kiwi’s Head of Mobile Karel Soucek was always engaged in our discussions, giving his view on our messaging.

The whole optimization process was split into two phases: 1. ASO for the US market both on GP and iOS (including keyword optimization + store listing). 2. Localization for the most attractive non-US countries.

1. KEYWORD OPTIMIZATION IN THE US MARKET

A) identifying competitors and kiwi positioning.

In order to understand the possibility of achieving a high ranking (within the top 10) we first needed to assess Kiwi’s place in the travel category, as well as identifying the best apps in this niche.

The ranking potential is strongly dependent on aspects like reach, brand strength, visibility, number of reviews, etc. As the travel category is a very competitive one, we knew that Kiwi.com wouldn’t be able to outrank the best apps like Skyscanner or Kayak for the most searched-for keywords (those with Top 10 rankings).

Our strategy was to look for less competitive keywords with less traffic but the much higher probability for Kiwi to rank in the top 10–and ideally in the top three–as that’s where most installs happen.

B) Keyword research

The travel category, and especially its niche–offering cheap flight tickets–is tricky as users are more likely to search directly for well-known brands rather than for generic phrases like “flight tickets”.

However, our assumption was that there is also a considerable number of users who are not familiar with big brands. I personally confirmed this hypothesis by simply searching and recording how many brands within this category were unknown to me.

This diagram explains the whole keyword optimization process:

Simply put, we:

• Start with in-depth research to create a long list of possible keywords that are relevant, have decent traffic, and assess if the app already ranks for them.
• Evaluate our chances of reaching a top-10 or higher position based on the level of competition.
• Select the final keywords set(s).
• Submit the new keyword set.
• Measure, iterate, measure…

Note: We always check all of the keywords that we select manually by using multiple techniques and tools; we know that we cannot rely on any single tool for this crucial part of the process.

2. KEYWORDS OPTIMIZATION IN NON-US MARKETS

The level of localization ranged from simple keyword translation to a full localization of the store listing, including screenshots.

For keyword research in the most important countries, we utilized our network of native speakers including experts in Germany, France, the UK, Spain, China, and Japan. For the rest of the world, we did just simple translations, as the ratio of time investment and growth opportunity didn’t justify a more complex approach.

Instead of including more countries on iOS, we expanded localizations to Google Play. Another hard learning point was the accuracy of translations. After finding a few mistakes using paid online translation services, we decided to hire at least two translators per country to double-check the final keyword sets.

Checking typos or spotting nonsensical words is impossible without a local knowledge of the language. We wanted to absolutely nullify the chance for any grammar errors on Kiwi.com’s store page and therefore invested in building a network of verified translators who were also trained in keyword research.

In the end, when we examined the results, an interesting difference between iOS and Google Play appeared. On iOS, we saw a great uplift across all metrics. However, ASO on Google Play had been much tougher to implement and we didn’t see such big growth – even though Kiwi ranked #1 for one of the main keywords “flight tickets” for some time. (While not as successful, we still consider a 31% increase in app downloads within the first year as a great result.)

We also saw that keyword rankings were moving up and down all the time. You can see how dramatic these rises and falls are below in the Google Play Store through this “ visibility score ” diagram generated by AppTweak :

Key takeaways

• Don’t split your forces – Find out the platform on which your app performs better in terms of revenue and downloads, and focus on it when you start with ASO.
• Don’t go head against the wall – Keep in mind that the competition in US App Stores is the fiercest and that shifting your focus to other territories can bring quick wins. It’s important to learn what the best performing countries are and assess whether localization would be effective there.
• No shortcuts – If you want to see real benefits in keyword optimization, you need to invest in in-depth keyword research, ideally using locals who can brainstorm the most frequently used search queries and typical phrases.

It’s important to note that downloads also increased as a result of the conversion optimization work we complete, as you will see in the next section.

CONVERSION OPTIMIZATION

1. store listing analysis and how to stand out.

Have you ever asked yourself whether it’s better to start with keywords or conversion rate optimization? So did we…

Our thought process was as follows: If Kiwi.com doesn’t rank well, then the rankings need to be improved first so we can learn about the true performance of the default store listing.

That performance then served as a baseline for our experiments with store assets. It’s crucial to run just one test at a time because doing so allows you to evaluate it properly. That’s the reason we stopped iterating on different keyword sets once listing experiments were running, and vice-versa.

We completed a large number of tests on both iOS and GP. This diagram demonstrates how the process works. Below we discuss the most interesting findings.

a) iOS11 early adoption

In the beginning, Kiwi.com’s screenshots looked generic, which resulted in a low conversion rate. At that time, with the release of iOS11 fast approaching, we knew that having landscape screenshots in search results offered us an opportunity to capture the attention of visitors. The goal was to take advantage of the new features of iOS11 and create something a bit different that would stand out from the crowd.

b) Testimonials

Another experiment we came up with was the idea of using some of the great testimonials the app had received from trustworthy outlets. Kiwi.com has had positive reviews from across the world, including publications like the New York Times. Once we checked screenshots of our competitors and saw that no one else was leveraging such social proof, we decided to give it a try.

We saw an incredible 30% increase , even after such a minor change.

c) Preview video

This feedback encouraged us to experiment more; this time with an app preview video that was auto-played in iOS11.

The problem was that we wanted to show the New York Times testimonial in the search results as well as the new preview video at the same time. Therefore, we created new versions of the screenshots in portrait orientation while keeping the same colors. We also included additional testimonials, including one from Business Insider, that would address frequent business travelers.

This experiment resulted in an additional 29% increase in conversions.

d) Further tests and learnings

We focused extra attention on the localization of screenshots as well. This time, besides just translating the dominant one-liners, we also decided to fully localize the app’s contents as they were visible on-screen; also showing regional airlines and relevant currencies.

One of our experiments in France and Japan also included culturalization, where we attempted to tailor the listing to local preferences. It was a great idea, but the results were inconclusive, so we didn’t consider it worth pursuing further.

Key Takeaways

• Dwell on details – Even a seemingly minor change like using a testimonial from a trustworthy outlet can have a big impact on conversion rate.
• Think outside of the box – Many apps are just following the store listing of others which creates something like a loop and results in all of them looking very similar. This can be a great opportunity for you to create something that will stand out.
• Don’t stop – If some of your experiments have little impact on performance, you didn’t fail, you just found what doesn’t work. Keep generating new ideas and don’t be scared to test. Sometimes they will work, sometimes they won’t.
• Take your time   – Our experience suggests that you need to run a decent amount of experiments to find out what works best for your app. Factor this into your plans.

REVIVING ROYALTY

A CLASH ROYALE ASO CASE STUDY

Discover how AppAgent elevated Clash Royale’s app store presence by incorporating captivating RPG-themed creatives.

To Summarize

• The potential impact of App Store Optimization strongly depends on the niche you are in , if it has an active user base or not, if users are actually searching for apps like yours, and the level of competition.
• Being aware of the quality of your app is crucial – ASO is influenced by reviews, ratings, and other in-app factors!
• Keep in mind that ASO is not just about keywords and screenshots – it’s about optimizing everything. You need to improve the user journey between the store listing visit and a successful app install. If you have a game, look at your APK/IPA size to increase the download rate. When you start with a new product, include keywords in the bundle ID and in the Play Store. There are many small wins that compound if you take your time with them.
• ASO is a great strategy for both big and small publishers . Some apps can leverage it more and some less, but for many, it’s a great strategy for attracting the most relevant users.
• Even when you stop actively doing ASO, you will still benefit from free downloads which can last for months or years. It’s a great advantage when compared to paid campaigns.

We would like to thank Kiwi.com for giving us such a free hand to test different strategies and grow their business. Because testing is what ASO is about!

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• App Marketing Case Studies

App Marketing Case Studies (2024)

Artem Dogtiev | May 2, 2024

The best way to plan and execute your app marketing campaign is to start with mobile app marketing case studies, examples of how apps from the same category were promoted previously. In other words, to learn what app marketing strategies did work and were fruitful. In this article, we will highlight 10 examples of app marketing campaigns for mobile apps from 5 categories – Shopping, Games, Finance, Photo & Video, and Health & Fitness. Each case study consists of an objective, solution, and results, keep in mind all case studies are taken from open sources which don’t provide too much detail about each case but we want to give you a general understanding of what marketing techniques were effective.

Unlock the App Store's Best-Kept Secrets

Wonder why some apps soar while others stall? We uncover your app’s potential, turning downloads into loyal and engaged users.

Let’s start with case studies for mobile apps for shopping. For a number of years, eCommerce has been one of the fastest-growing verticals for mobile. Multiple factors such as the big screen, advanced hardware of smartphones in hands of billions of people around the globe, and robust mobile payment systems enabled mobile to become a platform for people to shop. The COVID-19 pandemic has tremendously accelerated the growth of mobile shopping apps when people had to shop from home worldwide. As of this article writing, we’re still living under the influence of the pandemic, it turned out many people found shopping from home to be convenient even when they don’t necessarily have to stay home under lockdowns.

Featured App Marketing Companies

Shopping app marketing case studies

Let’s take a look at two marketing case studies for shopping apps and how various app marketing techniques are allowed these app brands to achieve specific marketing objectives.

Case Study #1 “Shopkick: Cash Back Rewards” app

The leading shopping rewards app that allows shoppers to earn rewards along shopping, both online and offline. Using the app, shoppers can earn rewards for the items they buy via scanning receipts. Shopkick is supported by all major retail chains and brands, including Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, eBay, Groupon, Nike, Best Buy, and more.

Shopkick: Cash Back Rewards app screenshot

Source: Moburst digital marketing agency

App marketing campaign objective

In 2020, because of lockdowns, people couldn’t visit stores and so in-store shopping was really low. For an app like Shopkick to grow it required people to do shopping in person and as a consequence, the app’s CPI, aka Cost Per Install, went high.

To reduce the Shopkick CPI it was decided to plan and execute a TikTok app user acquisition campaign. The first attempt failed but, after additional tuning of the videos to match TikTok’s visual style, a new campaign succeeded.

During the two months since the TikTok ad campaign was launched, the agency managed to decrease CPI by 87%, on top of that the Cost Per Registration decreased by 89%, and the Cost Per Acquisition dropped by 86%. Aside from achieving the primary objective – to decrease expenses and acquire users for the Shopkick app for less money, the company got access to a young generation of shoppers who use TikTok to discover new products.

Switching to the second case study featuring a British app that was launched during the inception of the e-Commerce aggregator apps for online shopping in the United Kingdom.

App Marketing Companies Buyers Guide

Download our   app marketing companies guide to learn how app marketing works, what mobile app marketers do, the best app marketing strategies, how much it costs, and, of course, the top mobile app marketing companies to hire for your app’s promotion.

Case Study #2 “Mallzee” shopping app

Mallzee is a UK non-retail shopping app that pioneered a non-retailer fashion shopping app concept back in 2013. Available on both iOS And Android, the app helps users to buy clothing with more than 100s high-street brands.

Mallzee app screenshot

Source: SplitMetrics mobile app growth agency

By the time an app marketing intervention was needed, the app had already enjoyed strong visibility on the app stores, as well as a very robust paid user acquisition campaign. The key component that required optimization was the Conversion Rate . That is to say that despite the fact that the app had a steady supply of traffic to its page on app stores, the number of people who actually downloaded the app was less than a desirable number.

To improve the Conversion Rate for the app, a number of A / B tests were conducted to test multiple changes for the app’s icon, title, subtitle, description, and screenshots. The Decision to apply A/B testing in conjunction with a standard App Store Optimization was made to avoid possible negative effects and actually further decrease the existing Conversion Rate.

As a result of multiple carefully executed App Store Optimization A/B tests, the Conversion Rate was increased by 10%.

From shopping apps to mobile games that command the bulk of revenue generated on both the iOS App Store and Google Play store.

Game app marketing case studies

As hard as the marketing of non-gaming apps is, mobile game marketing is always harder and more complicated. Let’s shed some light on two specific case studies for mobile games.

