Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing with you some app basics, best practises and trends relevant to the mobile ecosystem in our Mastering Mobile Marketing video series. Our team at Yodel Mobile possess extensive knowledge of the app marketing fundamentals. We will be sharing insights on topics such as app discoverability, searchability and conversion optimisation. This week, Rachel, our Project Manager here at Yodel Mobile, will be sharing some insight into app review and feedback management.
Ensuring the ratings and reviews for your app are as good as they can be may be a difficult task, but Rachel covers exactly what you need to consider to ensure your users have a great app experience.
How to improve your app rating:
Your app rating and reviews can positively or negatively impact the visibility of your app store listing.
[twitter_blurb text=” 75% of potential customers see the app rating and its reviews as the main influence when choosing whether to download an app.”]
Customers tend to vocalise their polarised views, through reviews, and conversion rates will no doubt suffer if the app has lots of negative reviews in the app store.
In the app store, your app rating is taken in to account for search results and rankings. Within the Google Play store, the star rating is an aggregate of all ratings and reviews ever given. These reviews will affect how the app ranks and converts, therefore it’s important to monitor and manage reviews from day one.
Within the iTunes store reviews are split into two categories, ‘all versions’ and ‘current version’. However, with the launch of iOS11, reviews and the ratings will be cumulative and reflect the overall app rating. It will also be possible to reset reviews and your app rating when releasing a new version of the app.
There are a number of factors to overcome in order to achieve lots of high quality ratings and reviews. These include convincing users to rate and review and effectively maximising positive reviews while minimising negative reviews.
Implement review prompts to improve your app rating:
Review prompts are a good way to convince users to rate and review your app. A review prompt should be sent after the user has had a positive experience in the app and should not be disruptive or intrusive. For example, when they receive a discount code or when they complete a level within a game.
This will increase the likelihood of the user giving a positive rating. Integrated and native rating and review prompts are an effective way to help overcome this challenge, for example placing a rating and review request within the feed in an app.
Provide a support email:
A negative review strategy also needs to be implemented to ensure any unhappy users are diverted away from the app stores to an email or a separate messaging platform. As users will be encouraged at certain points in the user journey to leave a review, you need to find a way to set up an alternative outlet for users who wish to express any issues.
Providing a separate platform for unhappy users means they are less likely to leave a bad review to make their issues heard.
Implement a user-friendly feedback system:
Customers want their concerns and issues to be heard and addressed.
[twitter_blurb text=”If customers know their feedback has been implemented and taken on board, they are more likely to become loyal users.”]
Implementing a user-friendly feedback system, with personalised responses, will help to ensure this. Getting feedback from users will also help to understand user problems and inform development decisions.
A great app rating will help maintain a positive image in the app stores:
The app review and feedback management strategy for each app will differ and is dependent on the vertical and in-app user behaviour. It’s clear that a seamless and frictionless journey for a happy user to review the app in the app store needs to exist.
Customer reviews have a significant impact on visibility and conversion rates within both app stores, which creates a clear case to monitor and manage reviews and app rating. The app store is an extension of a brand and so an effective strategy will help ensure a positive image in the app stores.
Want to find out more about optimising your app and keeping up with the latest OS capabilities? Make sure to subscribe to our Mastering Mobile Marketing video series. You can also get in touch by visiting the Contact Us page. Follow us on LinkedIn, chat with us on Twitter @yodelmobile, and join our #mobilemarketingUK LinkedIn group.
