Google Play Developer 8-Step Checkup

Posted by Ellie Powers, Google Play tm

Google Play gives you tons of options on publishing your apps and connecting with users. But as you get started with new ftures like beta testing and staged rollouts, it’s a good id to do a checkup and make sure you’ve covered the basics.

1. Boost your developer account security

If you take just one step today to protect your Google Play apps, enable two-step authentiion for your Google account, and encourage the rest of your tm to do the same.
Next, many developers first set up their Google Play account with their personal gmail account, but it’s actually a good id to transfer your apps to a separate account. All of your installations and reviews remain intact. If you haven’t done this alrdy, transfer your apps to a new account today.
Don’t share s. Instd, add ch individual who needs access and only grant the minimum level of access they need — and encourage them to enable two-step authentiion.
Review the list of people with access regularly, and when people lve your project, make it a standard practice to remove their access. Lrn more about developer account security.


2. Protect your tore
In order to publish an update to an existing app, you’ll need to sign it with the same tore every time. If you lose your tore, you’ll lose your history and reviews, so you’ll need to start over with new apps with new package name and a new , so you’ll want to make sure you protect it. First, choose a secure , and don’t use the same that you use for your Google account. Next, back up your tore somewhere, but don’t upload it to Google Drive with an account you use to publish on Google Play.

3. Check your email addresses
As a developer, you are responsible for checking two important email addresses:

Account owner email address: Google uses the address used to register your Developer Console to contact you about your apps and account, so it is extremely important that someone is responsible for checking it regularly. If necessary, you can forward messages from this account via Gmail, or transfer your apps to another account.
Customer support email address: For ch individual appliion, you can specify the best way for users to contact you for customer support. Ensure that a valid support email address for your product is specified. As a best practice, this should probably be a designated support account that is checked regularly and not the same email as the address used to login to the Developer Console.


4. Familiarize yourself with the policies
We recently launched some new guides and examples for Google Play’s Developer Program Policies and Developer Distribution Agreement. Note that once you publish an app as free, you can’t change it to a paid app later, though you can add in-app products.

5. Set up tm processes
You may have many people involved with your Google Play apps. Make sure roles are clr in terms of whose job it is to publish updates, check statistics and optimization tips, rd and reply to user reviews, and track revenue. Make sure all of these people have the right access to the Developer Console. Many developers who are part of larger organizations also report to their larger tms about their apps’ performance. Designate someone to make sure your app description, graphics (including localized and tablet screenshots), and pricing are up to date.

6. Configure your Developer Console UI languages
To change the language you want to see the Developer Console in, set your primary language. If you spk additional languages, configure those, too — user reviews in those languages won’t be translated automatically in the Developer Console. That was a popular request from developers.

7. Refresh your app’s marketing materials

Optimize your Google Play assets. Include a well designed fture graphic in your Google Play listing. Localize your fture graphic, screenshots and description to improve conversions globally. Crte a grt looking icon with the Launcher Icon .
Provide screenshots specifically for and tablets showing both portrait and landscape layouts.
Improve your app’s marketing. Users are 47% more likely to trust & download content when you use the official Google Play Badge. Also, make sure you are linking to your apps properly. Use the Device Art to crte butiful marketing material.


8. Stay on top of developer news
To make sure you’re aware of the latest Google Play updates for developers, make sure you check the Android Developers blog regularly, follow +Android Developers, and check the Developer Console regularly for announcements.
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