Case Study #1 “Kingdom Rush – Tower Defence TD” mobile game app

Kingdom Rush is one of the most popular Tower Deference, aka TD, games, which was published back in 2011 by Armor Games. TD is a sub-category of a strategy game and its gameplay is based on the deference of territories and possessions.

Kingdom Rush – Tower Defence TD app screenshot

Source: App Radar  App Store Optimization Tools & Services

Armor Games had been looking for app marketing support to help with the game’s growth, which after the game’s many years on the market began to wane.

The App Store Optimization was chosen as a marketing tool to reinvigorate the Kingdom Rush’s growth.  The ASO updates were conducted on a monthly basis and consisted of keyword research, title, subtitle, icon, and screenshots optimization. Every update of the visuals was performed in conjunction with A/B testing to avoid any negative impact on the app’s native traffic.

As a result of applying ASO to the game, the team of marketers managed to achieve a 300% increase in organic installs and a 1,000% increase in ROI.

Case Study #2 “World of Warships Blitz” mobile game app

World of Warships Blitz is an online multiplayer naval war simulator and action game. It immerses players into the world of visually authentic WWII warships and lets them be in the seat of their captain.

World of Warships Blitz 3D War app screenshot

Two major goals were set for the app marketing campaign for the game – grow exposure and raise brand awareness in multiple countries on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. A big part of the project was doing ASO for the game on 12 markets – French, Italian, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Spain), Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), German, Japanese, and English (US). Running a successful App Store Optimization campaign on a single market is not an easy feat but to do it on multiple markets is extremely hard.

To meet the challenge of doing ASO for the game on a such big scale, the app marketing team applied a combination of AI-powered ASO tools and in-house expert knowledge. The team identified untapped opportunities to drive more traffic for the game with keywords it wasn’t ranked for at the moment across all 12 local versions of the iOS app store.

As the result, a 35% average increase in app store impressions across all 12 markets was achieved. Among the most competitive markets this result was achieved for were South Korea, Russia, and Japan, in some locations the increase reached 90%, in Spain in particular, the average growth was 73% and in Turkey, the increase was the highest – 91%.

Moving on from mobile games to Finance apps. Today mobile apps that help people to do their finance on the go are booming. The market has passed the moment when people didn’t trust enough mobile apps to be their tool to do finance, hundreds of millions of people buy products and services, pay their mortgages, and send money to their relatives and friends every second 24/7 worldwide.

Finance app marketing case studies

Among other app categories, finance apps face a unique challenge – many people don’t realize how versatile they can be and how many benefits it’s actually possible to cram into a single app.

Case Study #1 “Providers” mobile app

The Providers app is the ultimate safe and secure app to manage all family finances, including banking, savings, benefits, EBT balance & spending, as well as a job search.

Providers: EBT, debit, & more app screenshot

Source: Bamboo app marketing agency

In this case, the most challenging part of the app marketing campaign was finding a new way to grab people’s attention and show the app’s value on a quite crowdy social media landscape.

It was decided to use a combination of user-generated video testimonials on top of other app marketing channels. The marketing team launched a user-generated content campaign on Meta to capture the attention of more qualified users within the pool of the existing Android user acquisition campaigns. To ensure the success of the campaign the following activities were performed:

• 2-week A/B test through Meta’s experiments function
• Evergreen Android campaign that was our top performant at the time
• Demographic audience targeting that attempted to reach our core persona

Thanks to the launch of UGC, aka user-generated content, the app’s Cost-Per-Registration was decreased by 68%, and also 15% increase was achieved for the ad campaign Click Through Rate.

Case Study #2 “iCash” mobile app

The app provides an easy way for Canadians to apply for a loan right from their smartphone. It features an easy application form that doesn’t require any documents, as well as provides access to a wide range of financial rewards and membership advantages.

iCASH.ca app screenshot

Source: Start.io mobile marketing platform

In this case, the major marketing goal was to regain the attention of the app’s users who didn’t complete their loan purchase process or invite people who previously purchased the loan to return and therefore become loyal customers. The important financial KPI for the campaign was to keep the campaign’s Cost of Acquisition per user within the $20 – $30 range.

To achieve the goal, a re-targeting mobile app user acquisition campaign was launched.

As a result, 300 new loans were sold per month and the Cost of Acquisition of new users was held at the $17 / per user level, which was below the agreed threshold.

From Financial apps to Photo & Video apps, yet another popular app category is filled with apps people use to capture photos and videos and apply sophisticated filters to enhance them.

Photo & Video app marketing case studies

The Photo & Video apps category is one of the both iOS and Android app categories that directly benefit from the smartphone camera’s advance to deliver more features and help people with being more creative. Because Apple, Samsung, HUAWEI, and other OEMs all provide native apps for photography and video capturing, app developers are in fierce competition to beat these default apps and win consumers’ hearts and wallets.

Case Study #1 “PhotoSi” mobile app

The PhotoSi app is one of the leading apps in Europe to print photos, and compose photobooks, as well as other photographic products.

PhotoSi app screenshot

Source: Replug mobile marketing consulting agency

The app marketing campaign was launched to resolve quite common roadblocks app brands are facing when they decide to go outside of the  Google and Meta’s ad platforms duopoly.  Specifically, the issues to address were:

• What acquisition channels should the PhotoSi brand be using to reach the existing audiences beyond what the Google + Meta duopoly offered?
• How could their marketing team keep the cost of acquisitions under control without eroding the bottom line?
• How long would it take for the PhotoSi marketing team to effectively scale those new channels?
• Was there a hidden opportunity in promoting their services to a whole new target audience?

After multiple discussions, the TikTok Ads advertising platform was chosen as the means to more app users outside of the exposure that Google and Meta provided. The stages of the marketing campaign were:

• testing multiple channels to choose the most efficient channel
• a search for the right micro-influencers to reach and work together on the app’s promotion
• A/B test creative messages and types
• campaign performance optimization
• audience identification.

Compared with Facebook Ads CPI, Cost Per Install was lowered on average by 75% meanwhile an average eCPA was decreased by 54%. Video ads impressions increased by 363.2%, the number of the app’s installs went up by 676.2%, while CPI decreased by 17.%

Case Study #2 “ProCamera” mobile app

ProCamera is a photography app that allows professional photographers to work with photos in .RAW format, retaining the high quality of images intact and achieving results not feasible with regular photo apps.

ProCamera app screenshot

Because of the COVID-19 travel restrictions, people were traveling less, and hence the demand for the ProCamera app went down as well. The app development team required help to compensate for that drop in demand.

The hired app marketing agency team decided to implement a combination of a full-scale App Store Optimization along with Apple’s Search Ads paid advertising campaign.

Upon the ASO campaign implementation, the number of downloads raised by 4%, as well as a 200% increase in the number of keywords the app was ranked in the Top 10 search results on the iOS App Store. Also after the first couple of months as the ASO & ASA campaign was launched, the marketing agency team managed to achieve a 28% increase in the app’s Conversion Rate and a 36% increase in the number of organic installs.

And finally, the last app category that hosts apps that help people around the globe to steady fit and healthy – the Health & Fitness.

Health & Fitness app marketing case studies

With the advent of smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other hardware to monitor people’s health condition, Health & Fitness apps’ popularity skyrocketed. In the following section, we want to review a couple of apps that help people with their mental help, which is – no doubt – a vital part of a human’s health.

Case Study #1 “Headspace” mobile app

Source: Phiture award-winning mobile growth consultancy

Several years ago the Headspace marketing team approached a mobile growth consultancy with the problem of building a strategy to grow over existing back then 6 million app users. The ultimate goal was pretty ambitious – to become the best and most recognized meditation and mindfulness app in the world.

The App Store Optimization campaign, launched by the hired app marketing agency, consisted of the audit stage to assess the app’s current ranking back then which was already strong but still allowed plenty of room for growth. The ASO-managed execution phase lasted for 6 months and included a series of experiments to pin out the best strategy to follow. The agency’s internal ASO tools and in-depth analysis were deployed to allow the app to continue to grow rapidly.

As a result of the performed ASO campaign, the Headspace app received a 40% increase in visibility and an 18% increase in installs acquired via search.

Case Study #2 “ThinkUp” mobile app

ThinkUp is one of the leading daily affirmations apps to help people with the right mindset to be happy.

Source: App Growth Network app marketing agency

The goal of the app marketing campaign was to achieve higher efficiency with how much money was spent to acquire more users for the app.

The provided solution consisted of an in-depth analysis to understand user sentiment and values within the meditation/affirmation space by performing market and competitor research, as well as ASA campaign testing, weekly optimization, setting up automation, campaign-level optimizations, and more.

The major result achieved during the course of a four-month app marketing campaign was increasing the Return On Advertising Spend by 83%.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you will find these app marketing case studies helpful to market your own app. The success of every app marketing campaign hinges on a choice of specific marketing channels to use, the effectiveness of messaging, seasonal effects, the market fit, and more. Every app marketing project requires a custom approach but we can identify a few app marketing channels / techniques that have a high potential to help the app to succeed on the market. These are paid advertising platforms such as Facebook Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, Influencer marketing campaigns and App Store Optimization.

There is one more thing to mention at the end, these app marketing case studies mention only major contributors that allowed app marketing teams to succeed but there are always other marketing channels that are involved but those impact is hard to measure and hence present in these case studies.

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App Store Optimization Case Studies in 2024

Curious about the secret to scaling your mobile app?

It all starts with App Store Optimization (ASO).

ASO is the magic ingredient in the mix, powering any mobile app's visibility and success. At Kurve, ASO is integral to our mobile app marketing strategies. Our unique methods have propelled numerous apps to the top charts, skyrocketing their downloads and brand visibility. 

But what is ASO exactly? To answer that, we've curated a comprehensive guide shedding light on every facet of ASO. This article breaks down intriguing case studies to illustrate how applying specific ASO tactics can help your app downloads to soar .

1. SweatCoin

Sweatcoin is a UK-based health and fitness app. It has revolutionized how people perceive physical activity by rewarding users for walking. The app tracks your steps, converting them into a virtual currency called 'sweatcoins', which users can redeem for products, services, or cash. Within seven years of its inception, Sweatcoin amassed 60 million registered users. It's evolved into an entity that resonates with the fitness-conscious audience worldwide.

Sweatcoin approached Kurve with a twofold ambition: to acquire more users and to expand into several new markets. Despite an impressive user base, Sweatcoin wanted its growth and revenue model to be more predictable and scalable. They sought to transition from reliance on influencers, referrals and viral loops to a growth model fuelled by paid advertising and organic growth.

ASO Solution

Kurve, the ASO Agency , crafted a tailored growth strategy integrating;

• Google App Campaigns (ACi)
• App Store O ptimization (ASO)
• Paid App Store Install Campaigns
• And paid Social on platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook.

Sweatcoin was harnessing the power of TikTok’s user-generated content and viral loops. Kurve trained Google's algorithm to target ideal users, blending audience research and ASO. As part of their collaboration, Kurve’s services extended to the creation and execution of campaigns across various channels that echoed Sweatcoin's value proposition - "It pays to walk."

The results were dramatic and fulfilling. Sweatcoin became the fastest-growing health and fitness app in history and achieved the number 1 position in the UK market. They saw a tenfold growth in monthly user growth via paid campaigns and a similar increase in media spending. All while maintaining their LTV targets. Sweatcoin achieved more visibility in its target expansion into foreign markets. The result? The app made the top 5 Health and Fitness chart ranks in App Stores globally. You can explore their success journey in greater detail here .

2. BackThen

BackThen, formerly LifeCake, is a private family photo and video journal app. It launched in the UK in 2012 before Canon acquired it in 2015. It offers users a platform to securely store, organize and share their cherished family moments, starting from pregnancy.

The brand's USP is providing customers with an alternative to mainstream social media platforms. BackThen addresses privacy concerns by enabling users to share their journey within their private network. Over time, the app became a valuable addition to Canon's digital consumer services business.

