Getting into the App Store charts starts with strategy.

There seems to be a mysterious, secret algorithm behind app store rankings. Some have tried to crack it, while others just work with it and are able to constantly beat it.But what is certain is that there isn?t one tried-and-true way of doing it. In order to rank in the charts, app developers ?have to try a combination of tools within a short time frame after each app launch. When the results are in, they evaluate, learn, and keep their eyes open for new tools and strategies that might help with their next launch.This is where ChartBoost comes in.We have been working on the App Store since?before it was even born, and have extensive experience in running the launch - execute - evaluate - learn - innovate track with different types of apps. Taking everything that we?ve learned over the years, we?re building a set of tools to help app developers get to the top of the ranks.Today, we are launching our first tool: cross promotion through customized boot up interstitials.What are customized boot up interstitials?

? Customizable parts. There are 3 main components to the interstitial: the frame, the button, and the ad unit.? A consistent experience. The design of the frame should match the app that the interstitial lives within, and also should not fill the entire screen. These two details ensure a consistent experience between the ad and the app, which means that, for the user, the interstitial feel less like an ad and more as a suggestion or news tip. Interstitial performance can therefore increase quite radically.? Campaign logic and Analytics: By tracking UDIDs, we can make sure that an ad is never shown to someone who already owns your app. App developers also have complete control over how many times you want to show the interstitial to each user.How are they powerful?:Boot up interstitials are powerful because they generate high volume. It?s the first thing a user sees after opening an app, so it?s not about what percentage of your users are seeing the ad, since they are the same as your daily unique online users.However, when you combine volume with time, then that?s where you start cracking the secret formula. If you can get high volume of installs over a short period of time, your app gets noticed and starts climbing the charts.But when you combine volume, time AND smart thinking, then you have a long term strategy. In order to keep users engaged, your ad should only be shown once per day, or even per user. An intelligent campaign should also hide the interstitial if the user has already installed the app that it?s advertising ? it just makes plain sense.By following these principles, you can make a great impact on the App Store with your launch. You should also constantly evaluate and adjust your strategy, based on your results ? how much volume did it generate, and in what period of time? But most importantly, never stop experimenting, learning and innovating.Keep an eye on ChartBoost ? we?re working on expanding our portfolio of tools.