So youâve written a great extension, but only a few people have found and installed it from addons.mozilla.org (AMO)âdespite your efforts to create an appealing listing. So, how do you encourage more people to install your extension? This page looks at how.
However, before you start investing in encouraging more people to install your extension, spend some time to make sure that your extension is well-polished and professional. There is little point chasing new installs if they result in disappointing ratings and reviews. Remember to follow the content and UX guidelines, include proper onboarding, and make sure your extensionâs performance is good. Even if you think youâve done this already, itâs always worth checking again.
Promote your add-on from your websiteAdd a snazzy button to your website or blog telling people to "Get the add-on." We offer buttons in two sizes:
Simply save these images, put them on your website, and link them to your add-onâs listing on addons.mozilla.org.
The button is also available as an .svg file.
Friends, family, and colleaguesReal world word-of-mouth can still be a surprisingly effective driver of extension installs. Whether youâre a solo first-time extension developer or an established commercial developer, spreading the word among friends, family, and school, college, or work colleagues can be a very cost-effective way to drive installs of your extension.
Events and meetupsIf youâve created a great extension, get on and talk about it. Look for events where speakers are welcome or meetups where potential users might gather. If your extension focuses on fishing, look for a local fishing club and see if they have a regular meet you could talk to. Other options might include a computer society or maker group. You should consider any group that is likely to be interested in hearing about extension development in general or the features of your extension in particular.
Current usersIf this isnât your first extension or you are creating an extension to complement a web service, make your users aware of the new offering. If you contact your users directly, using email for example, make sure you do so within the parameters of your privacy policy. Remember, you have many other channels you can use, such as social media, forums, or your newsletter. Donât forget that you can promote your new extension when you upgrade your existing extensions (see Best practices for onboarding, upboarding, and offboarding users).
Engage with your usersEnthusiastic and engaged users can often be your greatest advocates. The power of personal connections and word-of-mouth means that even a modest number of people can rapidly drive installs. To engage with and nurture your users:
Your social media account may provide an adequate vehicle for user interaction and exchange of information. However, as your user base grows or if your extension requires more in-depth help and support, a forum or user group may prove to be an effective tool. Forums and user groups can be particularly beneficial in relation to your extension support, as engaged forum members will often help answer support questions and spread the word about your extension.
If you donât feel youâre ready to manage a forum or user group you can also create a support thread on the Mozilla add-on forum: tag the thread title with â[Support]â and include your extension name. This is also an unobtrusive way of making the Mozilla forum community more aware of your extension.
Engage with bloggers and news mediaIndependent endorsements of your extension can help to boost installs significantly. You first need to identify bloggers and news media that might be interested in featuring or reviewing your extension. Look for websites or print publications that focus on areas related to your extensionâs features as well as technology in general. It might be difficult to generate interest among high profile sites; it may be easier to start with bloggers and news media with a niche or regional focus.
Once you have a target list of bloggers and media, create a âpress pack.â This pack should include:
If you have a modest budget, consider running a small search term campaign using Google Ads. This can be a cost-effective way of reaching potential installers where they are searching the web for information related to the features of your extension.
If you havenât used online advertising before, Google Academy for Ads provides courses on how to run an effective online ad campaign.
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