The Google Play, previously the Android market, is the hub selling Android apps belonging to Google. Users can access Google Play from the internet or through the Play Store app on all Android devices or Google TV gadgets. There are more than 600,000 apps on the Google Play and users of Android devices download more than 1.5 million apps or games a month. Here are a few top tips for making the most of your app.

ü  A good App

The quality of the Android app must be excellent. It should have a target user group and should include all the technical mandates as per the QA test. The name of the app should be appealing it should have good functionality, good design and an impressive icon.

ü  Selecting a Category

There are two categories, namely the ‘Games’ and the ‘Applications’ in Google Play, with 8 sub categories in games, namely Arcade, Cards and Casino and so on and 26 sub categories, such as Business, Education, Finance and so on in the Applications category. You need to put your Android app in the right category to reach the target user.

ü  Cost of the App

The cost of the Android app will surely affect the number of downloads. You can set the price on Google Play using various currencies, with a range of US $.99 to $200. If you start at the lower end of the range, it is not possible to break even, so charge whatever you feel the app is really worth, as somebody who really values it will surely pay for it.

ü  Promoting your App

Create a buzz around your Android app and promote it by the following strategies:

  1. Use social media, such as Facebook and Twitter etc.
  2. Make a video of your app and put it up on YouTube or any other website to attract more users.
  3. Use press releases to attract the target audience and post these on your blog and in forums, along with good screenshots of your app and start discussions about the app.
  4. Use a lot of viral ads to gain visibility for your app.

ü  Featuring your App

Get your app featured on Google Play. The selection is done by the editorial team on Google Play, offering several options for featuring, such as:

  1. Staff Picks are excellent apps featured on rotating basis
  2. Top New Free is free apps released within a month.
  3. Top New Paid are paid apps less than a month old
  4. Trending Apps consist of apps showing great growth trends within a few hours of appearing
  5. Top Developer lists the top developers in Google Play
  6. Staff Picks show excellent apps on a rotating shift
  7. Top Free shows all time popular free apps
  8. Top Grossing apps features apps with maximum revenue
  9. Editors’ Choice Apps are selected by the Google Play team consisting of the all time top Android Apps
  10. Top Paid features all time top paid apps.

Even a great app cannot sell on its own and requires good marketing, as the Android marketplace is a crowded one. Use the above tips to get the maximum benefits from your app.