How to Submit your App to a Review Site

Nowadays, in addition to creating a great mobile app, you also need to actively market it, in order to help people discover it. A great place to start is by submitting your app to an app review site. There are a few reasons to do this, some more obvious than others:

1. It exposes your app to users who might not have known about your app otherwise.
2. In addition to exposing your app to potential users, it also exposes your app to other review sites who may also be interested in reviewing it.
3. Each review of your app provides a link to your app’s app store page, which helps it rank in search engines.

Depending on the size of the app review site, they may not accept all submissions – choosing only to feature some apps over others. What kinds of qualities do they look for, when choosing what apps to feature?

1. Is your app unique enough? Does it provide a unique twist from other similar apps? If your app is a knock-off of another app, or does the exact same thing as several similar apps, then it is less likely to be chosen to be reviewed.
2. Does your app look visually appealing? Reviews usually feature several screenshots from the app – so if your app has a great design, its screenshots will enhance the review. Conversely, apps with a plain and boring design are less likely to be featured.
3. Is it a quality app? This goes without saying. If your app is constantly crashing or has usability issues, then the app is likely to not be featured (which may be better than giving you an unfavorable review).
4. Is the app easy for them to review? The easier you make it for the reviewer to review your app, the more likely it is to be featured. If you are missing crucial information like screenshots, a link to the app store etc. the reviewer might choose to skip your app, and review another app that does have all this information provided.

Assuming that the review site does choose to review your app, it would be in your interest to make it as easy as possible for them to review your app. This includes providing them with all the following:

1. Your app icon, description and screenshots that they can use. Yes, they can get this information themselves from the app store, but save them the trouble by providing it to them directly.
2. Links to all the app stores where your app is posted. You want to make it easy for their readers to access your app.
3. Login details for guest or test accounts that they can use, where required. Yes, they could create a new account, but again, go the extra mile by providing this information to them.
4. A download code, letting them download your app for free. Obviously reviewers can’t be expected to purchase all the apps they review on their own.
5. A video summarizing all the key areas of the app. Some reviewers won’t have time to test all the areas of your app themselves. A video summary gives them an idea of what areas they may have missed, or should focus on, in their review.

Take a look at some of the other reviews that the site has done, to see if you are missing anything. Some reviews offer free download codes to their readers. If they do, find out how many they need and provide these to them as well.

Ready to get started? Here is a list of 168 different app review sites that you can start approaching. You won’t be able to approach all of them – the bigger ones prefer to choose their own apps to review. So start with the smaller ones and work your way up. Good luck!