The Flying Jalapeño Lives

Now that our first app, Compounds, is accumulating a significant amount of ratings, I have found myself pondering over the subtleties of App Store ratings. The hard truth is that customers, for the most part, are not rating your app. Even fewer take the time to write a review. This isn’t exactly a revelation, but could we use these facts to draw any worthwhile conclusions?

Several months ago, Apple began allowing quick ratings during app deletion. However, the ratings received from this process tend to be negatively biased. This makes sense of course, users will typically delete apps they don’t like, or are bored with. You and I, being awesomely objective, logical software developers, possess the incredible ability to rate an application based on its merits, regardless if we choose to delete it from our phones. Unfortunately, most of our customers aren’t as deliberate in there rating process. Moreover, Apple provides no comparably easy rating mechanism for a customer who actually likes your app and decides not to delete it.

Of course, there’s always iTunes, but on device rating is much more convenient for users. I’m not saying people won’t go to iTunes to post a rating. As with many things on the internet, those with the strongest opinions, good or bad, will be attracted to rate your app in this manner.

Using the above thought process, we can categorize several types of customers that constitute the bulk of our ratings and their most likely rating (in order of occurrence):

1. Feels very strongly about your app, in a negative manner (1 star)
2. Feels very strongly about your app, in a positive manner (5 star)
3. Recently purchased your app, and deleting it because it adds no value (1 star)
4. Feels your app is ok, but is critical of its flaws (3 star)
5. Feels your app adds value, and does not mind taking the time to tell others (4 star)
6. Feels your app is subpar, rates it poorly, but is keeping thinking it will get better (2 star)

Now, you almost definitely won’t agree with my categories, or their frequency and possibly think I have a negative view of the world. Regardless of whether or not I had a tormented childhood, people on the internet find it much more natural to express negative feelings.

Moreover, many of your happy customers are just too busy. They enjoyed the 60 seconds or so they used your app today, but don’t have any inclination to express this feeling in the form of a rating. This is why most of your reviews will come from the extremists, good or bad.

So, with this knowledge (and rampant speculation) in hand, lets look at some of the patterns that arise out of customer ratings and what they could mean about our apps.

The Ski Slope Ahh, the worst for first. You apparently have alienated the majority of your customers. The discussion of this pattern is brief. It reflects the presence of several glaring defects within your application, which you should have no problem finding.

The Cylon Raider Now here is one we can sink our analytical, pattern oriented minds on. Somehow, you have managed to completely polarize your customer base. As usual, you’ll have a few on the fence.  With the exception of a political application, how did you accomplish such a feat? (Full dislosure: this is what Compounds is looking like)

A five star rating means that your app has filled a need, and the customer is able to use it effectively. A one star rating, means exactly the opposite. Lets think about that. A certain percentage of your customers will know exactly what to do with your app in spite of what you tell them. Many others will be lost without a clear interface, clear instructions, and a clear description.  These customers aren’t idiots, you are.  many of your customers don’t understand how to use your app, or it doesn’t work how they thought it should.  The ones who gave you the five star ratings are probably technical people, or at least people with a significant amount of computer experience.  You can’t assume that of all you customers.  Make you app design and description clear, and you will attract the customers you want, and they will appreciate (and rate) your app accordingly.

The Shop Teacher This one is close to the Cylon Raider, but a step better in the right direction. You have cut down on those bad reviews by addressing some of the problems stated above.  Some of the polarization still exists, however. Your learning, but you need to think critically and honestly about your app.  The advice is trite yet needs to be said.  Read your reviews, email your customers (if you have any on file), and pass your app around to strangers and get their reactions. You need objective information to improve your app.

The Hand Gun We finish with the best, your goal. You please most of your customers. Those that you can’t, are few in number. You have been marketing your app to the right crowd, and have designed an interface that your mother could be proud of.  As with the Ski Slope, their isn’t much to say, but it seems you know a lot more than me anyways.

These aren’t all the patterns of course, but these seem to be the most common and, I think, provide some great landmarks for customer acceptance of your app. I feel that these mental exercises can really help you get a handle on where you need to go next with your app. It also highlights that everything is your fault. There are no stupid customers, just bad directions and clunky interfaces.