How App Store Ratings Impact Downloads

Apps can be key to inspiring users to routinely use a social network. Social apps breed loyalty, and increase engagement, so it’s important to make your app accessible. The app store can be a daunting space, as 80 percent of apps fail to make it to user devices, but the rewards for high placement in the store outweigh the risks. An infographic from Kahuna shows how ratings in the app store affect your app.

A good rating is key to raising awareness in the store and ultimately drive user downloads. Of the top 100 free iPhone apps, 67 percent have four stars or better, and 92 percent have a rating of three stars or better. These ratings have a large impact on whether or not users decide to download a new app. And with high turnover rates in the app space, users are almost always looking for replacements.

Practically every user searching the app store thinks about downloading five star apps, and the vast majority consider four star apps. Conversely, approximately 13 percent of users consider apps with one star ratings.

Improving your rating in the store, even a little, can result in big a big boost for your conversion rate. Moving from two to three stars increases conversion by 280 percent, while moving from two to four increases conversion by 540 percent. Increasing the quality of your app, and responding to users concerns is something your development team should always be doing.

There are also optimal strategies for increasing the stickiness of your app. A formalized onboarding process goes a long way to ensuring users stick with your app. Consider using omni channel messaging, and A/B testing for messages to examine how your users like interacting with the app.

Asking for reviews at the right time can increase the likelihood of high ratings from users. Use event triggers that are associated with good user experiences, such as beating a level in a game app, or when making a purchase on an ecommerce app.

For tips on avoiding message saturation, and for further explanation, view the infographic below.