In 2019,
One product manager from our team was battling with getting good reviews, he was trying out 10 different things to get good reviews
Looking deeper almost every marketer and product manager and even delivery boys are after good ratings.
Researching app ratings, we found that App ratings and reviews can significantly impact the success of your app. They influence discoverability, downloads, and user trust. However, the methods used to solicit this feedback are crucial. A balanced approach is necessary to avoid pushy or annoying prompts, while still encouraging valuable feedback. This post explores how to gather app ratings and reviews effectively and ethically, and how to use this customer feedback to improve your product and business.
Why App Ratings and Reviews Matter
Everyone has their agenda on ratings
- For Developers: They offer invaluable feedback on app performance and the overall user experience. This helps developers understand what features users value most and where improvements are needed.
- For Marketers: They directly impact app store search results and visibility. Apps with higher ratings tend to rank higher in app store searches, increasing their discoverability.
- For Users: Ratings and reviews provide a quick way for users to assess an app's quality before downloading. Many users rely on these reviews to make informed decisions.
- Social Proof: Positive reviews build trust and credibility, encouraging potential users to download the app.
- Conversion Rates: Higher app ratings are linked to better conversion rates. When users see that an app is well-regarded, they are more likely to download it.
- User Engagement: Healthy ratings drive user engagement, which can then translate to increased business value.
- Credibility: Apps with a high volume of positive ratings are perceived as more credible and trustworthy.
- Stability: A higher volume of ratings means a more stable average rating. This helps in weathering the occasional negative feedback.
The Problem with Traditional Rating Prompts
Traditional methods of asking for app ratings often involve annoying pop-ups that interrupt the user experience. These disruptive prompts can lead to negative reactions. Here's why traditional methods often fail:
- Intrusive Pop-ups: These prompts often appear at inconvenient times, frustrating users.
- Poor Timing: Asking for ratings at the app launch or during important tasks annoys users, leading to lower ratings.
- The "Big Lie": Prompts disguised as feedback requests, that are just designed to solicit a review, can frustrate users.
- Forcing Reviews: Making users feel obligated to leave a review is unacceptable, as it can lead to negative responses.
- Begging for Ratings: Direct and desperate requests for app ratings can be irritating and off-putting.
- Impact of Negative Reviews: Even a small number of negative reviews can significantly impact the perception of an app and reduce downloads.
Strategies for Smartly Requesting Ratings and Reviews
To effectively request ratings and reviews without annoying users, consider these strategies:
- Honesty and Transparency: Be upfront about your intentions and state where the prompt will take them.
- Timing is Key: Ask for reviews only after a user has had a positive experience within the app.
- Examples: after a successful transaction, completing a key task, or finishing a game level.
- Avoid asking when the user is in the middle of an important task.
- Native Experience: Integrate rating prompts into the app’s natural flow.
- Make the prompt feel like part of the app and not an interruption.
- Consider placing the prompt in the settings or mid-list.
- Ask for Feedback, Not Just Ratings: Use prompts to solicit user feedback, allowing users to express their opinions rather than just provide a rating.
- If a user indicates they are not enjoying the app, redirect them to a feedback form or support.
- Use feedback to improve the app.
- Use a Question: Rather than directly asking for a rating, ask a simple question to gauge user satisfaction.
- This allows for a more nuanced and less aggressive user experience.
- User Behavior: Understand the trends of how users are using your app and time the prompts when they are likely to be receptive.
- In-App Ratings: For iOS, use the native StoreKit framework so users can rate without leaving the app. This makes the process easier and more convenient.
- Consider User Journey: Ask for feedback at different stages of the customer journey, such as during free trial sign-up, after key milestones or interactions, during regular usage, after support interactions, after product updates, before subscription renewals, or when a user cancels a subscription.
Where to Ask for Feedback
There are many places to ask for feedback, both inside and outside of your app:
- In-App: Use prompts, chatbots, or integrated feedback forms within the app.
- App settings: Include a "rate this app" option in the app settings.
- Emails: Include the request in emails, or in support emails.
- Support Site/Team: Add the request to your support site or in the email footers of your customer support team.
