Understanding the significance of app ratings and reviews, let’s explore proven methods to enhance them across all app marketplaces.
Request Ratings from Users
Asking users to leave ratings and reviews is another effective way to boost your app store ratings. The more ratings you have, the more stable your average star rating becomes. Moreover, apps with a significant number of ratings tend to rank higher in app stores.
Simply asking users to rate and review your app can yield positive results. Take advantage of various opportunities to request ratings from users organically. You can ask new users to leave fresh ratings and encourage old users to update their previously negative reviews.
Utilize push notifications to reach a broader audience, while personalized notes work well for a smaller, targeted group. Fortunately, most users are happy to leave a rating when satisfied with an app, especially when prompted.
Time Your Review Requests Wisely
Timing plays a significant role in requesting app ratings and reviews. Ideally, you want to ask users for ratings when they are feeling positive about your app. This could be after they have completed an order, achieved a milestone, or explored a new feature. Set up triggers based on in-app behavior or other significant milestones to optimize the timing of your review requests.
Ensure you avoid interrupting the user’s app experience or reaching out when they are in a negative mindset. For instance, avoid requesting a rating or review after their order has been delayed or when they are in the middle of completing an action on your platform.
Prioritize App Improvement
Ultimately, it’s your app’s features and functionality that determine whether users leave positive or negative reviews. When your app meets their preferences and needs, users will give it high ratings and positive reviews. Conversely, if your app falls short, users may uninstall it and provide negative feedback, leading to a decline in your app’s ranking.
To improve your app store ratings, the first step is to focus on enhancing app performance and ensuring you offer the features users desire.
Leverage Additional Channels
While in-app feedback is highly effective for collecting ratings and reviews, you can also utilize other channels to increase the volume of feedback. Here are some alternative options:
- Website: Promote your app’s download and encourage users to rate it on your website, particularly if your app is new or recently launched. Provide clear instructions and make it easy for visitors to leave ratings and reviews.
- Social Media: Collaborate with social media influencers to raise awareness of your app and encourage people to try it out and leave ratings. Influencers can help reach a wider audience and generate more engagement with your app.
- Contests: Encourage reviewers to participate in contests by leaving their Apple ID or Google Play usernames as replies in a designated thread. Randomly select a winner from these entries. This incentivizes users to provide feedback and can generate more ratings.
Simplify the Review Process
It’s essential to make the process of reviewing your app as easy and seamless as possible. Some effective tactics include:
- Integrating the review request organically within the app experience.
- Sending push notifications as reminders.
- Implementing targeted email campaigns that encourage users to leave a review.
Target ratings and reviews from active and satisfied users. Segment and approach these users accordingly. Consider triggering review prompts when you know users are feeling positive about your app or during moments when they are least likely to feel interrupted.
For example, you can send a friendly push notification one hour after a user receives a food order they placed through your food delivery app.
By leveraging these additional channels, you can expand your reach and encourage more users to provide ratings and reviews for your app, ultimately improving your overall app store ratings.
