Intro
The annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is a highly anticipated event for tech enthusiasts and developers alike. In its latest edition, WWDC 2023 unveiled a range of exciting updates and features that have the potential to reshape the app landscape, as we have looked into in our previous article (see WWDC 2023 and Apple’s New Vision)
This time, we aim to explore the changes in pre-order functionality, pricing structures, and product page optimization, while also examining the potential implications of the innovative Vision OS (xrOS) on existing operating systems.
Pre-order
WWDC 2023 brought forth significant updates in the pre-order mechanism for app developers, offering app developers more control and opportunities to optimize their ASO strategies even before the official launch
Pre-orders by Different Regions: With the latest updates, developers can now set up pre-orders specific to different regions. This allows for targeted marketing and promotional efforts tailored to specific audiences, maximizing user engagement and conversion rates.
Extended Expected Release Dates: Developers could set an expected release date for pre-orders up to a maximum of 180 days away.
Moreover, if your app is already released in at least one region, you can set an expected release date up to 365 days in the future.
This extended timeline empowers developers to plan their marketing campaigns and build anticipation among users more effectively.
By taking advantage of these new features, developers can:
Optimize Creatives and Metadata in Advance: Developers can tailor their creatives and metadata to specific audiences.
This allows for localization and customization, increasing the chances of attracting the right users and maximizing conversions.
Analyze Actual Data from Released Regions: For apps already released in certain regions, the extended expected release date provides an opportunity to gather valuable data and insights.
By analyzing the performance and user behavior in these regions, developers can apply the learnings to optimize their pre-order areas and refine their ASO strategies for other regions.
Pricing
WWDC 2023 also brought noteworthy updates to pricing structures with the function of Temporary Pricing Based on Regions:
With the latest updates, developers can now set temporary pricing specific to different regions. This feature allows developers to manually set a specific price for certain regions (not limit in quantity) while still having the others’ pricing automatically managed by the App Store.
This move emphasizes the importance of localization and culturalization in ASO. By understanding the nuances of different markets and tailoring the pricing and in-app events to suit local preferences, developers can:
Plan Culturalized Events: Research local events, festivals, holidays, or cultural milestones that resonate with the target audience in those regions.
Plan and execute in-app events or promotions that align with these cultural moments to generate excitement, user engagement, and conversions.
Localize and Optimize Keywords and Creatives: Optimize the keywords and creatives used in the event description, promotional banners, and other marketing assets.
Localized keywords, culturally relevant imagery, and tailored messaging can significantly improve your app’s discoverability and appeal to users in specific regions.
Product Page Optimization
An update in product page optimization aims to bring greater flexibility and efficiency to app developers: A/B Testing Continuity.
With the latest update, A/B tests will continue to run until developers choose to stop them, regardless of new app versions. This means that app developers can conduct A/B tests without interruption, even when releasing new updates or versions of their app
The ability to run A/B tests continuously allows developers to explore multiple variations of their creatives and analyze their impact on user engagement and conversion. This allows for a more seamless optimization process and enabling developers to make data-driven decisions
ASO on Vision OS
With the introduction of Vision OS (xrOS) at WWDC 2023, Apple unveiled an exciting new operating system designed to revolutionize augmented and mixed reality experiences. Here’s what you should expect in terms of ASO on Vision OS:
Compatibility with iOS and iPadOS Apps:
Vision Pro OS (xrOS) ensures compatibility with existing iOS and iPadOS apps, allowing developers to reach a broader audience and leverage their existing apps for immersive experiences.
However, optimizing apps for Vision OS requires some considerations.
Landscape and Portrait Orientation: With Vision OS, apps can be experienced in both landscape and portrait orientations.
Icons, screenshots, and app previews need to be designed to be visually appealing and impactful in both orientations, as they will now be displayed on the full screen before the user’s eyes.
New Input Technique: Look to Dictate:
Look to Dictate allows users to perform searches using voice commands instead of manually entering keywords. This paradigm shift towards voice-based searches may impact traditional keyword optimization strategies.
ASO practitioners should consider optimizing their app’s voice search compatibility, focusing on natural language understanding, and ensuring that their app’s content aligns with user queries.
Privacy Labels and Data Collection:
As with previous updates, Apple continues to emphasize user privacy. However, with Vision OS, some apps may begin to collect additional data related to head movement, hand movement, and the data of the user’s surroundings. This introduces new considerations for ASO practitioners:
Privacy Label Compliance: Ensure that your app’s privacy labels accurately reflect the data collection practices associated with Vision OS. Transparently communicate to users how the collected data is used and reassure them of their privacy and security.
User Experience Optimization: Consider how the collected data can enhance the user experience of your app on Vision OS. If your app leverages head or hand movements or utilizes data from the user’s surroundings, highlight these features in your app’s visuals and descriptions to entice users seeking immersive experiences.
Outro
This article provides an overview of the notable updates from WWDC 2023 that have significant implications for ASO practitioners. These updates introduce the ability to set up region-specific features on the App Store Connect, emphasizing the importance of culturalization in app store optimization.
Additionally, the sensational announcement of Vision Pro OS brings attention to the crucial role of designing visually appealing creatives for the App Store.
