Director of Product Design at Avant

Businesses today rely heavily on mobile applications to engage with their customers and provide them with services. During the COVID-19 pandemic many companies saw increased adoption of their mobile technology. However, to remain competitive, companies need to continually ensure that their mobile applications are user-friendly, efficient, and meet the expectations of their customers. One way to achieve this is by making use of customer reviews in the Google Play and iOS App Store. 

Businesses can’t afford not to pay attention to this valuable feedback channel. One study by Apptentive showed that 50% of mobile users won’t consider downloading an app with a 3-star rating.It’s a shocking 85% for a 2-star rating. If you’re not satisfying your current customers, you could be losing potential customers.

Customer reviews provide businesses with valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of their mobile applications. Reviews provide rich data which can be used to make improvements and enhance the overall user experience.

 To remain competitive, companies need to continually ensure that their mobile applications are user-friendly, efficient, and meet the expectations of their customers. One way to achieve this is by making use of customer reviews in the Google Play and iOS App Store. 

Here are four ways to leverage this data.

1. Make Data-Driven Decisions

App-store reviews can be used to identify trends and patterns in customer behavior, which can then be used to inform product development decisions. For example, businesses can use customer feedback to identify the most popular features in the app and prioritize further development in these areas. Tools like Appbot and EnjoyHQ can automate sentiment and keyword analysis to surface the most common themes. This can help businesses stay ahead of the competition and meet the evolving needs of their customers.

2. Build a Customer-Centric Culture

Research by Deloitte found that customer-centric companies were 60% more profitable compared to companies that were not focused on the customer. Digital leaders can assist their employees in maintaining a customer-focused lens by consistently highlighting app-store reviews. This can be done in company meetings or on monitors throughout the office. You can also create a real-time feed of customer feedback by integrating your reviews with Slack and inviting your development team. Threaded messages on individual reviews allow for in-the-moment troubleshooting and conversations to happen across departments as issues arise.

3. Identify Common Issues and Areas of Improvement

By regularly reviewing customer feedback, businesses can find pain points and opportunities that are frequently mentioned in customer reviews. For example, if a large number of customers are complaining about the slow loading time of the app, the business can prioritize fixing this issue to improve the overall user experience. Additionally, businesses can use customer reviews to identify any technical bugs or glitches that are affecting the functionality of the app. Mobile users regularly share feature requests they’d like to see in future releases. Using app-store analytics tools can help you quantify and evaluate the impact of requested changes. 

4. Using Customer Reviews as a Marketing Tool

Customer reviews can be used to showcase the positive experiences customers have had with the app, which can help to attract new customers and build brand awareness. Businesses can also use customer reviews to promote the app on social media and other marketing channels, which can help to reach a wider audience. A restaurant in my area even uses its 1-star reviews as marketing material by plastering them as wallpaper in the restroom, which is hilarious and completely on-brand for the place.

Conclusion

App-store reviews provide businesses with valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of their mobile applications. Leaving a review demonstrates that users care about your experience, smart businesses should pay attention so they can improve the overall user experience. By taking the time to listen to and act on customer feedback, businesses can ensure that their mobile applications meet the needs of their customers and stay ahead of the competition.