Almost 80 per cent of Canadians are now using online and mobile for their banking transactions and 19 per cent have reported being “not at all satisfied” with their banking apps, according to the Canadian Banker’s Association ‘How Canadian’s Bank’ survey (March 2019). As digital banking becomes more prevalent, customer reviews on the App Store and Play Store – and how we respond to them – are becoming increasingly important because they directly impact how we attract new customers and hold onto current ones.
With all this in mind, we share our best tips and tricks for increasing your mobile app rating!
1. Investigate and respond to reviews regularly
It may seem obvious, but it’s important to take time to properly investigate your customer reviews. In a busy credit union or financial institution, there may be multiple priorities vying for your attention and it could become tempting to categorize responding to reviews as a box-ticking exercise. If you can’t respond to every review, consider prioritizing reviews with the lowest star ratings or those mentioning technical issues with the current version of your app. You should acknowledge the reviewer’s feedback and let them know you’re working on addressing the issue. Never overlook a serious issue being reported by a reviewer. Report the issues users really care about to Central 1 to be fixed, and improve your star ratings as the result.
2. Follow up on one-star reviews after an issue has been fixed
When you release an app update that fixes issues that previously resulted in a low rating, include this information in your release notes and reply to relevant reviewers to tell them about the fix. By writing a positive, friendly message asking reviewers to install the new version and to update their review if they’re happy with the result, you may encourage previously dissatisfied users to update their review with a more positive rating.
3. Personalize your response and don’t use generic language
We’ve noticed that app users sometimes provide one-star reviews when they see the phrase ‘minor bug fixes’ in the ‘what’s new’ section of the new app version. To avoid this, provide users with a more detailed and specific change–log to help them to understand that their needs are being addressed and the bugs they have reported have been fixed.
4. Leave a grace period between the current app version and the release of an upgraded app
If an upgrade is completed without a grace period, the new app version may not be updated right away for all users due to propagation and the older app version will no longer work, which could result in poor user reviews. To ensure the upgrade results in a more positive user experience, give yourself time between the existing app and the new app so that both have a transition period; it takes time for updates to trickle down to everyone.
5. Consider your digital banking platform
Do you have a modern digital platform designed to evolve and meet the needs of a digital first world? Central 1’s Forge Digital Banking Platform is about creating unique and customized digital banking experiences for Canadians. Our clients who’ve already launched mobile apps on Forge are delighted with the results. You can check out Envision Financial’s 4.4 star app as an example!
