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Google Play, the primary Marketplace for everything Android, is about to change the way we review apps. This is a welcome change for all android application developers as now their apps can get a boost of user reviews that can give a boost to the overall android application development process.
Google announced last week that developers (or app publishers) will now have the ability to respond to reviews posted about their apps. The concept is simple – a user reviews an app and as the developer, you can post a response to the review. The user is notified of the response via email and the full conversation is available for the public to see.
Android Applications Type One Reviewer: A user who likes to voice frustration with our clients’ business models or they just plain hate the world, (sometimes its hard to tell the difference). We’ve all seen these; the one-star ratings with no reason, or a hate-filled rant to the android app developer.
Allowing android application developers to respond to these reviews will create an interesting dynamic – will users be less inclined to vent? Or, will they do so with a few well-reasoned points of contention? Our hope is that this change becomes an avenue for discovery and clarification. Our clients can now respond to reviews and explain that certain content is not available due to the deals in place with content providers. Though those that hate the world will probably still hate the world…
Android Applications Type Two Reviewer: Another category of reviewers frequently encountered are the question-askers. They are the reviewers that are curious enough about the app to ask a questions but where or when do they expect to get the answers? In the current feedback model, a developer may come across a question from a user but has no mechanism for responding, leaving the user confused and the developer frustrated.
The changes to Google Play will fix this, as developers will be able to respond to customers who in turn will be notified of a response by email. Over time, these review-response threads will become a knowledge-base from which other users might benefit.
App publishers will have to train their customer service teams to monitor and respond to Google Play reviews. While this might be added work, it’s definitely worth the effort if it leads to satisfied customers.
With so many apps to choose from, users rightfully judge an app by its ratings and reviews – especially if they are evaluating a number of alternatives in a given category. If a user is looking for a to-do list app and there are too many to choose from, they’ll likely choose the highest rated app. This concept isn’t new; it’s natural for users to choose an app this way. Before now app developers have thought hard of ways to promote positive reviews, keeping their apps at the top of list in the marketplace.
With developer responses in Google Play, feedback conversations will happen in the marketplace in real time. These reviews will be more meaningful and users will be able to take advantage of the shared questions and experiences of others. This has the potential to turn an initial frustrated review into a positive one. A win-win for both the app developer and the user!
Located in Toronto, Palo Alto, and New York City, Xtreme Labs is a leading mobile product development company that deals in iphone app development, android application development, blackberry applications development, custom application development, ios app development, ipad application development, windows mobile development and mobile application development. They have a proven track record of success in delivering innovative solutions across hundreds of global products. As experts in mobile agile development, Xtreme Labs works with the world’s leading companies to plan and execute their mobile strategy.
For more information visit http://www.xtremelabs.com
