After publishing your app, it’s important to make sure to keep your app regularly updated. Things move fast in the world of software development and if you can’t keep up you’ll be left behind. If you don’t have the background knowledge or resources to keep your app maintained, we recommend partnering with an agency on a support retainer status so you’ll be prepared to respond when Apple releases a new software update or a critical bug blocks functionality.
- Be prepared for software releases – You can stay ahead of the curve when it comes to iOS software releases by joining beta programs for developers, Apple news and blogs like www.macrumors.com, and Apple forums like https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/. You can also attend Apple events to get more insight into the nature and specifications of the updates so that you can time updates for your own software accordingly. And yes – there is an app for that. Apple Support and AppleInsider are two notable apps that will provide updates on upcoming software releases and other noteworthy Apple news for developers.
- Stay on top of critical bugs with bug reporting software like Instabug – Instabug provides an easy and discreet way for users to report a bug, and for developers to respond quickly. Once you integrate the Instabug SDK to your app, users can report bugs by shaking their phone or tapping a button, which generates a bug report containing device information, network information, and console logs. Instabug also sends crash reports and bug tracking to allow users to assign bugs, discuss, and track progress via the Instabug dashboard. It can also capture analytics such as session length, user retention, and user flow to help you better understand how users interact with your app.
- Conduct user research to understand and prioritize new feature enhancements and requests – User feedback for software has traditionally been collected in interviews and surveys. With the growing need to collect feedback and ideate quickly, there are many more ways to understand your user’s needs other than directly asking them. It is also important to pay attention to what the user is showing you. Usability testing tools like Maze will help you quickly create scripts to test your users on their ability to interact with the app, and visualize the results into digestible data points. You’ll want to create a prototype that focuses on the specific areas of interest you’d like to test – then set up the paths that you’d like your users to take. Be sure to test the prototype yourself to make sure it can be completed in the way you intend.
- Make it easy to add a review – Reviews are a key component of how the app store organizes results. The more positive reviews you can get on your app, the more visible it will be in the store. Make sure to add a clear call to action at a favorable time (maybe after a user has completed a task or achieved a goal) so they will be more likely to leave a positive review. It’s also a good idea to give the user the option of sending feedback directly to you (rather than leaving a review) if their experience has not been positive. This way, you still receive the feedback and the user feels heard, but their experience does not reflect poorly on your store listing.
- Let the user know they matter to you – When asking for a review, you may want to use the information provided by the user during registration to address them by name. This provides a more personal feeling and gives you an opportunity to humanize the user.
- Respond to reviews – Whether a review is negative or positive, it’s important to respond to let the user know their message has been received. This will make them more likely to continue using the app, and they may even be inclined to leave a more positive review the next time.
