What Can Microsoft Do to Help Promote My App?

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phone7-brandA common question we often hear from developers is: “What can Microsoft do to help me promote my app?” One of the great things about the Windows Phone Marketplace is our unique range of merchandizing opportunities. On any given day and in every single market, there are at least three different types of merchandizing slots on every Windows Phone 7 device.

Promotion: The Three Types of Merchandizing Slots

There are generally three types of merchandizing slots.

  • The most prominent merchandizing slot is the Panoramic, which offers an opportunity to not only feature your app by itself, but also puts the app’s panoramic imagery across the entire marketplace.
  • The next level of merchandizing is the Featured Icon, which presents your app icon and title along with 3-6 other great apps.
  • And finally there is the Featured List programming which prominently displays your app icon and ratings in a vertical list.

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All of these different spots give a lot of visibility to apps. When an app is featured in any of these slots, developers see dramatic increases in their apps’ daily downloads.

So what can you do to increase your chances for promotion?

Quality Apps: What We Look For

The most important thing you need to know is what makes a GREAT app. When we think about what makes a great app, we think of the following:

Functionality + Features + UX = Great App

What exactly does this mean? Great apps start with strong functionality, add an interesting set of features, and finish with a delightful WP7 user experience. It’s important to understand that a great app combines all of these characteristics. Delivering a delightful WP7 look and feel is unlikely to get your app merchandized if it has performance issues, poor content, or if it just isn’t very interesting.

Other things that increase the likelihood an app gets promoted: using a Live Tile, integrating a Panorama or Pivot Control, or making smart use of Push Notifications.

Spring Cleaning: Opportunities for Your Apps

Today we are happy to announce what we’re calling the “Spring Cleaning” project1 !
For the next three months, we are going to give you a chance to let us know that you think your app is great and that you think it is deserving of prime placement in the Marketplace. Once you let us know you think your published app is great, we’ll expedite review of it for a merchandizing placement. Placements are not guaranteed, and we won’t be able to tell you ahead of time if your app will or will not be featured; but we will review every published app you tell us about.

Here are the rules:
  1. There will be three different opportunities: April, May, and June 2011
  2. Your App must be published to the Windows Phone Marketplace by the 15th of each month (by 11:59 PM PT)
  3. Your App must work as promised
  4. Your App must be new to the Marketplace or be a new version with substantial, new features or capabilities as mentioned earlier
  5. You then email the following information to wp7springclean@microsoft.com: 
    • Your App Hub Live ID
    • Application ID
    • New App or Update to Existing App?
    • (if update) What major new features have you added?
    • Uses Live Tile: (yes or no)
    • Uses Panorama: (yes or no)
    • Uses Pivot: (yes or no)
    • Why does your app delight users?

Not every app will be selected for merchandising or promotion. However, sending us this information tells us that you think your app has what it takes to be promoted & merchandized. It also means that we will take the time to review your app to see if we think it should be promoted.

The best apps that combine Functionality + Features + Great Windows Phone UX will be selected and scheduled to be promoted in the following weeks.

We are excited by all of the great apps that we are seeing delivered to the Windows Phone Marketplace. “Spring Cleaning” gives the best apps a chance to received increased visibility and downloads.

Getting Started with Windows Phone 7

Tools are free. Get started on Windows Phone 7 or XBox at App Hub.

See the free developer training course for Windows Phone 7 on Channel 9.

Windows Phone 7 in 7 tutorials on MSDEV. Each short, to-the-point video in this series highlights a feature of Windows Phone 7 in less than 7 minutes. This is a series for developers who want to pick up the basics quickly with brief explanations and hands-on examples. Demonstrations and code samples are based on the beta release of the Windows Phone 7 Developer.

Join Microsoft Platform Ready for free assistance in developing and marketing your Windows Phone 7 applications.

ISV Videos on Windows Phone 7

For videos on how other ISVs got started developing for Windows Phone 7, see:

Bruce D. KyleISV Architect Evangelist | Microsoft Corporation

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