| Source | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWCn_y5ANHU |
|---|---|
| Readwise URL | https://read.readwise.io/read/01kty5105bbgpm1zjt8bst84a8 |
| Readwise ID | 01kty5105bbgpm1zjt8bst84a8 |
| Date | 2025-09-09 |
| Author | App Masters |
| Category | video |
| Cover image | https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vWCn_y5ANHU/sddefault.jpg |
Coming up, I want to share a simple waythat you can 3X your app store ratings.Stay tuned.[Music]What is up, nation? It is Steve Young,founder of appmasters.com. In thisvideo, I’m going to show you all thetechniques to increase your app storereviews, the amount, and also theaverage rating. So, how do you go from4.2 to 4.5 to eventually 4.8?
And it’s going to cover whether you’re anew app, an established app, or justsomewhere in the middle. I’m going tocover the best practices for all ofthat. So, let’s get started. All right.
For those who are new to the channel,just want to kind of introduceourselves. We’ve served over 3,000 appsand counting. It’s probably at 4,000 atthis point. Worked with some amazingamazing companies that you can see here.This is an old slide, but honestly,we’ve worked with some of the biggestand the most recognized app companies.
Whether they are MMPs or top apps as well, and you’re watching this. So, I’vebeen doing this for a very long time,interviewed a lot of amazing people, andjust want to kind of highlight all of that. All right, let’s get into whyyou’re really here. And here’s how we’ve5x App Store ratings, the number of AppStore ratings. And along the way, wewere able to increase the average ratingfrom a 4.3 to a 4.5. All right, here itis. It’s very, very simple. So, here’sthe wrong way to do it. I used to askfor a rating right on first open, likeimmediately the it was the first thingyou saw right here. Okay, this is notthe app, but wanted to show you an
example. And I was wrong. All right,here’s what happened. We got a fewone-star ratings for people that said,“Hey, it asked to rate right away. Ihaven’t even used the app.” Granted, itwas the very first thing they saw, soprobably the wrong way of doing it. Andwe also got some more negative ratings,Nag to rate on every screen. So, we usedto really nag people, especially on thatfirst time user experience. Don’t do itlike that. Okay, so here’s how youreally do it. Here’s the right way. Addthe review prompt after your paywall.
Not just that, after someone activates atrial activation. Okay, so here’s whatit is. So, here’s the onboarding. Here’sthe paywall. Once somebody activates atrial, you ask for the rating. They’vealready sort of told you they’reinterested in using your app. Yes, theyhaven’t technically paid you yet, butthere is a signal there. And here’s whathappened to one of our clients that didexactly this. So, here is the app. Youcan see it had over 3,000 ratings withan average 4.3, four years old in theutilities category. Okay, so here’s thechart. We were just sort of randomly
asking for it on like the third open,okay, for this app. And so, we’regetting some reviews here and there,under 100 every month. When we asked forIt right after the trial activation herein January of 2023. This is an old casestudy, by the way. We were able todramatically increase the number ofratings and the average rating. Sohere’s the breakdown, real quick. InNovember, we were getting about 50-ish appstore ratings with a 4.3. So, it’stechnically 4.265.
In December, we got about 70 ratings, andagain, 4.3. Now, in January, at the endof December, we decided to ask for therating right after trial activation.Here’s what happened in January. We gotclose to 400 ratings, with an average of4.5. So, not only did we 5x the numberof ratings we received, but we also improved theaverage rating from 4.3 to 4.5.
And here’s the way I said 3x,because it was an increase in ratingsover downloads. So, I wanted to give yousome comparison on that. Maybe we justgot more downloads, right? And that’swhy you got more ratings. No, not thecase. So, here in November, we’reAveraging about 1%, which is normal, bythe way. 1%. And then when we askedfor it after the trial activation, we’reable to jump to 4.5%.
So, essentially a 3.3ximprovement when you compare ratingsover downloads. Now, if you got a brandnew app, here’s what I would suggest youdo, okay? I would do a lifetime plan forfree, and I would run it on App Advice.
That’s for free as well. You need atleast five ratings for you to get on AppAdvice. App Advice, you can get featuredfor free. We also have our company thatwe bought in 2024, Indie App Santa.Essentially the same thing as Appvice,but we have more ASO plans and stufflike that, that you can get bundled withyour lifetime free promotion. But we’vegot another network. Okay. And it is afree, so you know, you can do it alittle bit more than you can on AppAdvice. You can only do it every 6months on App Advice. And then there’sanother Reddit platform called iOS Apps.
And that’s another place you can sort ofpromote a lifetime free offer. Now, whylifetime free? Remember that 1%. 1% ofall downloads will leave you a rating.So, you need to get 10,000 downloads.How do you get to 10,000 downloads?Well, that’s normally going to be with alifetime free plan, giveaway, promothat’s going to help you get ultimatelyto close to 10,000. We’re able to do it.
