At Xero, we focus on building a connected app ecosystem that makes life better for small businesses and their advisors. Xero’s in-product surfaces play a key role in helping Xero users discover apps, let’s take a look at some of the recent developments in this area.

Upgraded homepage real estate: The App Zone.

We recently completed the rollout of the new Xero homepage — the very first screen users see when they log in. This update unlocked a massive opportunity for app discovery through the App Zone. Powered by our machine learning recommendation engine, this surface is now larger and highlights more information about each app — your app’s function(s) and short description have been added. The result? A triple digit increase in monthly click volumes on app cards.Press enter or click to view image in full size.

Keep users engaged: The App Launcher.

Next, there’s the App Launcher. Sitting right in the main navigation bar, persistent across the entire Xero platform, the App Launcher keeps your product just one click away from a user’s daily accounting workflow. We recently gave it a fresh coat of paint and a sleeker look — and as a result, we’re seeing a sharpened conversion rate when these users visit the Xero App Store.

Two ways to win: Existing users and prospective buyers.

The App Launcher drives value for different stages of the funnel:

• For existing users: The “Connected Apps” section sits right at the top. No matter where a business owner or accountant is in Xero, your app is one click away. That means less tab-switching, fewer bookmarks, and consistent, easy engagement with your tool.

• For prospective users: The “App Recommendations” section surfaces tailored app suggestions directly to users, driving fresh discovery right inside the product.

And coming soon: Bringing App Launcher to the Xero Partner Hub.

We aren’t stopping at the small business view. We’re bringing the App Launcher directly into the Xero Partner Hub — our accountant- and bookkeeper-facing product. This expansion solves the exact same goals as before but now for accountants and bookkeepers.Developer heads-up: If you build for practices, you can prepare your app for the Partner Hub launch today. Check out our Partner Login URL Setup Guide for quick instructions on updating your developer settings before early September.

Simple to set up (no Single Sign-On required).

You don’t need a big engineering lift to pull this off. To integrate with the App Launcher, all you actually need to do is add a login URL in your app’s configuration in the Xero Developer portal.While you do not need to implement Sign In with Xero to use the App Launcher, we strongly recommend it. Enabling users to log into your app with their Xero credentials creates an effortless, instant jump between products without hitting a login wall.Ready to streamline the user journey? Check out our Xero App Launcher technical guide or watch our quick video walk-through to get started. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive into App Store curation and upfront pricing.

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