After reaching a plateau of 600,000 users, BackThen aspired to expand its user base, with an initial growth target of 1 million. Their primary objective was to ensure the app continued to attract new users while retaining the existing ones.

Kurve stepped in to shift BackThen's marketing focus away from generating installs. Instead, we used a more targeted strategy - user registrations. Using data science models to quantify user behaviors leading to subscription, Kurve refined the app's engagement strategy, aiming for a 4:1:2:1 ratio. The focus was encouraging users to upload four photos, invite two friends, and receive one comment. The CPM strategy involved creating and distributing engaging baby video content to target the right audience with subsequent advertising.

With Kurve's strategic intervention, BackThen experienced an impressive transformation within three months. The user base skyrocketed five times in a year, reaching over 3 million from the initial 600,000. At the same time, they significantly reduced CPM from £50 to £5 and improved efficiency by 20-30%. This massive scale-up was accomplished at half the predicted cost per user. For a deeper dive into this success story, click here .

3. Sephora shopping

Sephora's mobile app extends its physical in-store shopping experience to the digital world. It offers detailed information about cosmetics, hair products, and fragrances. Through the app, users can watch tutorials and try on makeup virtually via augmented reality features.

The app allows users to purchase products directly from their phones. This brings the whole Sephora shopping experience into the palm of their hand.

Sephora's main goal was to enhance its App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy to increase traffic and its visibility in the app stores. After achieving better visibility, the next goal was to improve conversion rates to take advantage of the influx of new traffic. This shows the necessity of an effective ASO strategy that focuses on visibility and conversion.

A well-planned ASO strategy includes the following;

• understanding app trends, 
• competitor positioning, 
• keyword ranking performance, 
• seasonality, 
• and overall messaging.

In Sephora's ASO case studies, we identified keyword themes aligned with the app's popular features and products.

One of the critical elements of this process was optimizing and testing the app's short description on Google Play. This section holds significant sway in both keyword rankings and conversion optimization. This effort involved creating multiple test variants based on Sephora’s products and features for the short description.

The testing phase resulted in a clear winner for the short description, and implementing this led to an impressive conversion rate increase of up to 44.2%. This case study showcases the benefits of a data-driven and tailored ASO strategy. When utilized, it can improve conversion rates and performance across all channels. A comprehensive understanding of the app's features, demographics, and conversion trends tied to each played a crucial role in achieving this success.

4. iSharing

iSharing, developed by iSharingSoft, is a real-time locator app that focuses on family and friends' safety. It lets users share their location privately and communicate with their loved ones. The selling point of the iSharing app is the peace of mind it offers families by providing easy tracking and alerts about their whereabouts. 

In 2024, iSharingSoft wanted to elevate the app's visibility and performance in the App Store. They aimed to secure a spot within the top 100 apps in the Social Networking category. Given the company had a single marketing team member and was targeting a competitive category, this was an ambitious target.

iSharingSoft adopted a proactive ASO strategy, updating the app metadata's keywords every 2-3 weeks. The increase in keyword rankings prompted iSharingSoft to invest in Search Ads for keywords where the app ranked in high positions. They used AppTweak's Search Ads Recommendations feature to gain insights, focusing on high search volume keywords already performing well. Moreover, they integrated their App Store Connect console to monitor conversions, mainly focusing on converting impressions into installs.

The diligent ASO efforts led to a surge in its category ranking by 42.5%, from #160 to #92. All within just two months. The app has maintained its growth trajectory since implementing the new growth strategy. This case study underscores the effectiveness of a strategic and proactive ASO approach for apps, even when managed by a small team.

5. Himalaya

Himalaya is a multifaceted audio education platform. Through inspirational and motivational stories, it highlights the extraordinary lives of various individuals, fostering an environment of learning and personal growth. The app is available in Chinese, English, Spanish, and Japanese. 

Their broad content range includes "courses" and "stories," creating a unique user learning experience. The ultimate goal of Himalaya is to inspire its audience with a rich audio experience that spans different categories and languages. 

The main objective for Himalaya was to increase app visibility and organic downloads, with a particular focus on the US and Taiwan. A meticulously planned and executed App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy was required. 

As the app was already identified with the most relevant keywords like “courses” and “stories,” the primary task was to enhance this initial keyword framework and optimize the listing in other search terms because of keyword usage and visual appeal. The goal was to boost their search downloads on the App Store and the Google Play store and enhance their organic growth.

Implementing an effective ASO strategy involves in-depth keyword research. This paved the way for creating a list of medium and high-traffic keywords. These keywords were strategically integrated into the app's listing, ensuring the App Store and Google Play descriptions were well-optimized. These keywords included app name, subtitle, and promotional text adaptations.

The long description on the Google Play store was also enhanced with additional keyword density. Over time, the ASO strategy had to be adapted and optimized based on user search behavior, competition and store changes.

The ASO strategy yielded impressive results, marked by a significant increase in organic downloads and heightened visibility. In Taiwan, search downloads increased by 58% on the App Store, and in the US, Google Play witnessed a surge of 47%. There was a considerable rise in the rank and visibility of Himalaya's app regarding organic keyword ranking.

The app also saw increased visibility in browser visibility by changing the category from “Education” to “Books.” The resultant ASO strategy boosted organic downloads and improved their business prospects. With Kurve’s expertise in ASO, a similar approach can be tailored to suit different apps, helping them achieve optimal visibility and growth.

6. Darby Smart

The "How To Videos" app by Darby Smart is an innovative digital platform offering users various informative and instructional videos on various topics. It is a go-to resource for users seeking knowledge and guidance on many subjects, from lifestyle to technology and everything in between.

The app icon aims to provide convenient access to expertise, promoting learning at the user's fingertips. The challenge Darby Smart faced was conveying the essence of their app through the icon. The brand mark was critical to their product page and user experience.

The goal for the Darby Smart team was multi-pronged. They needed to create an app icon that grabbed users' attention as they scrolled through the App Store. It also had to represent the app's purpose and content. With 65% of App Store downloads coming directly from searches, a visually engaging and clear app icon was paramount. The task was to test and identify the most influential icon design that could boost conversion rates and improve user interaction.

The Darby Smart team's strategy focused on A/B testing two different icon design approaches; following popular trends versus creating an easy-to-understand icon. To strike the right balance, the team reviewed top-performing mobile apps and experimented with a wide range of design styles. 

This testing phase is where a comprehensive ASO strategy, like that provided by Kurve, could offer valuable insights and expertise, especially in the case study generating effective variations for testing and competitive benchmarking.

This ASO solution resulted in a straightforward app icon design that increased the click rate on the “Get” button by a staggering 73.7%.

The strategy also allowed the team to understand what worked best for their app. In similar situations, Kurve's analytical approach and detailed performance reports could further illuminate what drives user engagement and conversion. With this data, it's possible to maximize the effectiveness of such an ASO strategy.

7. Headspace

Headspace is a globally-recognized mobile application that promotes mental wellness through meditation and mindfulness. 

The app, founded by Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson in 2010, offers users guided meditation sessions and mindfulness training that they can access anytime, anywhere.

With a vision of encouraging healthier, happier and more rested lives, Headspace has attracted millions of users worldwide.

Headspace's mission was to solidify its position as a world-leading meditation app. With six million users, they were seeking an edge in App Store Optimization (ASO) to fuel visibility and conversion. Nailing these two factors would lead to sustainable and scalable growth. The target was to enhance immediate app performance and equip Headspace with the essential tools and insights for enduring success after the completion of the project.

Headspace's ASO strategy was systematically structured in two phases: planning and execution. The planning phase involved a tailored ASO audit and a comprehensive market report to uncover significant app discoverability and conversion opportunities in the Google Play and Apple App Stores. Extensive keyword research and localization strategies were integral parts of this phase. This is where Kurve's expertise would come in handy, leveraging AI tools to provide targeted keyword suggestions and cultural nuances.

The execution phase was based on the insights gained from the audit, leading to six months of experiments. Continuous keyword optimization, keyword set, professional translation, and localization services were advantageous in niche markets like meditation. The entire process was transparent, and the experimentation outcomes were analyzed and reported, paving the way for an improved understanding of the ASO process.

The strategic ASO solution led to an impressive increase in app visibility by 40% and an 18% surge in installs via the search results. The conversion rate of local store listings improved by 8%, and there was a significant rise in installs from non-English markets.

The comprehensive experimentation process yielded invaluable learnings for future ASO endeavors. The Headspace team continued testing and learning even after the engagement, underscoring the long-term value of the initiative. Eventually, the user base expanded by 13%, securing Headspace's place among the top 100 grossing apps in the US.

8. StoryShots

StoryShots is an innovative mobile app that condenses popular books into short, digestible summaries. Developed to make learning from books more accessible and time-efficient, StoryShots became a go-to tool for busy readers or those looking for book insights before purchasing.

Despite its unique value proposition, StoryShots had only a handful of downloads at the outset. While this presented a vast growth opportunity, StoryShots had no marketing budget. The challenge was to tap into this potential in the most cost-effective way possible.

StoryShots wanted to increase its app awareness and user base using cost-efficient methods that could bring long-term results. The founders approached Grafikwerket to help them achieve this goal. Given the circumstances, the task was to create and implement a comprehensive App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy to increase the app's ranking and visibility. If successful, this would lead to a boost in downloads and user acquisition.

Grafikwerket recognized that ASO is not a one-off process but an ongoing optimization cycle. And so, they devised the ASO strategy around iterative growth hacking sessions. The idea was to systematically optimize various ASO parameters until the desired level of visibility was achieved.

Keyword analysis, tracking rating metrics and harnessing ASO intelligence were pivotal components of this plan. Further, recognizing the importance of localization, Grafikwerket aimed to optimize StoryShots in 30 new markets, amplifying its reach.

The strategic and iterative ASO approach yielded remarkable results. Within a few months, StoryShots had explosive growth in its install base, reaching tens of thousands of users. Within two months, the app secured a Top 100 ranking in the book category in 6 of the newly targeted markets.

The continuous influx of 5-star ratings and thousands of downloads each month is a testament to the success of the ASO strategy. The app's performance demonstrates the power of ASO as a long-term, cost-effective user acquisition tool.

9. Organic Walk

Organic Walk is a fitness app that serves as a personal wellness companion. It's an integrated platform that offers expert guidance, personalized walking routines curated by experts, a step and water intake tracker, and professional advice. Despite its comprehensive services, Organic Walk faced challenges in its visibility and download rates in its targeted regions. The situation called for a new ASO strategy.

The primary objective for Organic Walk was to boost its visibility in the App Store. Delivering this would increase app downloads across selected regions. Given the crowded nature of the health and fitness app market, distinguishing the app and reaching potential users was a critical challenge that required a strategic approach to ASO.

The resolution began with thorough market and competitor analysis to understand the app's standing in the marketplace. Creating a robust semantic core was integral to this strategy, which entailed collecting and optimizing keywords. Notably, this led to indexing branded and general search terms previously absent in the metadata. The metadata was updated across 12 localizations, targeting diverse global users and catering to their unique search behaviors.

The aftermath of this comprehensive ASO strategy was impressive. Organic Walk saw an 83% increase in app impressions within just nine days of release, which continues to rise. Furthermore, app units amplified almost fivefold, signifying a dramatic uptick in user engagement. Countries like the US, France, Brazil, and Spain showed the most significant growth rates.

By including more relevant queries in the semantic core and metadata, the app saw an increase in conversion from impressions to installs. These results illustrate how a well-executed ASO strategy can drive visibility, downloads and user engagement.

Key Takeaways

App Store Optimization (ASO) is a vital strategy. It allows mobile applications to stand out in the saturated digital marketplace. As the case studies show, well-strategized and executed ASO techniques can lead to a significant surge in app visibility, downloads, and engagement.

We at Kurve understand the ever-evolving dynamics of the mobile app ecosystem and the significance of an effective ASO strategy. Our robust mobile app marketing strategies are tailored to meet your app’s unique needs and ensure sustainable growth.

