By AppsHive Team
There are virtually millions of mobile app developers out there who have created apps that need to be distributed. With the number of apps being pushed to the app stores, it is difficult to get noticed in the app stores.
Contrary to popular belief, there are many other app distribution platforms apart from the app stores. In this blog, we will provide you with an app platforms list that you can refer to. This list will help you identify the best app distribution platforms according to your requirements.
Top App Distribution Platforms
The following are the most popular app distribution tools available today:
App Stores
App stores happen to be the largest app distributors. Let's have a look at the most popular app stores for distributing apps.
Apple App Store
The Apple app store currently boasts of more than 2 million apps. Apple's app store is a place where application developers can upload their work. It provides customers with a way to download not only Apple apps but other applications which are compatible with the iPhone operating system.
One can also download apps for other Apple products like iPads, Apple Watch and iPods.
Google Play Store
The Google play store is the number one app store by a margin as you can see below:
The Google Play store is a one-stop shop for all of your mobile app needs. With every passing year and increased access to the Android OS, more and more people are starting to turn to the Google Play store for their phone/tablet app needs.
Amazon Appstore
The Amazon app store is emerging as a serious competitor to the Google Play store and the Apple app store. The Amazon app store has become a popular platform for apps and is home to a huge library of apps. There are many categories, both free and paid, so there's something for everyone, even if they're all using different devices. Download your favorite applications on the go! Just sign in with your Amazon account, and you'll get popular app proposals based on your browsing history.
Microsoft Windows Store
The Windows Store is one of the best application distribution platforms for Microsoft apps. This new addition to the long list of mobile platforms has excellent features. It's also known as Microsoft Store. Apart from apps, Microsoft is enabling the Windows store for digital distribution of streamed video content, real-time music and e-books.
Other Mobile App Distribution Platforms
Apart from the app stores, there are other app distribution channels also. In recent times, the popularity of these app distribution channels has increased. Let's have a look at these channels.
Social Media
In addition to app stores, many social media platforms can serve as app promotion sites. Linking up to them is completely free, so it can save you a lot of money in the long run. All you have to do is create an account and make sure you promote your app on social media platforms.
Be sure to tailor your social media posts to the specific platforms you're using. If you can get a great response from different audiences and encourage more word-of-mouth marketing among users, you'll be able to reach even more people! One thing you can share on social media is related links to your blog, industry news, contests or other activities.
Some examples of social media marketing would include:
Launch a contest for people to win a free, unrestricted in-app purchase for sharing user-generated content about your app.
You might have an app that can help professionals succeed, increase their productivity, and maybe even make money. Share details about your app on Linkedin.
Share blog posts about the app on Facebook to increase awareness of it. This can be combined with Facebook advertising. This strategy will boost downloads and organic traffic to your app.
Read More: 12 Impactful Ways to Promote Your App on Social Media?
Email Marketing
You must be thinking about how to distribute an app through email. Email marketing is one of the most effective app distribution channels because it reaches people who are already interested in downloading your app. As an added advantage, emails from marketers can often be delivered to someone's inbox, even if a user has not had previous contact with them. Here are some of the main ways you can get email addresses to build your list: through social media channels, website pop-ups, and your contact form. Another option is to include buttons with 'action' on-site promotion pages for your app.
Emails can often be lead-generating articles or blog posts about similar topics. You could provide weekly updates or send a newsletter to your customers that detail new improvements made to the app. Blog posts are also a potential option for content, as are news articles about your company or product. Users will be more and more engaged with the app if you provide them with the best solution.
Advertising
Advertising is another way to make people aware of your app. Before you run your ads, it's important to plan the campaign thoroughly. Start by finding out which channels your audience is on, and then craft a message that speaks to their needs and interests.
The following are the major ways in which you should advertise your app.
Paid advertising is very important for apps, and the avenues you promote them on are vast. For example, you can put ads directly in search engines and also advertise outside of search engines. For example, someone might come across your app by searching Google and finding the top text ad on your site. Meanwhile, someone browsing other websites may notice a banner ad somewhere on the page that attracts their attention. Retargeting ads are becoming a very popular way for businesses to stay in contact with existing customers and draw them back to their sites.
TV is also an ideal channel to increase awareness of your app. For example, many TV ads for games and utilities have helped drive higher levels of downloads. TV is a great way to reach audiences that might be more difficult to contact on websites or other forms of digital media. It can also be very helpful if you're trying to target an older audience who still uses dumb phones.
You can use digital video ads on streaming platforms like YouTube and Hulu. They can be just as effective as TV commercials - but usually last for a shorter amount of time.
Conclusion:
Understand that the list of mobile platforms that allow app distribution is an ever-growing one. The official app stores of Google and Apple are still popular. But Platforms like AppsHive are the best way to promote your app. You can list your app on the following types of listings: Profession based, location-based, and category based. App owners have seen 43% more downloads on their apps after listing their app on AppsHive. You can also list your app on other third party app stores.