Similar to an app’s rating, a review is a quality signal to app store users. If a potential user reads an excellent review, they are more likely to download the app.

In a saturated market, this makes generating a wealth of strong reviews key to the success of your product, but a review’s use doesn’t just end there. Instead, it’s time to think of a review as a cornerstone of your development process, letting them inform you of how to grow and as an opportunity to build relationships with your customers.

It’s time to take your review process to the next level, discover how to get app reviews and make the very most of them with our guide.

Five ways to get app reviews

If you are just starting out, your first step should be getting as many reviews as possible. Here are a five ways you can get going:

1. Ad campaigns

By using ad campaigns, you can get your app the attention it needs to attract new users, and the reviews that come with new users. As more people try your app and find that they like it, there is a greater likelihood they will leave a positive review.

Over time, you can even use these positive reviews and leverage them into marketing campaigns to further increase your downloads.

2. Plug-in features

To make it as easy as possible for users to make a review, you can include a review plug-in feature. These make it simpler for users to review your app without having to go to a third party review system.

The plug-in feature will send reminders to users to review the app while using it. Your users can then click on one of the options to begin the review process in the app store.

When rating the app, the user will also have the option of leaving a written review in the app store.

This makes the process as seamless as possible. One of the biggest factors in people not leaving reviews is the time it takes to get from one platform to another.

3. Simply ask

A great way of getting reviews is to ask. This takes some tact, but a prompt at the right time can get the review you want.

Try incorporating interesting messaging throughout the review process, such as thanking users for leaving a review and how much it means that they do. Let them know that reviews can have a direct relation to how the developers continue to progress the app.

You want your users to know that their opinion matters and, by leaving a review, they are entering a direct dialogue that can enact positive change.

4. Gamify your review requests

Gamification is an effective way of increasing your app reviews. You can do this by implementing contests and promotions that encourage users to leave reviews and ratings.

For example, you can offer discounts and cards or in-app bonuses to users who take the time to review your app.

5. User support

Great user support can help boost your app reviews. By keeping in constant communication with your users, you can build a rapport. If you solve their issue, it can often result in a positive review.

Once you have resolved their request, why not send a push notification or an email to let them know that their feedback was extremely helpful and ask whether they would like to leave a new review for the app?

How to leverage your app reviews

Getting user feedback isn’t an easy task, but getting hold of them can be well worth the effort. This is how you can use them to your advantage:

Using reviews for product development

By reading your reviews, you can build a picture of whether your users are happy or unhappy with the service your app provides. They may even go as far as mentioning specific features or bugs that frustrate them, while also asking for new functionalities that they believe will improve the service.

These frustrations and requests are invaluable to you as an app developer and should inform a part of your app development roadmap.

By taking all your reviews into consideration, you can learn more of what your user base wants, saving your development team time and money that would otherwise be spent creating something your users aren’t interested in.

Building relationships with your customers

People love to know that they are being listened to and your review section is the perfect place to deliver some first-class mobile app customer support.

In the review section you can open up a 2-way dialogue with your customers where you can show you are paying attention to their needs. Spend time reassuring your users that they are fundamental to the development process by responding to both positive and negative feedback. The more your users feel part of the process, the more loyal they are likely to be.

Learn more about how to tackle negative feedback from our checklist. 

Uncovering competitor secrets

This isn’t about leveraging your own reviews, but gaining insight from how users review your competitors.

There’s plenty to be found here, in particular the pain points your competitors’ users are facing with their app. This is where you can benefit.

Read through competitor app reviews and identify common issues, just as you would for your own app. Take all these criticisms into consideration and think about how you can apply them to your own development process.

If your app already solves these problems, think about how you can market your product to show that users should make the switch.

Replying to your reviews

As we’ve already touched upon, responding to your reviews is a core part of leveraging the review process, but it isn’t always easy. Positive reviews are always fun to read and easy to reply to, but negative ones can be tough to take.

It’s natural to be upset when you get negative reviews, but it’s important not to lose your cool. When faced with a negative review, always approach it in a calm state of mind and try to:

Address the reviewer

Your customers want to be heard as an individual and addressed personally. If they provide it, greet them with their name. This is a great way to meet the user at a more human level, opening a more amicable discussion about the issues they have with your app.

Acknowledge their feedback

Always remember to say thankyou, apologize and sympathize with the users’ issues. You want to show your customers that your app is always looking to improve and that their feedback is welcome. Because it’s true, if there is an issue with the app, you want to hear about it.

Even if it’s not your fault, say sorry anyway. View this as an opportunity to build trust between you and the customer.

Take responsibility

If you are at fault, particularly if there is an issue or bug that needs to be fixed, take responsibility. Acknowledge the experience reported by the app user and provide reassurance on how you are going to solve it.

Tell the user that you will raise a ticket with the development team and that they will look into the problem.

When you solve the issue, try to send a follow up or notification to all your users, informing them that a specific bug has been fixed. This will help those who reported the bug feel valued and let them know that their feedback is appreciated.

Review management that will take your app to the next level

Achieve higher ratings, retention rate, and better reputation with review management software designed to streamline your review process.

Automate replies, tags, reports and create custom templates in one system, giving you time back the time to develop the best app you can.

Interested? Choose a plan to suit you and see how AppFollow can help.