In partnering with Kurve, you're choosing a path toward improved visibility, increased downloads, and greater user engagement, all crucial elements for your mobile app's success.

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Why the Apple and Google app store monopoly could soon be over

Lead Mobile Networks and Security Engineer, University of Strathclyde

Disclosure statement

Greig is a member of the UK 5G security group, and the Telecoms Data Taskforce. He has worked on 5G projects funded by DCMS.

University of Strathclyde provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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New rules on mobile app stores could trigger a wave of creative, cheaper apps with more privacy options for users. Every budding developer dreams of creating an app that goes viral and makes lots of money overnight. The Angry Birds game became a worldwide phenomenon within weeks when it launched in 2009 and made US$10 million (£8 million) in its first year.

But, overall, the numbers make it clear that mobile apps don’t guarantee wealth. A 2021 study showed just 0.5% of consumer apps succeed commercially . Developers have to jostle for attention among the almost 3 million apps and games on Google Play and 2 million apps on the Apple store.

On Apple’s iPhone and iPad platforms, the App Store is the only way to distribute apps. Until recently, Apple and Google’s stores charged a 30% commission fee. But both halved it for most independent app developers and small businesses after lawsuits such as in 2020 when video games company Epic Games claimed Apple has an illegal monopoly of the market.

Epic Games lost but Apple was subject to App stores changes that are on hold. Both Epic Games and Apple are appealing. Epic Games has filed a similar case against Google, which is set to go to trial in 2023. App stores set the rules on privacy, security and even what types of apps can be made.

Third-party stores could set different rules which might be more relaxed and allow developers to keep more of the money from apps they sell.

You have been Sherlocked

Independent developers say they are sometimes being “Sherlocked” by Google and Apple. They develop an app, and not long afterwards the platforms embeds the app’s features in the operating system itself, killing the developer’s product.

FlickType was developed as a third-party keyboard for iPhones and Apple Watches in 2019. Shortly afterwards Apple apparently told the developer that keyboards for the Apple Watch were not allowed , they announced the feature themselves .

It can take between three and nine months to develop one app and can cost between US$40,000 and US$300,000 to build a minimum viable product. Some apps take much longer than this to develop.

In 2021 a group of UK-based developers filed a £1.5 billion collective action suit against Apple over its store fees. The case will be heard in the UK.

The European Commission told Apple it had abused its position and distorted competition in the music streaming industry and its restrictions on app developers prevent them telling users about cheaper alternative apps.

For instance, when Apple builds a music app, rivals such as Spotify argue this is unfair. They have to pay 15% or 30% of the revenues they make via the Apple store to Apple, their rival, which operates the store platform. Until recently , Apple prevented Spotify from telling users about cheaper options (like by subscribing via the service’s website).

A report from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) highlighted concerns that the tech giants are creating barriers to innovation and competition. A key finding was “Apple prohibits all alternatives to the App Store for native app distribution on iOS, giving it a monopoly over native app downloads on its devices.” Their full market study is due to report back in June 2022. The UK government has pledged to introduce new laws “when parliamentary time allows .”

Alternative app stores

The EU’s Digital Markets Act could be in force by Spring 2023 . The legislation is designed to open up mobile platforms by allowing users to install apps from alternative stores , and ensure app store providers don’t favour their own products or services over third-party developers’ offerings.

In February 2022 a US senate panel approved a bill that aims to rein in app stores.

It is possible to install apps from other niche stores on Android hardware - such as the F-Droid store for open source apps. But the Play Store is available on almost every Android phone by default, meaning the apps available on it can reach a much larger number of users .

Both Apple and Google’s app review processes (which looks at developers’ apps before making them available) have been heavily criticised for their lack of transparency, consistency, and general inequality. Independent developers have no real leverage against international billion-dollar companies.

Google has been criticised for failing to provide meaningful clarification when it remove apps from its store.

Users’ privacy

Apple expressed security and privacy concerns about allowing apps from other stores on its devices.

App store review processes can try to ensure that apps follow their privacy policies. Most users don’t read these however, and apps can already access and share a lot more data than users realise .

Third-party app stores are likely to create a trade-off between user freedom and user safety. Some users may prefer Apple and Google’s approach to privacy. Others may prefer a more open experience, where they can install apps from smaller independent developers, who can develop their apps without having to jump through the large app stores’ hoops .

The fact is that it’s possible to give users this choice - evidence from lawsuits shows that Apple originally planned to support running apps from outside its app store. The Digital Markets Act might force Apple to reconsider.

The DMA won’t deliver results for users and developers unless it is properly implemented. The European Commission itself looks set to become a dedicated regulator for the first time. This will take time though, and the commission will need to grow a team large enough to provide meaningful oversight and enforcement.

_This story was updated on June 9 2022. The number of apps on the Apple app store was changed from 4 million to 2 million. A quote from the CMA’s interim report was added. The following sentence was changed from: They have to pay 15% or 30% of revenues to Apple, their rival, which operates the store platform.

_To: They have to pay 15% or 30% of the revenues they make via the Apple store to Apple, their rival, which operates the store platform.

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IHG HOTELS & RESORTS

A future-ready app for world-class travel

Call for change, making room for mobile.

In a world where we use our phones for almost everything, travel plans often start from the palms of our hands. In this mobile-first era, IHG Hotels & Resorts—with 17 diverse brands and more than 6,000 hotels around the world—knew an elevated app experience was the best way to connect with and inspire loyalty from both current and next-gen travelers.

IHG’s app is its primary digital interface for interacting with and taking care of guests—and where the hotel-guest relationship often starts. For this reason, IHG needed a refreshed mobile experience to compete with the expectations set by today’s tech-first world. Additionally, IHG needed to build this new mobile experience around two priority user groups:

• Loyalty members: The IHG app is central to the new IHG One Rewards loyalty program, and members are the largest group of app users. But just like travel, the nature of loyalty has changed. IHG One Rewards is rooted in choice, flexibility, and rich rewards —and the app needed to support that.
• Hotel owners: Owned digital channels drive revenue from bookings at the lowest cost and in the most loyalty-building way—compared to third-party travel sites that take a commission and control the experience. Because of this, app innovation is a critical point of focus as owners seek to expand revenue and create sustainable growth.

As travel started to pick up in 2021, there was an urgency to get to market quickly with both the new loyalty experience and the redesigned app, and it was a massive undertaking. IHG couldn’t just reskin its current app—outdated infrastructure would produce exponential tech debt and complexity down the road. Plus, the new app needed to work with both iOS and Android, be translated into 18 languages and work across IHG’s 17 global brands and 6,000+ hotels.

IHG Wins 3 Webby Awards

The IHG One Rewards mobile app won three categories at the annual Webby Awards in April 2024, including the People’s Choice Webby Award for Best User Experience and People’s Choice and Judge’s Selection for Best Travel App.

WHEN TECH MEETS HUMAN INGENUITY

Shared delivery, expert support.

IHG tapped long-time partner Accenture to help, and the team worked side-by-side to envision and deliver a new app. With access to Accenture’s insights and intelligence around emerging trends and market demands, IHG was able to dream up new ideas and broaden the horizons of possibility.

A foundational component of the partnership was the flexible delivery model, or digital “factory”—a streamlined framework for creating and delivering digital products. The factory makes previously complicated development and delivery processes predictable, repeatable and reliable at scale, across IHG’s global properties. It allows the hotel group to bring new, innovative app features and experiences—like additional payment methods (WeChat Pay in China, for example) or digital check-in—to life faster.

The agility of scalable production allows IHG to ramp the factory up or down depending on business cycles or other strategic priorities, to launch multiple upgrades at the same time and to tap key specialized talent when needed. To that end, the model provides IHG with the back-end capabilities and a dedicated delivery team to create state-of-the-art app architecture and analytics. IHG is no longer limited to small groups of highly specialized resources—more people understand how to build and support this important digital asset, reducing risk and maximizing efficiency.

The new app was launched with an extensive beta process to ensure there was no impact to booking flow and functionality, and to gather valuable feedback before the full launch. The team released the app to an increasing pool of testers, starting with 12 users close to the program and eventually releasing to thousands of IHG employees and hotel owners, key partners and corporate customers globally. This process improved reliability and allowed the team to quickly address rare error combinations well before the actual launch.

Finally, the app was launched in phases, which allowed the team to pause and learn from feedback. By late May 2022, IHG fully launched the new IHG One Rewards App at its Americas Owners Conference In Las Vegas.

A VALUABLE DIFFERENCE

Making modern travel exceptional.

The new app is sleek and seamless, providing an end-to-end personalized experience for booking, check-in, IHG One Rewards Loyalty Program benefit management and communication across all 17 brands. It also supports expanded property attributes and pricing offerings, with increased merchandising opportunities for hotels. Leveraging the digital factory, IHG improved the experience for customers with features like personalized home screens, sticky navigation and “add to wallet” functionality for reservations.

The app is the most efficient place for IHG One Rewards members to manage stays and track progress toward the newly launched Milestone Rewards—a program full of perks based on extensive research into what guests really want. Inside the app, travelers can find an account dashboard to track points and milestones, a chat-based digital concierge and the ability to add the IHG One Rewards card to their Apple or Google wallet, to name a few attributes.

Already, the app is seeing exceptional results—a key contributor to IHG’s growth and ongoing success. As of September 2022—compared to pre-pandemic metrics—revenue, usage and downloads are all up more than 20% and growing.

The app is also faster and has near-perfect, crash-free performance. And as a testament to usability, it has a 4.9-star rating in the iOS app store, making it a top-rated travel app. Customer reviews describe the app as “easy to navigate” with a “stunning new design.” One guest even wrote that they “couldn’t travel without it.”

The IHG One Rewards mobile app has garnered global recognition, winning three categories at the annual Webby Awards in April 2024 , including the People’s Choice Webby Award for Best User Experience and People’s Choice and Judge’s Selection for Best Travel App.

The IHG mobile app is a big step forward in the company’s digital journey. It positions IHG as a leader in travel innovation, helping exceed guest expectations from travel planning to checkout.

Featured IHG Hotels & Resorts: ​

• InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort ​
• Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs

MORE CASE STUDIES

Telkom yep.

One-stop digital marketplace

Japan’s first digital bank 

REVEL MOMENTS

The human side of heroes 

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The Antitrust Case Against the Apple App Store

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Damien Geradin, Dimitrios Katsifis, The Antitrust Case Against the Apple App Store, Journal of Competition Law & Economics , Volume 17, Issue 3, September 2021, Pages 503–585, https://doi.org/10.1093/joclec/nhab003

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The Apple App Store is the only channel through which app developers may distribute their apps on iOS. First launched in 2008, the App Store has evolved into a highly profitable marketplace, with overall consumer spend exceeding $50 billion in 2019. However, concerns are being increasingly expressed on both sides of the Atlantic that various practices of Apple with regard to the App Store may breach competition law. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether this is indeed the case and, if so, how these concerns can be addressed. With these aims in mind, the paper first introduces the reader to the app ecosystem and the Apple App Store, with a focus on Apple’s in-app payment policies and the 30 percent commission charged for in-app purchases. After engaging critically with the distinction between apps selling “ digital ” and apps selling “ physical ” goods or services, we consider such distinction is unclear, artificial, and unprincipled.

The paper then critically reviews several practices of Apple that appear to be at odds with competition law and in particular Article 102 TFEU. We first analyze the issue of market definition and dominance with regard to the App Store. We find that Apple is a monopolist in the market for app distribution on iOS, as it is not subject to any meaningful competitive constraint from alternative distribution channels, such as Android app stores. The result is that Apple is the gateway through which app developers have to go to reach the valuable audience of iOS users. This bottleneck position affords Apple the power to engage in several prima facie anticompetitive practices. A first concern is that Apple may exploit app developers by charging excessive fees for the services it provides and by imposing unfair trading conditions. Second, based on four case studies, the paper illustrates how Apple may use its control of the App Store or iOS to engage in exclusionary behavior to the detriment of rival apps. These practices should be investigated by competition authorities, as they are likely to result in considerable consumer harm, be it in the form of higher app prices, worse user experience or reduced consumer choice. The paper finally proposes a combination of concrete remedies that would address the competition concerns identified.

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21 Epic Mobile App Marketing Case Studies

By: Gaurav Sharma

Updated On: August 4, 2021

Word Count: 4212 words | Est. Reading Time: 29 mins

As the mobile app market has evolved over the years, competition among app developers has increased as well. The life cycle of an app in this frantic mobile world will be very short if app developers don't come up with new ideas, and optimization/marketing strategies.

And the best way you can learn how to effectively market your app is by learning from successful mobile app marketing case studies. Check out our list of 21 of the most epic mobile app marketing case studies to learn how you can take your app to the next level.

1. App Name: KLM Airlines – KLM Airlines

The main objective of KLM airlines was to get their users to book flights on mobile. The second motive was to create a platform for other mobile marketing techniques such as mobile passbook and location-based notifications. And this could only be achieved by encouraging more consumers to use the mobile app.

Strategy-Driven Solution

KLM launched a campaign for three weeks during which they gave free app access to those who used their mobile booking engine.

Customers received their access in the form of mobile coupons, which they received in their passbooks for Apple phones and in their Google Wallets for Android phones. The location-based notification reminded them to redeem their coupons while they were in the vicinity of KLM lounges.

KLM Airlines saw a 17% increase in visits to their mobile site, which generated 34% more bookings and 38% more mobile revenue.

Key Takeaway

Offers and extra benefits can encourage people to use mobile apps and keep them hooked.

Source:  3DoorDigital

2. App Name: ASDA – British Supermarket Chain

ASDA wanted use technology to develop an app to make grocery shopping easier for people, specifically for busy moms. Their goal was to generate 10% of online grocery shopping transactions through the app.

Before designing the application, they approached their existing customers and asked them what kind of app would make shopping more convenient for them.

Based on customer feedback, they kept the app design simple so that it would be convenient for people from all walks of life.

They included features like “Did you forget?” to show them their frequently purchased items. This reminds users about the items they may have forgotten to order.

It also featured live petrol prices, which allowed customers to check the current petrol prices at their nearest ASDA petrol stations.

ASDA managed to drive more than 2 million downloads for the app. The app even won the IGD Digital innovation award.

Mobile shopping increased to 18% of all grocery home shopping, out of which more than 90% of the sales are contributed by this app. Shopping frequency from mobiles is 1.8 times higher than desktop.

Keep your app simple and user-friendly so that people of all age groups can use it.

Source: TalkingRetail

3. App Name: HotelTonight

HotelTonight needed to find a better way to introduce new potential users to the app in a way that showcased its functionality and use cases. They wanted to make sure that everyone has an incredible experience using the application.

HotelTonight’s motive was to showcase how it can help travelers plan a little less and live a little more.

They introduced a mobile video campaign in which they displayed videos of the hotels and all of the facilities users can enjoy. They wanted users to download the app and engage with it regularly. Mobile was the right solution because the app focuses on spontaneous and impulsive bookings.

Another important area in which they focused was publicity. They had a clear vision of providing customers with incredible experiences. And after those satisfactory visits to the hotels, they saw that people were eager to tell other people about their HotelTonight experiences.

They gave users an incentive to share their experiences to further encourage them to do so. This provided a catalyst for this viral marketing.

They came up with a “tell a friend” marketing program where users can invite friends right from the app by email or through a Facebook or Twitter post. Users received $25 every time a new friend joined HotelTonight. The friend also received $25 when they booked their first room through the app.

The HotelTonight team also used the power of social media and focused on Facebook and Twitter to build their customer base. Facebook provided HotelTonight with the platform to share their content such as videos and announcement of new hotels added to the app. They used both Facebook and Twitter to announce special deals and offers.

HotelTonight's cost-per-download was $0.20. 60% of customers come in through word-of-mouth or social media; 40% from mobile. They went from 0 to 70,071 Facebook fans in just nine months. They achieved 115% ROAS (return on ad spend) within one month. Their app install rate also increased to 326%.

Key Takeaways

Incentivize users for referrals to amp up your word-of-mouth marketing. And use social media to promote your app.

Source:  MarketingSherpa

4. App Name: BNP Paribas Wealth Management

BNP Paribas Wealth Management wanted to better engage with customers and prospective customers by making valuable financial information available through mobile devices.

The bank developed their mobile-first platform foundation software by creating their application for multiple platforms including Apple, Windows, and tablets.

They also created dynamic user segments, which helped them send out relevant, targeted in-app messages and push notifications.

They used pop-up messages within the app, which asked their frequent and loyal users to give the app a rating in the app stores.

They also began a cross-promotion campaign during which they broadcasted targeted push notifications that promoted a different BNP Paribas app called My Wallet. This helped generate free downloads in the Apple App Store and in the Google Play store.

App store ratings increased from 2.5 to 4 for the app. It also generated significant press coverage for the bank, which ultimately resulted in an increase in customers.

It is essential for businesses to think competitively and come up with solutions that are realistic and advantageous to their customers.

Source: Accengage

5. App Name: Guidecentral

To increase app visibility and drive more downloads.

The app switched to a more attractive icon that stood out from other apps in the category.

They also used the keyword “how to” in their app name in the app store because there was a high search volume for the keyword. And they added relevant keywords in the app description and optimized the section by adding their unique selling points and including a call-to-action (CTA).

The icon change along helped them increase their downloads by 700%.

Pay attention to every detail including your icon, description, and images. And make sure that everything is optimized.

Source: SlideShare

6. App Name: Amazon

Need for Change

Until recently, Amazon was struggling to get the top rank under the shopping category. Due to changes in the Google Play store policies, Amazon's app was removed from the Play store and ultimately, Amazon had to rebrand itself.

Amazon needed to relaunch the shopping app and completely rebrand themselves in order to get to the top of the rankings in the app stores.

Optimization Strategy

Keyword optimization played a key role in the success of their new strategy. Simply by adding the keyword “shopping” to the app's name worked wonders for them.

Before adding the word “shopping” to their app name, only 2.12% of the traffic resulting from the keyword went to them. After they added the word “shopping,” that numbers increased to 9.88% of the global traffic, which is almost four times more than before.

Adding the right keywords in the right places can work wonders for your app store ranking.

Source: SimilarWeb

7. App Name: Omvana

Since people have never heard of the name “Omvana,” they are not searching for it in the app store. So the team needed to ensure that their app gained visibility among people who are interested in an app for personal meditation.

Obstacles Faced

For apps like Omvana, the biggest challenge is to attract people who will download their app. They are targeting people who are looking for an app that will help with their meditation. However, these people have never heard of the app. So the biggest challenge was getting this target audience to discover their app in the first place.

The team discovered that people were searching for terms like “sleep,” “meditation,” “binaural,” etc. So they decided to rename the app in the app store from just “Omvana” to “Omvana – Meditate, Sleep, Focus, Relax, Rest & Nap Better with 1000s of Mindfulness, Hypnosis, Meditation and Binaural Sounds.”

This simple ASO strategy helped them increase their downloads by 125%.

Even the simplest things like keywords in title can make a huge difference

Having your app name alone in the app title may not drive visibility, so you need to work with commonly used and relevant keywords.

Source: BenPhilabaum   SensorTower

8. App Name: Trunk Club

Trunk Club wanted to efficiently convert visitors into paying customers through the app. They also wanted to discover the best customers they could focus their efforts on.

Challenges Faced

The crucial challenge faced by Trunk Club were that visitors were mostly in the browsing stage and not in the mental state of buying products. Due to this, the stylist’s time was spent even on those users who were not really interested in shopping. As they have a lot of users who sign up, it really created a mess for the stylists.

In order to save their stylist’s time, they tried a couple of app mechanics that would separate the window shoppers from serious buyers. Requiring credit card details was one such potential option.

Getting the credit card info filled in before buying anything from the Trunk helped generate more productive leads for the stylists to pursue. The users would be charged only when they choose to keep something in their trunk.

40% of their traffic now comes through mobile. Requiring credit card information led to fewer overall conversions, but the users that requested a trunk were more qualified and converted into purchases at a much higher rate.

43% of the users are more likely to connect to the stylists and make purchases. Since stylists have qualified leads now, they offer exceptional services and are now 90% more efficient than before.

Separating window shoppers from visitors who have actual interest in making a purchase drives profitability.

Source: UpSight   Optimizely

9. App Name: MailTime

MailTime wanted to completely overturn the closed mobile messaging industry. They wanted to use localization to ensure that they could make the desired change at different geographic locations.

The app offers an open messaging service and was developed using decentralized email technology. In other words, it is basically an email messenger. They were trying to bring about a disruption to the existing trend of closed mobile messengers. And sometimes, those apps had limitations in terms of geography.

Charlie Sheng, CMO of MailTime has talked about how they aimed for localization from the beginning because it was the only way they could cross borders with their app.

In some languages, the translations would end up being too long. In some cases, the translations didn’t fit the app’s UI design. This happened to the versions in Russian, German, Portuguese, and French.

So the team ended up working with the developer to customize the UI so that it fit the translated phrases. In some cases, the translators had to change the translations so that they fit the UI. This took the team a long time.

MailTime worked extensively to localize their app for different countries. They carefully worked on translations that perfectly fit different cultures. They also had to change the translations so that they fit the UI.

MailTime now supports 12 languages, including Chinese (in which the app is called 简信), Japanese, and Russian. It also supports ten email providers, including all major email services like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and services like Mail.Ru, QQ Mail, and 163 Mail, which are popular in Asia and Russia. They will soon add another seven languages to their service.

MailTime was featured as the Best New App in countries such as Austria, Brunei, China, Cambodia, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Switzerland, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

It was also featured on the front page of the Productivity Category in the United States. This coverage lasted over three weeks and drove tens of thousands of downloads every day.

Localizing your application can help you increase visibility, as you get exposed to a larger audience. And a larger audience implies an increase in the number of downloads.

Source: OneSkyApp

10. App Name: Marriott

Marriott wanted to drive 500,000 downloads within the first three months of launching their app. They also wanted to make the most of the smartphone as their secret marketing weapon.

A theme was carried out with a very different concept, the concept was that the smartphone, like the smartphone traveler, is overworked and needs a vacation. The smartphone pitches the traveler on the benefits of getting the Marriott app and hence getting them both a vacation.

This concept was popularized across all media. This included mobile, social, display, print, and even hotel properties.

The app was ranked as the number 1 travel app on iTunes on the first day of the campaign. It became the third largest m-commerce sales site of all the time. It was the first travel app to break the top five free apps overall in iTunes. It got 500,000 downloads within the first three months.

Fun and witty messaging helped attract and engage the target audience.

Multi-channel promotions helped ensure that they could reach the audience anywhere.

Source: BeeByClarkMeyler

11. App Name: Presspad

To increase the number of downloads for the app, which would eventually increase revenue.

Presspad didn’t follow a specific strategy other than optimizing their app following the basic principles of app store optimization.

They saw an increase in downloads by 140%, which led to an increase in revenue by 87%.

Sometimes just following the best practices can work for you.

Source: PressPadApp

12. App Name: KFC

KFC wanted to find ways to drive foot traffic to their stores by reaching local passerbys on their smartphones.

KFC started a campaign and used mobile location technology so that they could entice nearby customers to visit their restaurants. KFC worked with an ad company to target consumers to identify and reach the relevant target audience. They found that the most receptive demographic to the location-based targeting were busy parents with families.

The company’s target audience was comprised of young adults. They also targeted busy families whose lives are made simpler in many ways by mobile devices. They used the most accurate location technology so they could reach their target audience at the right time while they were at the right place. KFC delivered relevant offers that would entice these customers to visit the restaurant nearby.

The three-month long campaign helped drive foot traffic by engaging customers who were nearby a KFC store. It also drove a click-through rate that was 40% above the industry benchmark.

Accurate location targeting can help you reach the right audience at the right time.

