In the Internet space, any experienced and knowledgeable search engine optimisation consultant will be able to tell you that gaming the system is no longer viable. You will only be able to get your website to rise within the search engine ranks if you are able to get your website to rank as the most useful match for various queries. The site must be both high quality and respected, like the apps produced by Apps in the Sky. This same logic applies to the app store.
Google Play is easily one of the best app stores on any platform because it works to promote the highest quality apps to the top of the rankings. Users are able to get the highest quality apps without having to do a lot of searching. Along with this, the app developers that are committed to creating and maintaining the highest quality apps get driven to the top of the rankings. However, you might be wondering how Google goes about measuring the overall quality of the app.
As of now, it really is all about retention. Google looks to the retention that an app is getting from its user-base as a means to tell whether or not it is offering quality and satisfactory experience. Thus, your app is rated mostly by how many new users continue to use your app days and even weeks later.
Things used to be more about having consistent updates, ratings, and reviews. These things, while still important, are not as important as they once were. While they are featured in Google’s formula for ranking, an app’s retention rate is something that trumps them entirely. It is even more important than accumulating high star ratings.
So, you might be wondering – how you improve retention?
The best thing that you can do is make it easy to use. This is one of the most obvious pieces of advice that you will get, but it is something that you need to do. How do you go about making the software easy to use? It’s easy to say that the user interface should be focused on as it is going to play the most crucial role in determining how well the user-base is retained.
A major mistake that a lot of designers make is incorporating instructions on how to use the app when the user first opens it. The fact is, if your app requires instructions to be able to use, you already messed up in the design process. If you really must tell your users something, you will want to use tool-tips or something similar, but you should only be pointing at the information that they need to help them.
Set the Right Expectations For Your First Use
Users will end up giving you app’s listing very little time. Typically, they will look at your listing’s pictures to decide whether or not they want to download it. They will usually have a specific desire or app experience in mind and will glance at your listing to see if it’s something that might solve a need. If your listing is able to sell your app on solving their need, they will download it and try it.
However, if your app doesn’t provide a clear, accurate, and concise description, they will likely never install it.
Keep it Fresh
If your app is focused on content, you want to keep it fresh by adding new content regularly. Users are going to be much more likely to revisit your apps when they see something new each and every time. For instance, you can visit the BBC app and continually see new content throughout the day.
Improve Your User Experience on First Use
If you need users to sign-up to use your app, you want to require as little information as possible from them. The more resistance you cause during the sign-up phase, the less you will get.
Invite Users Back
You will want to use push messaging in order to get previous users to re-install or use your app again.