Developing an iOS or Android app for your business can be a stressful and time-consuming process, but the unfortunate truth is that the hard work doesn’t stop once you’ve published it to the App Store. Indeed, top apps release one to four updates every month, tweaking and changing parts of their software based on feedback from users and accommodating updates to operating systems. Listening to user feedback is vital – if you don’t, they’ll simply uninstall your app and forget that your business exists, or worse still leave a negative review on the App Store, damaging your reputation and making it harder to win over clients.
We’ve put together tips on collecting and analysing user feedback to improve your app…
Don’t wait for users to come to you with frustrations and concerns! Whether you’re launching an app in beta or it’s Version 2.0 heading to the App Store, asking users for their thoughts and opinions is a great way to identify weaknesses in your product. Add an easy-to-use form on your app, perhaps on your settings or contact page, and encourage comments, ideas, suggestions, and criticisms. You could even anonymise it to incentivise user feedback.
Triggering a feedback prompt after users spend ten minutes using your app, or on the third time they launch the application, will reduce the chances of them leaving a negative review. Make it clear that feedback is being listened to, and perhaps add “patch notes” to your app releases so users can see that you’re making changes and listening to their comments.
Even with an in-built feedback system, some users will take to the Google Play Store or App Store to let their opinions be heard. Remember that these reviews are visible to the public and can even determine where you rank on the App Store search engine results pages, so you should be focusing on improving negative reviews by responding and addressing their issues or concerns. Having said that, app stores are not the only places where users will vent; check social media, your company website, as well as forums and sites like Reddit.
Try not to take negative feedback to heart. Listen to what they have to say and respond in a positive manner. Doing so will help defuse damage to your brand and potential drama, and can even encourage them to give your app a second chance once you’ve implemented the changes they’ve requested. On the same note, make sure you respond to positive feedback just as promptly; thank them for their contributions and let them know that you’re grateful!
Once you’ve received feedback on your app, you can use the information to identify trends and “pain points” that need to be addressed with priority. For example, users might not be able to log in with their Facebook account on the app, but can on desktop. Ironing out these issues ahead of smaller niggles will allow you to serve more users and keep them engaged with your software – create a list and prioritise changes based on timing and user demand.
Some companies even use software like Trello to release transparent roadmaps, where they identify the key changes and features they’d like to bring to their app, prioritise them, and update users on the progress. This helps you to build rapport with future ‘brand evangelists’. Giving users insights into your production process will engage and inspire them to stick around, and they’ll be more likely to offer their own suggestions to make your app even better.
The truth is that most customers aren’t going to leave reviews or feedback when they’re not happy with your app: they’ll simply uninstall it, and move on to something else. Because of this, it’s vital that you analyse your user journey from start to finish, and use that data to identify weak spots that need to be addressed. For example, if you notice that your users disengage with your app after they reach the third page when signing up, perhaps you need to think about cutting down the sign-up process into a single page with fewer form fields?
Apple offers iOS Analytics as part of its services, whilst Adobe Analytics is another popular tool. Other options include Facebook Analytics, Interceptd, and Firebase; you might want to experiment with a few and see which offers the most value and insights for your project.
The ultimate aim of your app is to get users to sign up for an account or buy something from your ecommerce store. Though you should use analytics tools to see how each and every part of your app is being used, the most important metric to analyse is your conversion rate. The truth is, no app is perfect – even WhatsApp and Twitter have their flaws. For this reason, put conversions at the heart of your analytics efforts. There are lots of ways that you can increase conversions – we’ve put together a few of the basic ones below:
Armed with feedback and data, your next job is to put a plan into motion, addressing major flaws and issues and then working through smaller tweaks and ideas as your time and budget allow. Speak to your app development company about a retainer and set goals and expectations of where you’d like your app to be in a year’s time. App development can be expensive and slow – it’s not just a case of updating a few lines of code and magically having cutting-edge features appear before your eyes. But with a clear line of communication, realistic forecasts and a passion to make your app the best in its category, it’s possible to build a product that works for users and your business, without breaking the bank.
If you’re looking for help optimising your app and improving conversions and performance based on user feedback, depend on the app development team at Zudu. Call us on 01382 690080 for a consultation.
