Setting up the iOS staff app

For us to publish your iOS app we require you to:

• Enrol with the Apple Developer Program here: https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/.
  • This also ensures that it is your company name that appears alongside your app.
• Once you have enrolled please contact us to get an email address to add as an admin to your developer team within your account so we can publish the app on your behalf.
  • See details here: Inviting team members

We then also need the following to go alongside your apps on the App Store:

• App name
  • Max 30 characters
• Subtitle
  • Max 30 characters
  • Here you can briefly describe the value of the app
• Description
  • Max 4000 characters
  • Full description of the app, its features and benefits
• Promotional text
  • Max 170 characters
  • This shows at the beginning of the app description
  • Write a compelling text
  • You can edit it at any time without the need to submit a new app version

More details for each of these:

App name

• Your app’s name plays a critical role in how users discover it on the App Store. Choose a simple, memorable name that is easy to spell and hints at what your app does. Be distinctive. Avoid names that use generic terms or are too similar to existing app names. An app name can be up to 30 characters long.

Subtitle

• Your app’s subtitle is intended to summarize your app in a concise phrase. Consider using this, rather than your app’s name, to explain the value of your app in greater detail. Avoid generic descriptions such as “world’s best app.” Instead, highlight features or typical uses of your app that resonate with your audience. You can update your subtitle when submitting a new version of your app to help you determine the subtitle that’s most effective for engaging users. A subtitle can be up to 30 characters long and appears below your app’s name throughout the App Store.

Description

• Provide an engaging description that highlights the features and functionality of your app. The ideal description is a concise, informative paragraph followed by a short list of main features. Let potential users know what makes your app unique and why they’ll love it. Communicate in the tone of your brand, and use terminology your target audience will appreciate and understand. The first sentence of your description is the most important — this is what users can read without having to tap to read more. Every word counts, so focus on your app’s unique features.

Promotional text

• Your app’s promotional text appears at the top of the description and is up to 170 characters long. You can update promotional text at any time without having to submit a new version of your app. Consider using this to share the latest news about your app, such as limited-time sales or upcoming features.

Keywords

• Keywords help determine where your app displays in search results, so choose them carefully to ensure your app is easily discoverable. Choose keywords based on words you think your audience will use to find an app like yours. Be specific when describing your app’s features and functionality to help the search algorithm surface your app in relevant searches. Consider the trade-off between ranking well for less common terms versus ranking lower for popular terms. Popular, functional terms, such as “jobs” or “social”, may drive a lot of traffic, but are highly competitive in the rankings. Less common terms drive lower traffic, but are less competitive.
   
• Keywords are limited to 100 characters total, with terms separated by commas and no spaces. (Note that you can use spaces to separate words within keyword phrases. For example: Property,House, Real Estate.) Maximize the number of words that fit in this character limit by avoiding the following:
  • Plurals of words that you’ve already included in singular form
  • Names of categories or the word “app”
  • Duplicate words
  • Special characters — such as # or @ — unless they’re part of your brand identity. Special characters don’t carry extra weight when users search for your app
     
• Improper use of keywords is a common reason for App Store rejections. Do not use the following in your keywords:
  • Unauthorized use of trademarked terms, celebrity names, and other protected words and phrases
  • Terms that are not relevant to the app
  • Competing app names
  • Irrelevant, inappropriate, offensive, or objectionable terms
     
• In addition, keep in mind that promotional text doesn’t affect your app’s search ranking so it should not be used to display keywords.