- Release Notes: Include a polite request in the app’s release notes.
- Website: Use feedback forms or widgets on your website to collect feedback.
- Social Media & Forums: Monitor social media and online forums for discussions about the app and ask for feedback in those channels.
- Customer Support: Collect feedback from your customer support teams.
- Product Review Sites: Encourage users to leave reviews on sites like G2 or Capterra.
- User Interviews: Conduct one-on-one user interviews for in-depth insights.
Best Practices When Asking for Feedback
When asking for feedback, follow these best practices:
- Be Honest: Be clear about what you want when asking for a review.
- Don't Interrupt: Do not interrupt users in the middle of tasks.
- Avoid Spamming: Do not repeatedly ask users to rate if they have already declined.
- Personalise Requests: Make the feedback request personal and make the user feel appreciated.
- Timing is Crucial: Ask at the right moment for best results.
- Make it Easy and Convenient: Use clear, concise, and direct questions.
- Use Multiple Channels: Employ various channels to gather feedback.
- Ask the Right Questions: Be specific and use both open-ended and close-ended questions.
- Show Appreciation: Thank customers for their feedback and time.
- Offer Incentives: Consider offering incentives for users who leave feedback.
- Close the Feedback Loop: Update users on changes made based on their feedback.
- Act on Feedback: Use feedback to make improvements to the app.
Setting up the Tech for Collecting Reviews and Feedback
Analysing and Using Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is valuable and should be carefully analysed. Both positive and negative feedback is helpful. Here's how to make the most of the feedback you collect:
- Analyse Feedback: Look for trends and common issues in the feedback you receive.
- Prioritise Feedback: Use feedback to inform your product development roadmap and prioritise the areas that need improvement.
- Improve User Experience: Use the feedback you receive to improve the user experience and make your app more user-friendly.
- Identify Bugs and Issues: Use customer feedback to identify any bugs or issues in the app that need to be addressed.
- Increase Customer Retention: Address customer concerns and issues promptly to increase customer satisfaction and improve retention.
The Benefits of Using Customer Feedback Software
To effectively manage and utilize feedback, consider using customer feedback software. This type of software can help you:
- Capture Feedback: Collect feedback from various sources, such as surveys, heatmaps, and session recordings.
- Track Trends: Identify trends and recurring issues to prioritise actions.
- Organise Feedback: Easily sort and organise feedback so it can be readily accessed.
- Use Roadmaps: Make use of roadmaps to plan new features based on user needs and keep them informed.
- Communicate Changes: Make announcements to users about new features and improvements.
Some popular customer feedback tools include:
- SurveyMonkey: A versatile survey platform for collecting feedback.
- Hotjar: A website feedback tool that uses heatmaps and session recordings.
- Frill: A tool for capturing and prioritising customer ideas and feature requests.
- GetFeedback: A platform for gathering feedback across multiple channels.
- FullStory: A platform that provides detailed analysis of customer journeys and user interactions.
- Mixpanel: An analytics suite for SaaS companies to track user behaviour.
- Pendo: A product that provides customer sentiment surveys and in-app walkthroughs for onboarding and feature adoption.
- Nolt: A feedback management platform that allows customers to submit and vote on ideas.
- Survey Anyplace: Used for surveys and quizzes to collect customer feedback.
- Qualaroo: A user research and feedback software that targets specific users for feedback.
- UseResponse: A customer support platform with feedback features.
- Survicate: An NPS and survey software that collects feedback from targeted users.
- Podium: A communication platform that manages customer reviews across multiple channels.
- UserReport: Offers feedback and survey widgets to collect user data.
- AskNicely: Helps you collect NPS ratings and feedback using conversational methods.
- CustomerSure: Collects feedback through NPS and CSAT metrics.
- Typeform: A popular tool for creating interactive forms, surveys, and quizzes.
Conclusion
App ratings and reviews are essential for the success of your app. By using a user-centric approach and carefully implementing feedback requests, you can encourage users to leave positive reviews, improve user engagement, and increase your app's discoverability. Remember that the collection of user feedback and app improvement should be a continuous process. Focusing on a great user experience is key to getting the positive reviews your app deserves.