Identifying your most receptive demographic and reaching them where they are most likely to engage with your business can pay off.

Source:  Youtube

13. App Name: Vodafone's Secret Women App

Domestic violence is rampant in Turkey, where almost one in every three women is a victim of domestic abuse. These victims are afraid to speak out and look for help. Vodafone believed that they could provide help to these women with the use of this powerful technology and created a secret app for them. Now the biggest challenge was spreading the message of this app in secret without any men finding out about it.

This app was hidden within a flashlight app. When a victim shakes her phone, the app would send out a message to three people that she trusts. The alert will also send out details of her location. Vodafone placed ads in products only used by women such as on wax strips and in the labels of women's underwear. Some ads also appeared in the middle of makeup vlogs.

According to their estimate, Vodafone believed that the secret would remain only for ten months, so they updated the app again. With the update, the flashlight app became a mirror application, so it remained a secret once again. They then used the same marketing techniques as earlier to spread messages about the update.

The app has been downloaded by 254,000 women in Turkey, which is 24% of all female smartphone users in the country. There has been more than 103,000 activations for the app. Since it became a lifeline for women who are in danger from their spouses, the app received the Grand Prix award under the media category during the Cannes Lions 2015.

Smart placement of ads for your app will ensure that it reaches the desired audience, which is especially important for an app such as this.

Source: DigitalTrainingAcademy   WPP

14. App Name: Starbucks

Although smartphone owners may not hesitate to make large purchases using their phones, things would be much simpler for them if they could complete their purchases with a mobile wallet-style program. The most important reason behind this logic is that entering credit card information can be inconvenient and unsafe.

Starbucks introduced a digital tipping feature called “Shake to Pay.” Using this feature, the users can just bring up a barcode by shaking their phone. Baristas can then scan this barcode to accept the tip using mobile payment.

They also used a rewarding strategy to incentivize their users. Each time a customer makes a purchase through the company’s popular app, they get a star. After collecting a certain number of stars, they can then collect a reward. Under this program, customers can attain a Gold Status when they earn 30 stars within a year. Once they’ve achieved this status, they further get a free beverage or a food item for every 12 stars they earn.

There were 6 million transactions worth $1.5 billion made weekly in the U.S. Mobile payments accounted for 15% of total transactions made in Starbucks-operated stores in the U.S.

Always give multiple payment options to users.

Offer rewards to users for every purchase they make to encourage them to engage with the app.

Source: MBAKnol

15. App Name: CloudOn

To increase downloads and boost store ranking.

Strategy-Drive Solution

CloudOn thoroughly optimized their Play Store listing and placed their main focus on the app title and description. They made changes that would ensure better visibility of the app when people search for relevant keywords. They also used a new set of keywords that they deemed relevant to their target audience.

With these simple tricks, CloudOn made it to the top 10 lists with only changes to keywords and title. CloudOn downloads went up to 201%.

They ranked fifth on the charts with new shiny screenshots.

• • Give much heed to the app title and description.
• • Review your keywords monthly, and change them if need be.
• • The app description should be appealing.

Source: SensorTower

16. App Name: ASDA Price Guarantee App

To simplify the process of saving money for shoppers without burdening internal teams too much.

ASDA came up with the Price Guarantee app, in which customers can enter the details of their shopping receipt to see if they qualify for deals. They will then get money-back vouchers through the app. The app fetches data from a third-party site and outlined eligible discounts according to the customer’s receipt. After developing the app, the team also marketed it online and on television.

There were more than 1,000 downloads a day for the app. ASDA also found that users continued to engage with the app long after their downloaded it.

Creating apps that simplify the lives of customers can ensure long-term engagement with the app.

Marketing the app through multiple channels can give the desired visibility to drive downloads.

Source: PocketWorks

17. App Name: 10bis

To get high install volumes without spending a fortune on app marketing.

10bis started out by identifying a broad range of audiences relevant to their services based on interests and demographic. They then created a Facebook ad campaign targeting these audiences, as they are most likely to download the app and use it. This target audience was comprised of people who have an interest in restaurants and food as well as single people and people who belong to younger age groups.

They also created another campaign in which they used the Custom Audiences feature to target people who have already downloaded the app. The ads were designed to encourage them to use the app by offering special promotions for local restaurants.

10bis managed to get 15,000 app installs and 70,000 app interactions between October 2015 and January 2016 alone. Their ongoing campaign manages to deliver thousands of new users every month. The best part is that these users engage with the app since they are highly relevant.

Carefully targeting highly relevant audiences can help deliver the desired results and achieve engaged users.

Running an ongoing campaign can deliver consistent results.

Source:  DigitalTrainingAcademy

18. App Name: Pokemon Go

To promote their newly-launched video game and achieve installs by highly engaged users.

The team ran a pre-launch promotional campaign using YouTube videos and press releases. They also made announcements about the app’s main features. But these marketing strategies aren’t the only reason for the app’s massive success. The users themselves help spread the news about the app and helped to make it viral.

The app’s design itself is enough reason for many users to download the app. Since the app makes use of location-based services and augmented reality to create a unique gaming experience, it managed to win the hearts of users.

Pokemon Go now has 26 million active users on a daily basis. The average player spends more than 40 minutes a day on the app. In addition to this, the game continues to attract 500 downloads every minute or 700,000 downloads per day.

Offering advanced features can deliver a unique user experience that encourages word of mouth marketing.

Building hype before the launch can help gain traction for your app marketing.

Source: EasternPeak

19. App Name: MakeMyTrip

To achieve overall growth of the MakeMyTrip mobile app.

MakeMyTrip worked with AppVirality to create an in-app referral program. The program rewarded new users who downloaded the app through friend’s referrals. It also rewarded users whose friends downloaded the app through their referrals and gave an additional reward when those friends booked a trip using the app.

MakeMyTrip saw a 20% increase in overall downloads. Their conversions increased by 25% and transaction rate went up by 20%.

Referral programs are a great way to motivate users to promote your app.

Source: AppVirality

20. App Name: Paperclip

To increase the number of app users and achieve long-term growth.

Paperclip decided to use AppSamurai, a self-service mobile advertising tool designed mainly for startups. They used the smart ad campaign feature to target highly relevant users and get them to download the app.

They managed to get a 210% increase in user acquisition rate and a 100% increase in daily sessions. The number of daily active users increased by 250% and the app ranking jumped from 100 to top 25 in the shopping category.

Invest in smart ads that will help you target an audience that is highly likely to download and use your app.

Source: AppSamurai

21. App Name: Sing2Learn

To increase app visibility and drive downloads as well as increase their app store rating.

Sing2Learn worked with a mobile marketing agency to create a PowerPoint presentation about the app and distribute it through multiple online channels. They created and distributed a highly engaging demo video, which also served as a marketing video. The team created and distributed press releases online to raise more awareness about the app.

Additionally, they did thorough app store optimization to ensure that the app had an accurate description along with screenshots and tags. Sing2Learn created a pay-per-click campaign using relevant keywords to further increase visibility. They amped up their social media marketing strategy to raise more awareness about the app. Journalists helped them gain additional exposure.

The app has since been installed more than 13,000 times and received 480 reviews on Google Play. It has managed to get an app store rating of 4.8.

Promoting your app through multiple channels can help you gain significant exposure.

Source: MobileSoftwareMarketing

These mobile app marketing case studies should help you gain a better understanding of the improvement you can see with the right kind of changes in your mobile app marketing strategy. You should now have a clear idea of all of the changes you can make to improve your app growth. Which of these case studies was the most impressive to you? Let us know in the comments.

About the Author

Gaurav Sharma -

CEO/Founder @ Attrock Gaurav Sharma is the Founder and CEO of Attrock , a results-driven digital marketing company. Grew an agency from 5-figure to 7-figure revenue in just two years | 10X leads | 2.8X conversions | 300K organic monthly traffic | 5K keywords on page 1. He also contributes to top publications like HuffPost, Adweek, Business2Community, TechCrunch, and more.

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11 Inspiring UX Case Studies That Every Designer Should Study

A UX case study is a sort of detailed overview of a designer's work. They are often part of a UX designer's portfolio and showcase the designer's skill in managing tasks and problems. From a recruiter's perspective, such a UX portfolio shows the skill, insights, knowledge, and talent of the designer.

Therefore, UX case studies play an important role in the recruitment and demand for designers.

What Makes a Powerful Case Study

Building a UX case study includes showing the design process through compelling stories. They will use plain language to demonstrate how they handled key design issues, offering a comprehensive view of their process. Well done case studies often include:

• A  problem statement and solutions with real applications.
• Relevant numbers, data, or testimonials to demonstrate the work and efforts.
• A story that directly connects the problem to the solution.

Any competent UX professional will know that creating a stunning UX case study is about the little details.

11 Best UX Case Studies for Designers

The best way to understand what a good case study looks like is to go over other examples. Each of these UX case study examples shows a designer's insights, basic skills, and other designers' lessons learned through their experience.

1. Promo.com web editor

For this video-creation platform , UX designer Sascha was brought on to revamp v2.0, adding new features that could work alongside the existing UX design. The point was to work on interface details that would help create a user friendly platform, and that users could find simple enough to use.

User personas mapped by the UX designer revealed the most common confusion to be the process of inserting particular features into the video, such as subtitles. The designer's goal, therefore, was to create a platform with improved editor controls.

The designer then used a common text-editor layout to include top and side navigation bars that made it easy to access and implement text editing.

Key Learnings from Promo.com

This case study focuses on addressing a particular problem that customers were currently facing. Its main theme is to show a problem, and how the product designer addressed this problem. Its strength points include:

• clearly highlighting the problem (i.e. inaccessible and limited video-text editor options)
• conduction research to understand the nature of the problem and the kind of solutions customers want
• implementing research insights into the redesign to create a platform that actively served customer needs

2. Productivity tracker app

The main concept behind this UX case study is to address a pre-existing problem through the design of the app. Immediately from the start, the study highlights a common pain point among users: that of a lack of productivity due to device usage.

This UX case study example addressed some of the main problems within existing productivity apps included:a poor UI and UX that made navigation difficult

• a poorly-built information architecture
• limited functions on the mobile application

Key Learnings from the Productivity app case study

The case study highlights the simple design process that was then used to build the app. Wireframes were created, a moldboard developed, and finally, individual pages of the app were designed in line with the initial goals.

3. Postmates Unlimited

This case study clearly identifies the improvements made to the Postmates app in a simple overview before jumping into greater detail. The redesign goal, which it achieved, was to improve the experience and other interface details of the app.

The problems identified included:

• usability that led to high support ticket volume.
• technical app infrastructure issues that prevented scalability.
• lack of efficient product management, such as batching orders.

A UX research course can help understand the kind of research needed for a case study. The app redesign involved bringing couriers in and running usability testing on improvements. The final model, therefore, had input from real users on what worked and what caused issues.

Key Learnings from Postmates

The Postmates redesign works as a great UX case study for the simple way it approaches problem-solving. Following an overview of the work, it addresses the problems faced by users of the app. It then establishes research processes and highlights how changes were made to reduce these issues.

4. TV Guide

Addressing the fragmentation of content across channels, this case study sought to redesign how people consume media. The key problems identified included:

• the overabundance of content across various TV and streaming platforms
• the difficulty in discovering and managing content across all platforms

To deliver on the key goals of content personalization, smart recommendations, and offering cross-platform content search, the design process included conducting interviews, surveys, and checking customer reviews.

The design of TV Guide enables users to get custom recommendations sourced from friends' and family's watchlists.

Key Learnings from TV Guide

Like previous UX design case studies, this one tackled the issue head-on. Describing the research process, it goes into detail regarding the approach used by the UX designers to create the app. It takes readers on a journey, from identifying pain points, to testing solutions, and implementing the final version.

5. The FlexBox Inspector

Designer Victoria discusses how she developed the investigator tool for the Mozilla Firefox browser. Surveys into understanding the problems with the existing CSS Flexbox tool revealed a need for a user-friendly design. Interviews with a senior designer and other designers helped developers understand the features design-focused tools ought to have. A feature analysis revealed what most users look for in such tools.

