In brief
Build an outstanding app, connect with people who may introduce you to Apple, align updates with Apple’s priorities, and create a distinctive icon. These are the article’s three approaches to gaining editorial attention and standing out in the App Store.
In this article, Jia Ma explains how to get into the App Store featured listings, on the premise, of course, that you have already built an outstanding app.
1. Connect with the right people
Clearly, everyone wants their app to catch an editor’s eye. That is why every article on this subject repeatedly stresses that “you need to build an outstanding app.” Beyond that, if you want to take some initiative, you can try connecting with relevant people at Apple.
For example, you can look at which apps appear in the App Store’s “Featured” section, then research the teams and people behind them. These people are likely to know App Store managers or members of the editorial team. If your app catches their attention, they may introduce you to the relevant staff at Apple.
2. Understand which areas Apple wants to improve
If your goals align with Apple’s, the author believes your app will easily make it into the App Store’s featured listings. Once your app fits Apple’s future plans, you need not worry about traffic to your app.
What you need to do is pay attention to the Worldwide Developers Conference held every June, Apple’s update schedule, its special hardware update timing in September each year, and its general hardware update schedule.
At the same time, remember that apps for Apple TV may not yet offer meaningful opportunities for your company at the time of writing. However, the author believes that making your app compatible with Apple TV will attract more attention from Apple. Product updates therefore go beyond simply improving functionality: used well, they can become an effective marketing tool.
3. Put care into creating an outstanding app icon
I have heard directly from Apple employees that they also place great importance on app icon design. Although an icon is only a detail, its impact goes far beyond what people imagine. Your icon design can reflect the quality of your app. If you make it visually stunning, people will have more confidence in the app’s quality, or at least be willing to try it. So, when assessing an app’s quality, start with its icon!
Your icon has to compete with millions of other apps. Even if you are fortunate enough to make it into the featured listings, do not celebrate too soon: standing out there is no easy task either. Many people tend to use cool colours when designing icons, so take the opposite approach and experiment with something different. Snapchat’s icon, for example, uses yellow.
http://www.hksilicon.com/articles/970879