It is undeniable that one of the most visible aspects people notice when searching for a new app is how well-rated it is in the different stores. If we look at the top Android apps, we’d find that most of them have between 4 to 5 stars. That’s why we’d like to share with you some tips on how to improve the rating of your app in Google Play Store.   

Ratings can become a truly important factor for people trying to decide which app to download. After all, this is the direct result of how your app has been accepted (or rejected) among users who have already tested it.

A few years ago, Apptentive published an article about The Anatomy of a Top Mobile App, in which it was mentioned the things top apps at that moment had in common: they were highly rated, often rated, continuously updated and had at least 5 million downloads, for instance.

Even though getting there is not an easy task, there are some things you can do to improve your app’s rating.

Keep it simple but also well performed

High rated apps are usually the most simple to use. Of course, your app has to offer a solution to solve a need that users find valuable but also following the guidelines -including design, performance, behavior, features and functionality- to provide a great user experience, the one that simplifies them using your app.   

However, you must also take care of performance, as this is typically related to getting a good rating. Make sure to test your app as often and on many real devices as possible to reduce the risks of having a poor rating due to bugs, glitches or a bad performance.

Ask for feedback but do it nicely

High rated apps have lots of ratings and reviews, lots of them. So, you should start encouraging your users to leave a comment or review about how they like your app.

Asking for this is not a bad thing to do, users understand this will make your app grow, however, if you do it constantly they may find it annoying and could turn out being counterproductive for your app.

You should be able to identify moments of joy in your app, those moments more likely to create a nice feeling in them when using your app. It could be after achieving something or finding a cool hidden feature, for example.

In addition, keep in mind there are many ways of asking for feedback, try using different pop-ups messages and test what works best for you.

Let them know you care

It is widely recommended that you interact with your users, especially considering they have invested their time in your app. If possible, try not leaving those messages unanswered, whether they are bad or good.

Make them know you care about what they have to say and that you will work to provide the best possible service to them. Hearing them is the best way to understand and fix the problems they with your app.

Also, as we pointed out at the beginning, top apps are usually constantly updated. This is understood by users as a prove your a listening to them and trying to provide them with a better product.

Final thoughts

Having a good rating will encourage people to download and use your app. Just remember to work toward this goal in the right way as there are reasons why Google could ban your app like offering incentives, and also they are making efforts to have app stores ratings truly reliable.  

Once you publish your app, one of your main targets should be getting more rating and feedback in the Play Store and your Social Media accounts.