Art Of Acquisition 01: App Names

Do you know the required criteria for app names?

Photo By Grace Saraswati

Naming an app is a critical step, it directly affects your mobile app’s visibility, and will reflect its branding. It’s the first thing users will see about your app. An app name is the core part of an app; just as the app’s logo, UX design, app store preview, and subtitle.

This first stage of acquisition may not be an easy feat but learning the app name criteria that are required, and a spark of creativity can help you to reach the desired outcome. As a result, your app can get more downloads, impressions, and subscriptions. Each partner of the Cherry family undergoes a meticulous app name process in terms of branding, marketing, and keyword strategy with a team of experts.

Discover the 5 steps, and all the important criteria you can follow for finding a perfect mobile app name.

1- Keyword Selection (ASO)

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As we’ve discussed in our blogs, App Store Optimization (ASO) is a tool that improves an app’s visibility in the App Store. Based on a variety of factors, apps are able to rank higher and get discovered more by your keyword selection. (You can read our previous blogs for more details.)

This is a crucial first step in the journey of acquisition since 70% of App Store visitors use search to find the app they’re looking for; also 65% of all downloads happen after the search. 

What’s your app’s purpose? 

What is your target audience looking for?

For starters, keywords have three main values: Volume, Difficulty, and Opportunity. The volume of a keyword shows how often the terms are being searched, and Difficulty shows how hard it is for an app to rank in the top 10 for a keyword. The other value, Opportunity is the outcome of Volume and Difficulty. The best spot for a keyword is having a high volume, low difficulty, and as an outcome, high opportunity.

You should build a keyword strategy based on these metrics, there’s a certain rate and ideal gap your keywords should contain. You can find ideal and relevant keywords with different tools, that will boost your app visibility.

"Creating relevant keywords that reflect your app’s core function, and the solution it provides is key for your acquisition strategy. "

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What’s your app’s purpose?

What is your target audience looking for?

Think about long-term goals and branding style for your app, and in which ways it is unique. Make sure this unique value and difference are reflected in the name and subtitle.

The marketing team of Cherry makes a research process for each app, and makes the naming process in the most efficient way possible, applying all the required criteria from App Store.

Also, you should keep in mind that the values of each keyword may change really often, and it’s not a one-time job. Check in the values of the keyword you’re using in an app, and change when you see any difference, with the new keywords.

2- Subtitle 

Along with the app name, the subtitle is the second critique factor for mobile apps. The process is the same as the app name. A subtitle can be a maximum of 30 characters. Since subtitles appear next to the app name, they should support the name and give some details of the exact solution your app provides. 

A good mobile app name is…

a- Searchable

An ideal app name should contain the most-searched words with a high opportunity, and a low difficulty rate. As an app creator, it’s important to understand your users. What’re their searching habits? Which words are being used often?

b- Short & Relevant

The ideal mobile app name is simply short, easy-to-spell, understandable, and memorable. Also, it should sound and look relevant to the category and functionality of the app.

The name should not be hard to pronounce, read or write. A brandable and remarkable mobile app name should be so clear that it can almost describe itself to the users.

Photo by Tran Mau Tri Tam on Unsplash

c- Reflects Your app

What’s the core functionality of your mobile app? How it can differentiate itself from its competitors? Think about the biggest problem your app solves for its potential users, and how it solves it… And of course, why it should matter for people? Will they be emotionally connected to your app, or is your app help them to be more productive? 

The research part of the app naming might not be an easy task, and you can always get help from professionals at this step; who can help you reflect your app name in the best way that’ll be relevant to the users.

d- Creative & Tells A Story

Once you followed the required acquisition rules and keyword strategy, you can use a spark of creativity too. You can develop creative and original ideas in the app name, subtitle, as well as in your visuals; depending on the niche and the character, the unique quality of your app.

e- Not Being Taken

And last but not the least, make sure the name you’ve found for your app is not being taken, and legally available.

Here are some app name examples: 

File Manager is an app that allows users to keep different formats of files, and the app name is pretty clear about its functionality, also very simple and easy-to-remember.

Flipboard is an app that curates news and information for users’ interest, and you can flip between the boards while you make reading from the app. This is a creative and reflective example of an app name.

Storico, allows you to create beautiful Instagram stories with its templates. The app name is short, catchy, and reflective. 

Canva comes from the canvas. Since the app lets you create graphic design, this is also another creative and reflective example.

LogoScopic is the name of a logo maker app. The app name creates a powerful feeling and is built on a technical word, “scopic” which’s a to-the-point and strong name example.

So we’ve shared the required criteria for the app naming, and to sum up: What’s your app about? The answers you will be providing will help you to select the main features of your app. 

Think about the main problem that your app delivers a solution to. And explain this solution in the simplest way possible. And if you feel like you need help and mentorship from the experts, Cherry is here for you.

So, if you are interested and would like to know more,

please drop us an email: “hello@getcherry.app”

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