We previously wrote about how QA testing your app to find and fix bugs before it’s released can improve its retention rate. In that post, we covered four effects that improved quality has on your retention rate, all of which help you keep the users you’ve acquired:
- Fewer frustrated, unhappy users
- A better user experience
- More organic referrals
- Greater time investment from each user
In this post, we’d like to share three more ways that QA testing can help improve your app’s ability to acquire and retain users. If you’re struggling to gain (and more importantly, keep) users, read on to learn why a better QA testing process could be the change you need.
Fewer opt-outs due to invasive permissions
Believe it or not, user experience plays a huge role in encouraging your users to give your app access to their location, camera and other data. When you ask your users for permission right after they install your app, there’s a good chance they’ll decline.
For many users, the response to a demanding permissions screen isn’t “well, it’s a necessary part of the process.” Instead, it’s annoyance. Instead of approving your app, they question the value of installing it. Some even decline and uninstall.
While this might seem like something you have to do upon the first use of your app, QA and UX testing reveal a different option. Instead of asking users for every permission at once, introduce them logically throughout your application.
Cluster, a private file sharing app, used this strategy to increase its permissions acceptance rate from 67 to 89 percent.
When a user tries to use a feature that requires access to their photo album, ask for permission then. When a feature needs access to the user’s contacts, ask then. This method of asking for and receiving permissions creates a less intimidating experience for users.
Because your app’s user experience improves, so does retention. With fewer scared users and a higher permissions acceptance rate, you’ll find it easier to keep users engaged and involved with your app.
Better App Store and/or Play Store visibility
Search engine marketers agree that a variety of factors go into determining your app’s ranking in the App Store. Three of these factors are of particular interest for app developers seeking to improve their customer acquisition process.
The first is the average rating of your app in the App Store — a factor that’s closely linked to the quality of your application. The second is the total number of ratings. The third is your retention rate — the percentage of people that continue to use your app over the long term.
Since higher quality apps are more likely to retain users, spending more time on QA testing is a simple way to achieve two things at once: improved retention and earnings, plus better rankings in the App Store.
Keyword density and install volume can only take you so far. Focus on improving quality through extensive QA testing and you’ll receive more reviews, higher ratings and better retention, giving you naturally high rankings in the App Store and Play Store.
A larger, more active user community
Imagine visiting Reddit, only to find there’s no one to talk to. Imagine opening Tinder, only to find that there’s no one to match with. Imagine logging into Facebook to find that your friends, family and other contacts hadn’t updated for the last 24 hours.
Apps that depend on human interaction rarely last without active users. Without a fantastic user experience, finding and retaining these users is a serious challenge. Skip QA testing and you’re likely to find your community app struggling to ever get off the ground.
The most successful communities tend to be those that offer not just the best people to interact with, but the best experience. QA and UX testing both play a major role in creating a community that people want to be a part of, making them an integral part of retaining users.
If your app depends on active users — for example, a dating app or social network — make QA a key focus during development. Few users will tolerate a buggy app, making it hard for you to get to the level of scale you need to create a constantly growing user community.
Acquire and retain more users with QA testing
Sadly, most users will abandon your app shortly after they install it. By far the most effective way to retain as many of your initial users as possible is to deliver a high quality, bug-free experience that keeps users coming back for more.
Run your first QA test now with MyCrowd to put your mobile application in front of thousands of QA testers using a diverse range of devices. By finding and fixing bugs now, you’ll give your first users the smooth, bug-free experience they need to become loyal promoters for your app.
