3 steps to earn higher user ratings

Need to raise your app�s ratings and increase downloads? Gimmicks and hacks to get higher ratings and more reviews won�t get your app meaningful long-term growth. Instead, the best way to get better ratings is to build authentic relationships with your users�truly listening and responding to their feedback. This leads to a better product experience, loyal users, and ultimately sustainable growth.

Here are three steps to use reviews and ratings to improve your app and increase user engagement.

Step 1: Read and address ratings comments

• Book an hour in your calendar each week to read through ratings comments.
• Reply to user reviews to help address their concern or gather more detailed feedback. 
• Pay extra attention to those who gave you 1 or 2-star ratings as their comments will give you more insights for improvement.

Step 2: Create user friendly opportunities to collect feedback

• To make sure you�re getting feedback from the most appropriate users, define the signals that prompt your target audience like �reached Level 10�, �completed the first booking�, or �opened 3+ times in a week�
• Choose a placement in your app where you don�t interrupt user experience. Unexpected pop-up messages asking for a rating can bother users. Instead, place the review request after a user has had a positive interaction with your app, like successfully completing a task or level.
• Ask about the user�s happiness level first. Depending on their happiness level, provide different channels to escalate their feedback:

Step 3: Analyze and act on user feedback

• Apply filters to see feedback by rating, written language, app version, and/or device.
• Understand your user better by interpreting comments against user-related metrics such as download sources, retention rates, and in-app behavior. 
• Update your app with users� feature requests and fix issues they have raised. Be sure to respond to the comment directly in the Play Store, sharing the positive changes you�ve made.

The hard work of building relationships and responding to user�s concern won�t pay off instantly, but it can lead to longer term success. Until next time, be sure to stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Google+ page.

Posted by Amelia Walkley
Marketing Communications Specialist, AdMob