How To Take Advantage Of iOS 8 App Bundles While There Is Still Time

App Bundles are one of the biggest new features in iOS 8. If you haven't read our last post on App Bundles, be sure to go back and read up on the basic information.

Now that they are available, let's take a closer look at how they affect App Store Optimization. Since this feature is so new, we are still gathering in-depth data on best practices.

But you shouldn't wait to implement App Bundles, if they work for you. This post will show you which publishers will benefit from bundling and what you need to do right now, if you are one of those publishers.

Publishers That Will Benefit

The publishers that will benefit the most will have multiple paid apps, with a similar theme. Offering a discount provides attractive pricing for people looking for a good deal on related apps. One publisher has reported that their revenue doubled overnight, simply by implementing App Bundles.

The Bundles that an app is in are displayed in each app listing. This provides great upsell potential. In this example, instead of only getting $0.99 for the sale of this one app, this publisher might be able to double their revenue to $1.99.

Reserve Great Keywords Now

Since only a few publishers are using Bundles, this is your opportunity to reserve Bundle names with great keywords. As Bundles become more popular, more people will search for "keyword(s) + bundle."

With this in mind, you need to act fast. Bundle names are unique, so your opportunity is limited.

A search for "productivity bundle" currently only returns 87 results. Only a handful of the top results are actual Bundles with the keyword in their name. This shows that there is still in opportunity to rank for this keyword, even in a category as crowded as Productivity.

Faster Review Times (For Now)

Just like with individual apps, each bundle will have to be manually reviewed. Apparently this is a separate process because publishers are reporting that their bundles are being approved in a matter of hours, instead of days.

This will probably change in the future, as more publishers start bundling their apps. But for now, you should take advantage of the faster review time to get your App Bundles on the market quickly.

Put Your Best App Graphics First

If your Bundle has more than four apps, the order of your apps in iTunes matters. The first four icons will show up in the search results on iTunes.

For example, this "Personalization Bundle" has 5 apps. Notice how the first four apps in the bundle are displayed in the main icon in the upper left corner.

Screenshots are also displayed according to how apps are ordered in iTunes. The first two screenshots are from the first app.

Your First App Determines Bundle Category

The order of your apps in iTunes also determines the category of your Bundle. For example, take a look at the Ultimate Productivity Bundle by Readdle.

Since PDF Expert 5 is listed first, this Bundle is in the Productivity category. However, if they had accidentally listed Scanner Pro first, the bundle would be listed in Business.

Minimum Pricing Depends On The Highest Priced App In The Bundle

Finally, the minimum amount that you can charge for your Bundle will be determined by the highest priced app in your bundle. Apple will automatically add $1 to your highest priced app and make that the minimum bundle cost.

You can certainly charge more, but you cannot go below this cost. Some publishers are saying that a 25% discount seems like the best place to start.

But you will have to do your own testing. It will vary by subcategory.

Conclusion

Just like with any new feature, the low hanging fruit will only be available to publishers who act first. When we gather more data on how to maximize the benefit of App Bundles, we will provide that information here on the blog. But until then, be sure to reserve your App Bundle names, if bundling makes sense for your apps.

What else have you discovered about App Bundles? Let us know in the comments below...