NEW YORK ? A Moburst executive at the Mcommerce Summit: State of Mobile Commerce 2016 advised brands to make mobile applications more enticing and fuel downloads by integrating seamless storytelling with visuals. 

During the sponsored lunch keynote, Moburst: Innovation and Creativity in Mobile Marketing, the executive doled out advice for marketers seeking to bolster their current mobile app or campaign strategies and stressed the importance of showcasing apps? user interfaces via attractive screenshots in the app stores. Consumers need to be won over within several seconds in order to feel compelled to make room for another app on their already-crowded smartphones, meaning that first impressions matter ? a lot.

?The user will only have three to six seconds to decide [if] this app is download-worthy or not,? said Gilad Bechar, founder and CEO of Moburst. ?In these seconds, you need to show him all the benefits and get him on board before he even downloads the app.?

The Mcommerce Summit: State of Mobile Commerce 2016 was organized by Mobile Commerce Daily and Mobile Marketer.

Enticing use cases
To improve their standing within the Google Play Store and Apple App Store and subsequently drive additional app installs, brands should take several important factors, such as app title, keywords, category and screenshots, into consideration.

When undertaking keyword research, marketers should search for their competitors? apps and study trends, user reviews and search suggestions. Additionally, special tools for optimizing app store performance, such as SimilarWeb, Moburst Proprietary Algorithm, Google Keyword Planner and SensorTower, can be beneficial.

However, one of the most important strategies to keep top-of-mind is to include compelling, aesthetically pleasing screenshots for consumers to browse. A quick glimpse at a seamless user interface could be the deciding factor needed to lock down another app download.

Marketers must create a seamless story with their screenshots, which may include showing what the user will feel during his or her mobile experience and using imagery that overlaps over multiple screenshots? backgrounds.

Furthermore, marketers should focus on maximizing their mobile app experiences by keeping three goals at the forefront of their tactics: increasing brand awareness, engaging with audiences and adapting innovation into their brands.

Moburst launched the official New York Fashion Week app this year, with the goal of prompting users to engage with the app two weeks after the weeklong event?s conclusion.

This was done by integrating several unique and interactive features into the app. For example, the app?s color theme changed in accordance with the fashions seen on the runway, enabling users to get a feel for the venue even if they were not there in person.

Moburst also displayed a timeline of highlights from each fashion show and allowed individuals to save their favorite outfits into a section of the app before sharing those looks with their social media followers.

The NYFW app peaked at #2 in the Apple App Store, helped partly by Kim Kardashian?s unofficial endorsement of the app on social media.

Apps should possess naturally shareable features instead of in-app pop-ups that inundate users with share requests. Prompting consumers to share a completed puzzle, game result or coupon is a much more effective strategy.

Mobile success factors
Mr. Bechar also pinpointed four key mobile success factors: virality, gamification, personalization and context.

He walked the audience through a Moburst campaign for Israeli convenience chain Delek Menta, in which the app marketing agency helped launch a new smoothie.

Targeted users were served a mobile campaign that invited them to drop their favorite ingredients into a shaker, virtually shake the contents, input their full name and number and receive a coupon for a free smoothie at a Delek Menta store. Each user also earned a mobile coupon to gift to a friend.

Mr. Bechar used the example to demonstrate how brands can do innovative things without having to create an app.

Additionally, personalization and context play critical roles within successful mobile campaigns.

?You can get a tailored message for every segment,? Mr. Bechar said.

Another hyper-targeted Moburst campaign - for ride-sharing service Gett - served relevant messages to users based on the weather. For example, if it was raining, Moburst would tell the individual ?Why mess up your hair? Order a taxi now.?

?When you think about personalization on mobile, you can do crazy, crazy things,? Mr. Bechar said.