Drive installs from mobile web and other channels

There’s no magic formula to marketing your e-commerce app. In our experience, any brand with loyal customers will be able to get downloads and sales once their app is launched.

Firstly though, you do need to tell customers that your app exists while performing their usual activities in other channels. That way, you don't have to rely solely on encouraging users to visit the app store to install your app.

Smart App Banner

This is the Apple (and Google) approved way to tell customers browsing on mobile web that you have an app.

It’s done with a simple bit of code that can be added to your website which results in a banner popping up whenever somebody on iOS or Android is browsing your mobile site. See an example from our clients Hudson Shoes below.

• Safari Smart App Banners for iOS
• Android Native App Install Prompt
• Cross platform customisable smart banner

Add a download button to your desktop site homepage

You can grab free marketing resources from Apple that can be used to advertise your app on the App Store. Add it into a banner like our client Keungzai or put a link in the footer of your website.

Just make sure it’s accessible from the homepage so that customers know that you have an app.

A launch email and/or reminder on your regular email template

Send customers a launch email when your app comes out (even if it’s just a mention in a regularly scheduled newsletter) but also consider adding it as a permanent feature in your email template. There’s an example from Dorothy Perkins below – they use a small phone icon linking to their app in every email they send out.

Social media mentions

This is an easy way to tell your fans that your app has been launched.

We recommend using a screenshot of your app – you can tweet it, add it to your Facebook page, put it on Pinterest and Instagram, or use on any of your other social media platforms. You could also write a blog post and share that as a link on social platforms.

Push notifications

Once your app is launched, don’t let people forget about it! Send them a message via push notifications – it works. Below you can see a spike in sales resulting from a push notification that one of our clients sent. Don’t spam people though – we recommend no more than one push notification a week, and keep it relevant and interesting.