Through the constant unfolding and development of the blockchain landscape, dApps are becoming an integral part in the future of decentralization. However, even though the dApp space is looking to be a market valued at $2,1 billion by 2025, big projects like Augur attract only 60 new users a day, in comparison to similar, centralized apps like Draft Kings with 400,000 downloads monthly.
Although low adoption is mainly because of dApps’ poor interfaces and blockchain complexity, developers counteract this with different strategies aimed at driving traffic to their dApps. But, might it be that a blockchain app store is what the cryptoverse is missing?
Creating a Community
One of the most common ways of marketing anything related to the cryptosphere is through social media platforms. Already filled with a base of potential users, developers can find their target audience there and see how others are advertising their software solutions.
Through portals like Twitter, Telegram or even Discord, a blockchain app developer can build a group of followers and a space for them to take part in the developmental process of the dApp and interact with other users.
dApp developers utilize these social outlets to share insights and updates on the dApp, this way trying to maintain their user base engaged whilst encouraging possible visitors to explore their creations for themselves. Building a community might improve the quality of the end product itself, as followers can give crypto app developers feedback. A community surrounding a project might be the reason why many people would want to try the dApp themselves.
Besides community building, paid promotion can make the dApp more visible on those platforms. It is known that paying social media influencers who are related to the field the dApp targets can bring the desired results. And compensating them with crypto token rewards is a recurrent practice.
The dApp Money
A dApp can also acquire the attention of others by the association of a token. Launching a token sale, connected to the dApp itself will result in a spike of interest and use-cases of that particular token.
Combining a token launch with listing the dApp on popular portals like DappRadar or dapp, can harness additional funding besides an increase in searchability online.
When a dApp’s crypto token has several use-cases, users are encouraged to utilize the crypto token rewards within the dApp’s environment. An example can be found in blockchain games. If a token is connected to the game, it can be later used to purchase some in-game inventory in the form of NFTs and improve the quality of the gameplay.
Axie Infinity is probably the most popular game that relies on this mechanic. Through the use of the AXS token, players are able to buy new creatures and additions to the gameplay.
People come for the token, but they might stay for the dApp.
Incentivize, Incentivize, Incentivize
Affiliate marketing is a known tactic in a variety of industries. A blockchain app developer offers users incentives (free tokens, features in the app, or anything that brings them additional value from the promotion) to use the dApp and lead to an increase in the user base.
This form of marketing works with referrals. Everyone who joins gets their own referral link to share it directly with acquaintances or post on their social media. People joining through these links receive a bonus, too.
Both sides of the deal benefit in such a scenario—crypto app developers notice a steady influx of new users and new users get something for joining the dApp. In that way, users can become marketers of the products they like and keep the affiliate marketing cycle anew.
Different marketing strategies aim to lead traffic to the emerging and established dApps, but a bigger issue remains. Where can users find and access all these apps at once?
The Crypto App Store for dApps
Magic Store is a decentralized platform for dApps. Similarly to popular, centralized app stores such as the App Store and Google Play, Magic Square aims to create a place accessible to everyone wanting to join the cryptoverse and enjoy all that it has to offer.
The platform is a community-driven platform and developers set the rules concerning their creations and not Magic Square. This allows for additional control over the crypto app, which is exactly what decentralization is meant to allow for. To get a dApp listed here, blockchain app developers submit their apps, and after the verification process is completed, they get added to the pool of crypto applications.
The Magic Store is a community-vetted platform that enables everyone in the community to pitch in, making sure that the whitelisted apps are functional and that the platform is in constant development. Given the platform is based on community and communication between creators and users enabled, developers get data on their dApps’ development, which is crucial to help them keep improving on the features of the dApp. A crypto app developer also gets to witness how their ideas function and the changes that need to be applied, which is nearly impossible to accomplish during the beta-testing phases.
How Does Magic Square Reward its Community?
Active users get rewarded in the form of SQR tokens—Magic Square’s own crypto asset—for downloading, rating and validating apps on the store. With these tokens, Magic Square promotes the upkeep of quality products in the app store.
Besides collecting SQR based on daily interaction, which is distributed to the users once a month, Magic Square awards an NFT to a selected user every month, making participation as enticing as possible.
Blockchain app developers also gain tokens for putting their product on the site and encouraging users to use the dApp. Driving traffic to the app is not only beneficial for the developer but just like in an affiliate program, also for the user. However, different from affiliate programs, the Magic Square platform isn’t bound to any links or referral system—it is already built into the solution.
There is a variety of ways a creator might funnel traffic to their dApp, but all of the other methods heavily depend on the accessibility of the dApp itself. With Magic Square’s solution, a blockchain app store is leading users to find tools for their crypto-related needs in a friendly environment, encouraging them to rate and verify apps to maintain collectively a high application quality. With this, it also facilitates the exploration of the cryptoverse and rewards everyone for it. Is there any other better way to drive organic traffic to a dApp?