The final result of the development process was a design that incorporated several new features, including:

• a new layout
• color-coded design
• multiple entry points to make workflow management efficient

Key Learnings from the Flexbox

This UX design case study starts with a clear goal, then addresses multiple user needs. It clearly defines the design process behind each feature developed by the time, and the reasoning for including that feature. To give a complete picture, it also discusses why certain features or processes were excluded.

6. The Current State of Checkouts

This Baymard UX design case study looks into the checkout process in over 70 e-commerce websites. Through competitive analysis, it isolates problem points in the UX design, which, if addressed, could improve the customer's checkout process.

The study found at least 31 common issues that were easily preventable. The study was designed and conducted on a large scale, over 12 years, to incorporate changing design patterns into the review.

Recommendations based on findings include:

• prominent guest checkout option
• simple password requirements
• specific delivery period
• price comparison tool for shipping vs store pickup

Key Learnings from Checkout Case Study

Each identified issue is backed up by data and research to highlight its importance. Further research backs up each recommendation made within the case study, with usability testing to support the idea. As far as UX case studies go, this one provides practical insight into an existing, widely used e-commerce feature, and offers practical solutions.

7. New York Times App

Using a creative illustration website, the designers proposed a landing page feature "Timely" that could counter the problems faced by the NYT app . Its major issues included too much irrelevant content, low usage, and undesirable coverage of content.

The goal behind Timely was to improve user incentives, build long-term loyalty, and encourage reading. Design mapping for the app covered:

• identifying the problem
• understanding audience needs
• creating wireframes
• designing and prototyping

The end result was an app that could help readers get notifications regarding news of interest at convenient moments (at breakfast, before bed). This encouraged interaction and improved readability with short-form articles.

Key Learnings from NYT App

The UX case study proposes a problem solution that works with an existing information architecture, instead adding custom graphics to the mobile app. It leads from a simple problem statement to discuss the project that could address these issues without changing was customers already loved.

UX case studies focused on redesign include the FitBit redesign, which started off by understanding personas and what users expect from a fitness tracker. Developing use cases and personas, Guerilla usability testing was employed to assess pain points.

These pain points were then ranked based on their importance to users and to app performance. They were addressed through:

• Highlighting essential parts and features of the app
• Changing easily missed icons to more recognizable icons
• relabelling tracking options to guide users better to its usage

Key Learnings from Fitbit

While the case study maps user experiences and offers solutions, it does not begin with an intensive research-based approach. The prototype is successful in testing, but problem factors are not identified with research-based statistics, meaning key factors could have been ignored.

9. Rating System UX

The designer behind the rating system UX redesign sought to solve issues with the 5-star rating system. Highlighted issues included:

• the lack of subjective accuracy of a 5-point rating system
• the issue of calculating the average of a zero-star rating
• average ratings are misleading

Better alternatives include:

• 5-star emoticon rating that relates the user experience
• Like/dislike buttons that make approval/disapproval simple

The final design incorporated both these styles to make full use of the rating system.

Key Learnings from Rating System UX

The UX case study stemmed from insight into the limitations of the existing rating system. The new design addressed old issues and incorporated better efficiencies.

The Intuit redesign was focused on making content readable, more engaging, and accessible. Looking into product personalization, the content was found to be lacking aesthetic value, as well as being hard to find. The goal was to create content that was easy to find, clear, and consistent.

The implemented solutions included:

• increased readability with increased body text and header spacing
• table of contents on the sidebar for easier navigation
• visible and prominent search bar
• illustrations and designs for pretty visuals

Key Learnings from Intuit

The Intuit case study approaches the problem from a practical point of view. It begins with isolating problems with the interface, in particular with the content. This is an example of a case study that breaks down problems into broader categories, and solves each problem with a practical solution.

This UX case study about a social platform tackles a commonly-faced problem from existing platforms. It addresses the issue of recognizing non-monetary user engagement, to help creators identify their user base.

The case study addresses the problem statement and establishes the design process (building wireframes and prototypes) as well as conducting user testing. The final result is to develop "Discover" pages, engaging layouts, and animated interactions to increase usability.

Key Learnings from Jambb

The study goes into detail regarding problem identification, then moves on to propose solutions that take into account the perspective of all stakeholders involved. It then explains why each design decision was made, and proves its efficacy through testing and prototyping.

Key Takeaways

Developing good UX case studies examples is as much about the details you include as the ones you leave out. Going over UX courses can give you a better understanding of what your case study should look like. A good case study should provide an overview of the problem, include numbers and statistics, and offer practical solutions that directly address the problem. The above-discussed UX case studies provide a good example of the dos and don'ts of a well-structured UX design case study that should be part of every UX portfolio .

Additional Resources

Check out these resources to learn more about UX case studies:

8 UX Case Studies to Read

UX Design Case Study

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Case Study – How ‘Shot Scope’ Saved 10 Hours A Month in Store Management

In this case study, you'll see how a golf technology seller tackled their WooCommerce stock management and coupons related challenges using Smart Manager.

Last updated on May 4, 2024

Do you manage single or multiple WooCommerce stores? Editing stock levels manually across all stores is frustrating and time-consuming.

David of Shot Scope faced a similar challenge. However, his quest ended when he discovered Smart Manager leading to a significant transformation in his business operations.

Let’s see how.

Meet David and Shot Scope

Shot Scope is a golf technology and data company based in Scotland. David is the e-commerce manager of the company.

A market-leader in the golf industry, Shot Scope develops GPS golf watches, laser rangefinders and handheld golf performance tracking devices, which has had over 4M shots recorded on their data platform, helping over 200,000 users so far, improve their golf and lower their scores. Impressive!

Shot Scope is stocked in major golf retailers across the UK, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia – you can also buy directly from their website.

They have a relatively small product line listed on WooCommerce, offering multiple color options and variations to their award-winning product range.

Learn more about their business on:

What struggles David faced before he discovered Smart Manager?

David and the team at Shot Scope used to manage stock manually. And with their fulfillment centers located in different parts of the world, viewing or editing global stock levels was very time consuming.

They found it difficult to keep a track of regionalised pricing from one e-commerce store due to the product range being available across several countries.

They also have a very successful affiliate program, but keeping on top of affiliate marketing codes was a challenge. And at times, it took hours to update several conditions individually for each coupon code.

Why did David pick Smart Manager only?

David and team were aware of the Smart Manager plugin and were very impressed with the free version .

They tested it on their development environment and decided that the Pro version would fulfill their requirements.

How did Smart Manager help David overcome the struggles?

By using Smart Manager, Shot Scope were able to set up custom dashboard views, with the ability to easily switch between them.

Custom dashboard views enable you to create your own dashboard to make frequent changes to a specific data set.

The Export functionality replaced their previous manual stock management process, enabling them to export global stock levels into a CSV file efficiently.

They also utilized bulk editing to update stock levels across all fulfillment centers in just around five minutes, saving 3 hours per week and significantly improving efficiency.

Moreover, they used Bulk Edit to update pricing across several regions at SKU level from one dashboard, rather than having to manually and individually change each price per region. This saved another 2 hours per week.

Additionally, they used Bulk Edit to update affiliate marketing coupon codes to exclude / include conditions and update expiry dates. More about bulk editing coupons .

Overall, using Smart Manager for multiple store management operations, Shot Scope saved over 10 hours a month! In other words, it’s 120 hours or 5 days a year!

Shot Scope utilized their saved time more wisely on developing their website and driving marketing campaigns throughout the golf season. Smart move, isn’t it?

Try Smart Manager live demo

Why does David recommend our Smart Manager plugin?

• User-friendly, out of the box solution that reduces manual tasks.
• Quickly update records / fields / codes / pricing in bulk and utilize the saved time to drive your business forward.
• Avoid manual, error-prone and repetitive ‘copy & paste’ tasks. Update 200/300 records at once.
• Easy to Undo the errors made.

Overall, the Smart Manager plugin will help make your day-to-day running of any website easier and saves you time into the bargain.

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Apple touts stopping $1.8B in App Store fraud last year in latest pitch to developers

Apple released new data about anti-fraud measures related to its operation of the iOS App Store on Tuesday morning, trumpeting a claim that it stopped over $7 billion in “potentially fraudulent transactions” across the four years between 2020 and 2023.

More than $1.8 billion of that total was stopped in 2023, per Apple, which is down from the $2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions Apple reported preventing in 2022 . It also said it blocked over 14 million stolen credit cards and more than 3.3 million accounts from transacting again between 2020 and 2023.

As with any self-reported corporate metrics, the aim is to shape a narrative: In Apple’s case it’s a longstanding claim that its mobile ecosystem sets “the standard for security, reliability, and user experience”, as its blog post puts it.

It’s worth noting that counter-narratives do exist, such as the developer lawsuit Apple settled back in fall 2022 , which had raised complaints about unfair app rejections, scams and fraud.

The timing of Apple’s blog post coincides — coincidentally or not — with the kick-off of Google’s developer confab, I/O . That’s interesting because, in recent months, Mountain View has been running a pilot of a new automated anti-fraud measure for its own app store, Google Play, suggesting competition to burnish mobile security cred is heating up thanks to AI.

Apple’s other pressure point on ecosystem integrity comes from regulators. In the European Union the iPhone maker has, since February , been forced into allowing third-party app stores and app sideloading under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). It must also let developers use third-party payment tech (rather than its own) if they wish. Apple argues the DMA’s enforced openness is weakening the security of its iOS ecosystem.

The “fourth annual fraud prevention analysis” Apple has published today offers a retrospective look at where its App Store ecosystem stood on stopping scams and other problematic behaviors before meddling EU regulators got involved.

It also reads like a marketing pitch to developers who, in the EU at least, have an increasing array of choices about how to distribute their apps , rather than being forced to submit to the Apple’s App Store to reach iOS users.

App Store integrity in the frame

Reporting additional metrics for 2023, Apple said it rejected more than 1.7 million app submissions for failing to meet its “stringent” standards for privacy, security and content. It also said its efforts to stop and reduce App Store fraud led to it terminating nearly 374 million developer and customer accounts, and removing “close to” 152 million ratings and reviews over fraud concerns.

Also in 2023, Apple said it shuttered close to 118,000 developer accounts — which its blog post notes is a marked decrease from the 428,000 terminations in the prior year (2022). It credits “continued improvements” in preventing the creation of potentially fraudulent accounts in the first place with this decrease, without specifying the changes it’s made.

In further actions last year, Apple said it rejected more than 91,000 developer enrollments for “fraud concerns” — preventing these accounts from submitting what it couched as “problematic apps” to the App Store. 

Apple’s App Review team has over 500 staff who Apple said are tasked with evaluating every app submission. “On average, the team reviews approximately 132,500 apps a week, and in 2023, reviewed nearly 6.9M app submissions while helping more than 192,000 developers publish their first app onto the App Store,” it wrote.

Per Apple, the App Review workflow involves both automated processes and human review to try to spot and block fraud and other harms. In 2023, more than 1.7 million app submissions were rejected by Apple for “various reasons, including privacy violations and fraudulent activity”.

“Bad actors employ deceptive tactics to harm users, including the practice of disguising potentially risky apps as innocuous ones,” the company wrote. “Over the past year, there have been numerous instances where App Review identified apps initially misrepresented as harmless products — such as photo editors or puzzle games — that later transformed postreview into pirate movie streaming platforms, illegal gambling apps, or fraudulent and predatory loan issuers.”

“In some extreme instances, the team also identified and removed financial service apps involved in complex and malicious social engineering efforts designed to defraud users, including apps impersonating known services to facilitate phishing campaigns and that provided fraudulent financial and investment services,” Apple added, noting App Store reviewers “removed or rejected 40,000 apps from developers who engaged in bait-and-switch activity” across the year.

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Essential apps, customization apps, audio and video apps, communication apps, productivity apps, reading apps, sports apps.