This is the screenshot right here. WhenI came up with this idea in June of2023, we’re able to do it. We did 10,000downloads. We got 150 new ratings. So,it’s a brand new app. You’re like, boom,I’m trying to hit to 100 ratings.
Now, if you’re going to do the lifetimefree plan, I would do it right afterthey get that lifetime free plan, right?You go on App Advice, they see alifetime free offer. Once they’veredeemed that offer, you ask for arating. It’s a great way. Now, for thosewho have an AI app, you might beLifetime free offer. Don’t worry. Onlyabout 10 to 15% of the people whodownload your app. So, let’s say you got100,000 downloads, which we’ve donedoing this campaign through Indie AppSanta and through App Advice. We did100,000 downloads. Only about 10%—10 to15%—will actually redeem that lifetimefree offer. So, that’s only about10,000. And if you only get 10,000downloads, that’s only 1,000 people. So,it’s not as big of a risk as you mightthink if you have an AI app or cost perusage. Right now, the other way you cando this is just on the onboarding. Allright before the paywall, this is what
Calai does. It has a few onboardingscreens, and roughly around, close to mymaybe about 75% of the way through thatonboarding experience, it’s going to giveask for a rating like this. And this iswhat I want you to do: exactly copy thisUI/UX. This is the best way to do it. Itshows a five-star rating. It says,"Calai was made for people like you,Thousand plus people, and it has actualratings with images. "That’s the bestway to ensure yourself that you’llprobably get a five-star rating. Now, ifyou have an established app, here’s howI want you to do it. You want to waitfor that win moment where they feel goodabout your app. So if you got a gamewhen they’ve finished thatfirst level, when you’ve got a habittracker, when they’ve tracked their firsthabit. So find that win moment, that ahawin moment and then ask for a rating.
Now, one of our clients did that. I’mgoing to give you an example. This isnot our client, but I’m going to give youan example. So, this is a routineraryapp. During the onboarding after thepaywall, it says, “Hey, add your firstroutine.” And they have some templates.So, I added my first routine. Right. Idid. I went and did my first routine.After I was done with it, they said,“Hey, you got a little seed.” And I waslike, "Great. I’m feeling good about.
Myself. How was your routine?" That was pretty good, right? And then they askedme for the rating. And that’s what myclient did just that. Now, he did onGoogle Play, and I’m going to show youwhat happened right here. Here is thescreenshot. So, we roughly implementedthis around this time frame right here,in August. And you can see the number offive-star ratings. This green, boldedline went up dramatically. And so, you bywaiting, you start to lower the monnumber of red ratings. Now, not to sayyou won’t get any because there’s always
going to be some. And this is especiallyimportant on Google Play, where they hatethat you just charge anything for theapp, right? That you have a subscriptionplan. But it worked really, really wellfor them on Google Play. And so, if yougot a Google Play or iOS app, especiallyon Google Play, I would really waituntil that win moment versus that trialactivation or after paywall. On iOS, Imight be a little bit more aggressive.
On Google Play, I’m going to wait alittle bit here. Okay. The next optionyou have, and if especially if you’re anestablished app or you’re somewhere inthe middle, is that second open. AndI’ll tell you why. Second open. Sothere’s a stat by adjust that says 26%globally around 26% of users return onthe first day after installation.
Technically, that is the day after youopen the app. Right? So, we’ve seen thisstat for years now that only about 25 to26% of people who open your app the veryfirst time will come back the secondtime. So, what I’ve always said for along time before I thought of theseother ways was, “Hey, just ask for it onthe second open because technically whenthey open your app for the second time,they’re telling you they kind of likeyou.” So, here routinerary this justpretend this is on app open, right? I’vedone my first routine. I’m coming backthe second day for my to try to do ittwo days in a row. When I do that, justAsk for it on the open. That generally works pretty well. That is it.
Let me know what you found useful and if you start implementing it.Why I feel like it’s so important is with more app store ratings, you’re able to really drive down your cost per acquisition and also help your ASO.So, there’s added benefit than just vanity because a lot of times it is just vanity.Oh, I’ve got 4.7. How do I get more?
Look, I always try to get to 100 first and then ultimately try to get to a thousand or so.Will it have a major impact on ASO? Not really.But it’ll definitely have an impact in my opinion on your paid campaigns.So, I feel like it’s a very important thing to strategically ask for the rating at the optimal moment.
All right. If you like this video, well, I will tell you something.We’ve got a great community called Appounders Community.We’re going to rebrand it, but is formerly Appmasters Academy where we share a lot of these courses andThese strategies within the course, butyou get the community and then you getthe collaboration with me as well. So,we meet two Fridays a month at one at7:00 a.m., one at 11:00 a.m. Pacific,and where we try to hang out and reallyshare the tips and strategies that areworking for us today. And if you’reinterested in working with us, well,that’s easy. Go check out atmasters.com.
Till next time, I see you on the nextvideo.[Music]