By Helpshift
Seamless Feedback Loop + Timely Ask + Customizable Rating Prompt = Guaranteed 5 Star Ratings and Reviews
Keywords: Do Your Research!
- Use keyword ranking tools like App Annie to navigate through the app ecosystem and establish benchmarks.
- Surround yourself with potential users and conduct surveys to uncover overlooked keywords.
- Keyword analytics are not available in real-time. Keep researching, testing, and iterating keywords from update to update.
Title + Taglines Matter
- Aim for a short title with a simple tagline. This is your chance to attract potential customers with a snapshot of your app’s value.
- Musi Example:
- Title Iteration #1: ‘Musi’ → Base title and no tagline to create curiosity among users. Only saw 30 downloads per day.
- Title Iteration #2: ‘Musi- Song Streaming for YouTube & Downloader for SoundCloud ‘ → Introduction of tagline increased installs 6x. Give people context.
- Title Iteration #3: ‘Musi- Unlimited Free Music’ → Optimize for discoverability. 10x install increase from Title Iteration #2, and even 15x install increase from the first title iteration.
Screenshots
- Tailor screenshots to your target demographic and match that to the app’s brand.
- Musi Tip: Onset screenshots to an iPhone with a description of the primary action. Although not encouraged, Apple still accepts these submissions.
Bonus: Optimal Times to Submit to the App Store
- Test release times and monitor performance to drive installs. Musi submits updates on Fridays and weekends.
New Rating Prompt Strategy
1. Only target happy users
2. Only target veteran users
3. Give unhappy users a chance to provide feedback
4. Don’t break the user’s context by forcing an interaction
5. Ensure users rate every version
5 Star Ratings & Reviews
- Musi experienced rapid growth after re-strategizing how and when to ask users to rate the app.
- Rating frameworks designed to ask users to rate the prompt immediately after start of app disrupts your user’s experience and converts poorly. In Musi’s case, less than 1% would actually rate the app.
- Create a rating prompt that caters to specific user actions within the app.
- 46% of negative reviews are actually product feedback.
- Make it as easy as humanly possible for unhappy users to connect with you and quickly resolve their issues (before they hit the App Store with a 1 star review).
Questions to Ask
- What is the best time to ask people to rate the app?
- At what point will users be the happiest using the app?
- How can we build the least intrusive rating prompt?
Published February 16, 2015