The Google Play Store has millions of apps and games for you to download and make the most of your Android phone . Of course, not all the apps are worth downloading and installing on your phone, as most of them are duds that don't necessarily add any value to your smartphone experience. If you are new to the world of Android and don't know where to begin, then you've come to the right place. Read on to find a list highlighting the best Android apps across different categories like essential, customization, audio, and video apps, and more.

You'll eventually have your very own list of favorites once you get used to Android and find a footing, but the ones I've mentioned in the collection below will help you get started. I've included a good mix of both new and older yet popular apps in this list, so you get a pretty good mix overall. You'll also find both free and paid apps on the list, so be sure to explore the full list to check out all your options, complete with alternatives. Let's dive in!

Best Android games in 2023

I'll start with some essential apps for improving your Android experience, like VPN apps and password managers . These apps don't exactly fit into a particular category I'll mention later on, but they are very useful and are sure to improve your overall experience of using the phone. From easier file management to allowing you to automate your entire Android experience, these are definitely worth a look.

Solid Explorer

Many Android phones — including Google's Pixel phones — come with a default file explorer these days. But if you want an advanced file explorer that lets you do more than just browse the files on your device, then consider checking out the Solid Explorer. There's a lot to like about this particular file explorer, including its support for FTP, SFPT, WebDav, SMB/CIFS, and even cloud services. Solid Explorer also features Material Design, and it works very well on almost all devices out there. It comes with a 14-day free trial, after which you'll have to pay a one-time fee to use it, but it's worth considering if you happen to be a power user who needs more than just a basic file browser.

If you're looking for a reliable password manager to keep all your passwords in one place, then you might want to check out Bitwarden. It's a no-frills password manager that lets you access all of its core features without paying a fee. This includes some must-have features like a secure password generator and multi-device syncing. Alternatively, you can pay for the Premium tier to access additional features such as a built-in two-factor authenticator, file sharing, and more. The best part of all? It's open-source. Who doesn't love some good old open-source software?

Tasker is one of the most complex applications out there, as it has a bit of a learning curve to it. But once you get a grasp of it, you'll quickly realize that it's one of the most powerful applications that lets you automate a lot of things on your device. It can automate almost every aspect of your smartphone usage and have it work the way you want it to. This will reduce a lot of manual input and repetitive behavior by setting automatic actions to the parameters and conditions you want. It's also a Swiss tool of sorts and serves as a workaround for adding amazing smartphone functionality. If you can think of it, Tasker can probably pull it off. It's a paid app on the Play Store, but you can get it for free with the Google Play Pass.

There are tons of customization apps on the Google Play Store that lets you change everything from your phone's homescreen to app icons. I am highlighting three of the best and most popular customization apps out there.

The Backdrops app is one of the best tools for customizing your smartphone and making it truly yours. It's a wallpaper app that gives you a ton of options to choose from. One of the best things about this particular application is that the wallpapers are curated into different categories, and you can set them directly from the app. Aside from some "premium" collections, the app is free to use so that you can get a variety of high-quality wallpapers. Changing the wallpaper goes a long way in customizing the look of your Android homescreen , and Backdrops is easily one of the best places to find some good options.

Nova Launcher

Nova Launcher is easily one of the oldest and most popular applications on this list. It has gotten better over the years and now comes with a host of features that let you take Android customization to a whole new level. Some noteworthy features of the Nova Launcher include the ability to back up and restore your homescreen setups, and theme icons, customize the app drawer, app dock, and more. Most of the Nova Launcher features are available for free, so you can put on your creative hat and go crazy on the customization without spending any money. Paying a one-time premium fee will get you features like gesture controls, unread count badges for apps, icon swipe actions, and more.

Zedge is yet another application that you may have heard of in the past. It's essentially a place to grab some good notification tones and alarms for your device. If you're one of the few users who still download and customize those aspects of your phone, then Zedge is a good app to check out. The app also offers other elements like wallpapers to theme your device, so I'd say it's a pretty good app with plenty of customization options. Zedge is a free application that lets you pay for some premium features, so be sure to check it out.

There's no shortage of music and video streaming applications on the Google Play Store, but I wanted to highlight some unique options for you to check out. These are my top picks for audio and video apps right now.

Plex is easily one of the top picks in this section, as it's an all-around media center app that lets you stream both video and audio on the go. The app lets you access your Plex server on your Android device, meaning you can carry your library of media files with you everywhere. All you have to do is install a Plex server on your own computer to stream from it when you're on the move. It comes with a ton of other useful features that'll take your streaming experience to a whole new level. You will, however, have to subscribe to Plex Pass or make a one-time purchase to unlock all the Plex features on your Android phone, so keep that in mind.

VLC for Android

VLC is probably the best app for watching downloaded videos that exist in your phone's storage. It's a pretty big deal on a PC, and it's also available for Android with the same feature set. VLC supports playing a wide variety of videos, an endless number of formats (no matter how ancient or non-standard they are), and closed captions (if you have a separate subtitle file). What's more, it's completely free and has no ads to hurt your media experience.

Poweramp is very similar to VLC, except this one is for audio instead of video files. This is one of the best apps for playing music files that are locally stored on your smartphone. It's probably not going to win any awards for UI design, but Poweramp focuses on function over form, and it works as advertised without any issues. It has a powerful audio engine with support for hi-res audio, a handful of music formats, a built-in equalizer, internal 64-bit processing, and a bunch of tweaks, so you can make sure your music sounds the way you want it to sound. You can have Poweramp for a $4.99 one-time purchase, and it's definitely worth it if you prefer sideloading your own music instead of relying on a streaming service.

You're probably familiar with a lot of communication apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, so I wanted to highlight some different options to consider. Check out the recommendations below if you want to try something new to stay in touch with your friends and your loved ones:

Signal is your best bet if you care about both security and privacy. It uses the same encryption protocol as WhatsApp, so you get the same end-to-end encryption you'd get there. Signal, however, is backed by a non-profit foundation instead of a "big tech" company, and they also have a less invasive privacy policy. It's definitely worth a look if that's something you're interested in, although you also have to bear in mind that it has considerably fewer users than Telegram or WhatsApp.

Textra is easily one of Android's best and most reliable texting apps. So if you text a lot, then this is an excellent messaging app to have on your phone. It's highly customizable and comes with a lot of themes to customize. In terms of features, you get chat heads, scheduled messages, the ability to copy part of a message, group messaging, and blacklisting. Textra is considerably better than many other SMS apps shipped by OEMs, so give it a shot in case you're looking to replace the stock SMS app on your phone.

As you probably already know, Discord is slowly becoming a popular player in the social media space. While originally geared towards the gaming community, it has gotten much bigger through 2020 and has started to host communities (called "servers" inside the app) of all kinds. The app is extremely flexible, allowing for voice and video calls similar to Google Meet. You can also create separate channels on the fly or even adds bots to your server to add various functionalities.

While a smartphone can't replace a fully-fledged computer for productivity, there's still a lot you can do on your phone when you're on the move. There are tons of applications out there that'll let you get a lot of things done on your phone, and here are the ones that are worth considering:

Evernote is a powerful note-taking app that'll help you organize your important notes across different platforms. This app lets you save all kinds of notes, including text, images, audio, or even a mix of them, and make them available across multiple platforms. One of the best things about Evernote is that it features optical character recognition, which makes the text in images searchable. This comes in handy if you happen to save a lot of images as your notes and need to copy text from them to your device.

Business Calendar 2 Planner

A good calendar app goes a long way in helping you stay organized, which is why I believe you should consider downloading Business Calendar 2. It's a powerful calendar app that acts as your complete personal organizer, giving you features of a calendar, schedule planner, and task organizer.

Spark is one of the best email apps out there that comes with a lot of awesome features. It can intelligently prioritize your emails, be smart about notifications, and even allow you to collaborate with your team over emails. Some other noteworthy features of this particular email client include intelligent search, quick replies, email scheduling, snoozing emails, and more.

Dedicated e-readers are, for the most part, not necessary anymore for people that like to store digital copies of their books. While dedicated e-readers still have their own set of advantages, you can grab any smartphone or tablet and have a very similar experience to e-readers. It is, however, important to pick the right apps, and I believe the ones mentioned below will help you access all of your content easily and painlessly and discover new books online.

Amazon Kindle

Kindle was formerly just a lineup of e-readers from Amazon, but there's now a Kindle app for Android devices that gives you the same functionality without having an e-reader. This app gives you access to Amazon's extensive library of books, comics, newspapers, and magazines and allows you to read what you want at any given moment easily. Some of them also have Audible narration if you're more into hearing than reading, and you can explore several genres, new releases, and more within the app.

If you prefer sideloading e-books to your phone manually instead of relying on a service like Kindle, then you might want to check out Lithium. This app will let you read the e-books that are locally stored on your phone. It's built based on Material Design guidelines and allows you to read e-books saved on EPUB files. It automatically detects which e-book you're reading, allows you to highlight, add notes to books, change to night/sepia themes for easier reading, and more. It's free of ads, which is great for an uninterrupted reading experience. You can also choose to pay a one-time fee to purchase the Pro version of the app and get some additional functionalities, custom themes, more highlight colors, etc.

Feedly is a bit different from other recommendations in this category. It won't let you read e-books, but it allows you to follow news websites and blogs to read in one place. It curates articles from various online sources; you don't have to download and install multiple news apps on your device. Feedly is simple to use and is available to download for free from the Google Play Store.

It's easy to fire up the Google app or ask Google Assistant for the latest sports updates. It's a pretty good way to get all the latest scores and updates about the sports you follow, but what if you need more details or something that gives you a detailed breakdown of the scores? That's exactly why you need a dedicated sports app that sends real-time updates with a more comprehensive look at the scores and statistics.

theScore aims to be an all-in-one hub for everything sports. It allows you to read news from various sports, such as football, soccer, basketball, and more. You can even use it to follow the major leagues and competitions such as the NFL, the NBA, the Premier League, La Liga, and UEFA Champions League, as well as a handful of others from different sports. theScore app gives you live coverage of games, complete with scores updated in real-time and stats throughout the game. It also gives you a curated feed based on your preferences and even allows chatting within the app.

The ESPN app gives you similar functionality to theScore app as an all-in-one hub for sports stuff. It allows you to read up on the news from a variety of different sports and leagues and gives you live coverage of sports matches. It's also from a more reputable sports outlet, and if you're an ESPN+ subscriber, you can watch live sports coverage and ESPN+ originals without cable or TV right from your smartphone.

CBS Sports, as the name suggests, is made by the CBS group, and the app allows you to keep track of your favorite sports and teams. You can watch some of your favorite games on CBS Sports, including the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, the NFL, and mixed martial arts tournaments. CBS All Access subscribers will be able to watch a variety of exclusives, as well as all major sporting events.

Finally, the NFL app is a must-have for football fans. This app is packed with a lot of features, including live local/primetime games as well as live Playoffs and the Super Bowl. It allows you to watch videos, highlights, and replays of every game, and it keeps football fans in the loop even throughout the off-season with news, highlights, stats, and more. If you only care exclusively about football and do not give as much thought to other sports, then this might be better than the other two options mentioned above. You can also stream on-demand videos through a Chromecast, although you cannot stream live games due to license restrictions. But there are plenty of other things to like about it, so be sure to check it out.

Lots of great apps to check out on Android

It's tough to pick the single best application out of all the options mentioned on the list. The essential apps are an absolute no-brainer, and the ones like Solid Explorer and Tasker help improve the overall experience whether you have one of the best phones , like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra , or a solid budget phone like the Pixel 7a . Having a good file explorer on your phone with support for things like FTP, SFPT, WebDav, SMB/CIFS will go a long way in helping you access a bunch of different files right from your phone.

Similarly, password Managers like Bitwarden are also important to have if you have a ton of online accounts on your phone. I skipped the usual suspects like WhatsApp, Netflix, and others in favor of highlighting some unique applications under different categories to help you get a well-rounded experience on your phone, so be sure to check them out if you're looking for more suggestions.