Improving Play Store ratings without any design or code

As developers, we tend to focus on the quality of our code, working with the cleanest of architectures and best coding practices. As designers, we follow the Material Guidelines to ensure we are consistent with the platform, manipulating motion in our designs to get the message across. Does that really give any value to our users though? Are we really working towards making the life of our users easier?

In this talk, Alex will discuss how to improve the overall app rating without writing a single line of code or do any design. Instead we will see how to have a better understanding of our user-base by analyzing user reviews, doing user interviews and other methods and how to rise up the true issues the users are trying to solve by using your app.

Transcript

1. Improving Play Store Ratings without any code or design Alex Styl @alexstyl
2. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Greenfield project
3. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Angry Face >:( Ti einai auti i #$%@! Xeirotero
 app sto play. Tha vrw pou
 menete!!1! Notquitehappy Sara Του λείπουν τα βασικά Undecided Peter ΤΟ ΚΑΛΥΤΕΡΟ ΕΒΕΡ !! Notquitehappy Tim Δεν μου δουλεύει
4. Most of us are tech-savvy
 Most of our users are not #androiddevsgr @alexstyl
5. Android provides little to no help in
 letting the user rate your app #androiddevsgr @alexstyl GOOD READ
 Asking for app feedback — the effective way by Denis Akan http://surl.novoda.com/asking-for-feedback
6. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Google Play Developer Console
7. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl User feedback is precious
8. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Reply to as many reviews as possible
 and prevent possible future fires
9. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Many people will directly update their bad review into better one
 only because you replied to them
10. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl People want to have their voices heard
11. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Use Play Store Reviews as a starting point Find a better medium
12. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Ideally, build a community for your users TALK
 5 Best Practices of Top-Earning Mobile Apps and Games by Mario Viviani http://bit.ly/5BestPracticesAmazon
13. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Angry customers Angry Face >:( Ti einai auti i #$%@! Xeirotero app sto play. Tha vrw pou menete!!1!
14. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Even if you do everything right, angry customers will happen but that’s not a bad thing!
15. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl They bothered reviewing your app
 A lot of people don’t GOOD READ
 Angry Customers: Learn to Deal with them 
 and Turn them Into Your Most Loyal Customers by Rikke Friis Dam http://surl.novoda.com/angry-customers
16. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Frustrated for the right reasons
17. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl What if there is an safer way?
18. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Every day needs
19. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Every day needs
20. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Every day needs
21. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl A flaw or a hiccup prevents users from achieving their goals
22. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Identifying User needs
23. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl At the office, in some coffee shop
 or any other appropriate place User Interviews
24. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Asking questions from a safe distance Targeted Surveys
25. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Ensuring things work Prototype, Prototype, Prototype!
26. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Low Fidelity
 vs 
 High Fidelity
 
 prototyping GOOD READ
 The 5 steps of better product design: 
 step 3: Prototype & test
 by Leonie Brewin http://surl.novoda.com/prototyping
27. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl See what people think of your prototype
 and document ALL the findings
28. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Checks how usable your app is
 Can be done by everyone in the team
 Does not require any special equipment Usability Evaluations GOOD READ
 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design
 by Jakob Nielsen http://surl.novoda.com/usability-heuristics
29. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl To sum up everyone has different needs and skill levels
 key is to know what your audience needs
 make your users’ voice be heard
 understand the needs before doing
30. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Thank you
 
 Any questions? Alex Styl @alexstyl
31. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl http://androiddevs-gr.github.io/ Greek Android Development Slack Group + =
32. #androiddevsgr @alexstyl Image Credits gree´n`yellow by eLKayPics / Lutz Koch (https://goo.gl/AFs9z1) RX1P0103 by C-Serpents (https://goo.gl/BqVoJV) Skype Home by Ewan McIntosh (https://goo.gl/528FXe) This is Fine by Adult Swim (https://goo.gl/i3J6Nh) Light and Airy Coffee and Pancakes by AnnieAnniePancake (https://goo.gl/PfXdkP)
 e350 paper prototype by Samuel Mann (https://goo.gl/WisIbk)
 246029385 by Sean Murphy (https://goo.gl/W0m3Ay) Smartphone by Yacine Petitprez (https://goo.gl/Ml6Tqk) Filling out a survey for Rainbow Health Initiative by Wendy Berry (https://goo.gl/hgCWus) Overwatch is owned by Blizzard Entertainment Gravity Falls is owned by the Disney Channel