Define App Links
An App Links are a kind of mobile app URL used during app development. These links allow you to connect to particular screens of apps. Additionally, they enable you to connect the pages of your website to the relevant screens in an app.
What’s the purpose of app links?
They are the missing link between content creation, content discovery and app downloading. They create original links for specific screens or pages of apps, so users can follow links to look at content in apps (if downloaded already). Alternatively, apps can be downloaded and the content can be viewed on the relevant app screens.
Can these links be typed in the browser bar, like URLs?
No, browser address bars do not exist for apps, so you cannot type an App Link. However, App Links can be shared with other people.
What’s the concept behind app links?
These links use the concept of deep linking. This involves connecting to particular screens within apps and using these links to launch mobile apps.
What platforms are compatible with App Links?
The links work across many platforms and are presently compatible with iOS, Windows and Android Phones. Nonetheless, they can be modified for use on other platforms.
Do I have to pay for these links?
These open source links can be used free of charge. Also, you can alter them to fit any mobile environment or platform.
How do these links work?
App links allow you to connect from one app to particular screens within different (or the same) apps. Essentially, they are URI (Universal Resource Identifier) and function like URLs do with websites.
Example 1: Connecting to a screen within the same app
On your Facebook app, you have your Facebook profile open, and you wish to share the link to this screen (without accessing the Facebook website) from this app with your colleague. To do this, you can use the relevant App Link (URI) and share it using the chat window.
Example 2: Connecting to a screen within a different app
App Links can be used from a Facebook app to connect to a page on the GoodReads app. For this to be possible, App Links should be enabled in both GoodReads and Facebook. The way App Links work is, when you visit a screen on GoodReads app, copy the URI, then paste it as a status update from your Facebook app. Your friends, accessing through desktops or laptops, will see download links for GoodReads app for platforms such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone. However, they won’t be able to download the GoodReads app. While, your friends who are following the link on a cell phone will be taken to the specific GoodReads if they have the app installed; if they don’t, they will be taken to the download URL for the GoodReads app for the specific mobile platform. Once they download the app, they will be directly taken to that particular screen. This functionality in extremely useful in creating landing pages in apps, and is found in Tapstream’s Deferred Deep Links.
For App Links to function, what’s the minimum requirement?
App Links should be enabled on the linked and linking apps.
How can App Links be implemented from scratch?
For implementing App Links for the first time, you should deeplink mobile apps using Facebook SDK. Facebook offers extensive documentation, as well as helpful guides (with pictures) explaining the App Links implementation process and extra features. Furthermore, Facebook SDK allows you to harness your site’s social media connections to boost your app downloads and make a profit.
How can App Links be enabled for apps?
This can be done by setting up bespoke URIs (Universal Resource Identifiers) for each app and incorporating relevant tags into the app codes.
How do App Links provide a good ROI?
These links are rather complex, and may take time to set up and more time to tweak. However, they offer several distinct advantages:
Firstly, they boost your number of app downloads — irrespective of which platform you use — whenever visitors happen to find the download link for the app. This, consequently, increases your mobile app’s advertising profits.
Secondly, they turn your site users or visitors into users of your app. This has a high conversion rate, due to the convenience and familiarity offered by App Links. Moreover, this boosts your app’s visibility, in contrast to your site, which remains concealed from the gaze of people the majority of the time.
The most important thing is that, because only a few companies have App Links implemented, your site or app will score points for novelty. As a result, visitors will keep returning and downloading your app, simply to try out a new experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment