Positive reviews from fellow users play a significant role in influencing people’s decision, whether they are going to watch a movie, eat out at a restaurant or download an app. People always read reviews before deciding to download an app, hence making it one of the most crucial factors of conversion rate. We can’t deny the importance of positive reviews and ratings when it comes to App Store Optimization. Apps that have more reviews, opinions, and ratings will appear higher above in app store search results and are likely to get featured.
However, in today’s overly crowded app store, it is difficult to generate honest reviews. You need real users who are willing to give their genuine feedback, and friends and family will not suffice. App reviews don’t happen just like this, and it is foolishness to believe in promises made by agencies who claim to provide you a 5-star rating overnight.
Today we are going to share some tips and tactics that will encourage your app users to head back to the app store and write an honest review of your app. So, keep reading to learn how you can get more positive app reviews by following these 5 steps:
1- Ask
“Ask, and you shall receive.” Don’t forget these golden words when it comes to getting more people to review your app. It is the easiest and least expensive ways to generate app reviews. You can use a plugin that can make it drop-dead simple for users to review your app while using it.
Some people might advise against it, but I believe that if it is done properly, then there is no harm in asking. Here are some points to keep in mind before asking your users for a review:
1- Don’t interrupt or allow a dialogue box to pop up in between a session.
2- Give the user plenty of time to explore the app.
3- Always ask after the user experiences a positive moment in your app.
4- Allow a user to share his or her opinion and feedback.
2- Incentivize
Let’s face the truth. No one wants to leave a review unless you make an effort to go beyond the standard app review popup and incentivize your users in exchange for their feedback.
Offer your users in-game rewards or points or free stuff. Use this tactic to see your app review figures go up literally overnight. But be careful, many app stores (like Apple) have certain rules about incentivizing users for reviews, so make sure you read them beforehand.
3- Use gamification
Gamification is an excellent and engaging tactic to get people to review your app. Did you know that games get 60% of all the ratings? The reason behind it is that games are designed to be stimulating and motivate people to strive for more.
Use this formula to attract your users to leave feedback and design a game around the whole process. Offer a small prize like in-app points, discounts or any other special content in exchange. As we mentioned earlier, App Store and Google Play have strict rules about contents and rewards so keep yourself updated before you set up a game.
4- Use social media
Another great way to ask for reviews is to get your existing fans on the bandwagon. If you have a strong community on social media, then harness this power to boost your downloads and ratings on the app store. Ask your users to download and rate your app through social media posts and email newsletters.
You can also encourage your social media users to share a screenshot of their ratings on your page to help enhance trust and loyalty, which will also help broaden your audience reach for the future.
5- Respond to all sorts of feedback
Users are more inclined to leave an honest review when there is proof that someone will respond to feedback. Reply to all sorts of feedback, whether it is negative or positive. What’s more, experts recommend that it is even more important to respond to negative reviews or reviews that offer suggestions and ask for additional features to be added to your app.
AirG sets a great example of this. The developers make it a point to address all AirG reviews, hence increasing the users’ trust and loyalty towards their apps. Even if you are not able to address each review, show your users that you care for their feedback by referencing them in your app updates and whenever new features are added.
Conclusion:
In short, it is all about creating an excellent product and an app that compels people to download it. There is no other way to get positive reviews than to create a great app which users love to download. By updating it regularly, you give the message that you are continually listening to your users and iterating their needs.
Stay away from shortcuts, including buying reviews as it a dishonest approach and will ultimately kill your ratings on both Apple and Google. It might work for a while, but your developer account will be closed, and your app will be banned for life as soon as you’re caught.
It may seem overwhelming to get users to rate and review your app at first, but if you stick to improving your app continuously and providing top notch customer service, there is no way your app won’t make it to the top!
