So you’ve put all the time and effort into making your app great. It launches, lots of people use it, you even get more positive reviews than negative in the app store and all is well. But what happens when an issue outside your control hurts your users’ experience?

I know Twitter’s down, but your Twitter app isn’t working!

For apps that rely on networked servers or external services such as Twitter, this is a common problem. Many users don’t understand that your app performance is entirely relying on this service, and if (or when) it experiences a glitch, they take their complaints to the app store. For example, Paul Haddad from Tapbots recently tweeted:

Most app stores currently offer no means of reaching out to customers and explaining or responding to their issues. As a result, negative ratings are often attached to complaints that might otherwise be dealt with and resolved.

1 star? Explain yourself!

Google’s Play app store have recently announced the option for app owners to reply to reviews. While it’s something only available to the top developers currently, it may be expanded to more in future. It’s been welcomed as “a win-win situation for both developers and users”, and is a step in the right direction. However, both the negative rating and review remain visible on the store.

The importance of two-way communication

Matthew Panzarino has called out Apple’s App Store, requesting that the giant introduce a means for developers to interact with their users and address issues more directly.

“Until this issue gets sorted out, both app developers and their customers will continue to be frustrated by simple little problems,” Hockenberry added.

App store feedback is not tech support

One way to alleviate this issue is to capture feedback within your app. Users that are experiencing issues tend to simply want to know that their issue has been noticed. Offering a way to let the user send you this information, and more importantly, responding to this feedback, can stop angry users taking their negative ratings to the public app store. The best way to ensure your user gets in touch is to communicate directly through your app. Other means such as email, phone, through websites such as Facebook or Twitter, and even the app stores are useful but they force your users to leave your app. An integrated feedback mechanism allows the user to get in touch quickly and reduce the chance they’ll leave a low rating in the store.

Converser in-app feedback and talkback

Converser offers the tools to let you offer your users direct in-app rating, feedback and replies. We organise your feedback, handle the tracking of replies, and much more. Rather than rely on people leaving your app and going to the app store, offering the opportunity to leave feedback while they use the app gives them a direct line to you, and allows you a way to respond. Sign up free and give it a go, or send us an email at hello@converser.io. Your users will thank you.