You’ve developed an app, chosen the best e-commerce platform to list it on, and have started gathering a small user base. However, you’re now having trouble increasing your number of users, and don’t know what to do to solve the problem.
This is where showing users the value of your app comes into play. You could have the best marketplace listing in the world, but unless you’re directly telling users how they will benefit from your specific app and choose you over competitors, you probably won’t have the highest level of success.
In this article, we’ll discuss several ways to show users the direct benefits and inherent value of your app over competitors’. Apply all the techniques listed below, and you’ll have all the tools for unprecedented success right at your fingertips.
How to Show Your App’s Value
To secure as many downloads from satisfied users as possible, you need to effectively show your app’s value both on marketplace listings and your own website. There are many ways you can do this, but the most successful methods include:
- Creating a value proposition
- Dedicating a web page to your app
- Optimizing your marketplace listing
- Creating a visual comparison with competitors
- Encouraging users to leave positive reviews or ratings
- Showcasing user testimonials
- Increasing and highlighting your number of installs
- Show off any certificates or awards your app has received
Below, we’ll highlight techniques to do all of the above as successfully as possible.
Value Proposition
Your value proposition is possibly the most important part of demonstrating your app’s value. It’s a small blurb of text that outlines the benefits users can expect when they install your app, one that answers the question, “why should people care about my app?”
Depending on the marketplace you list your app on, competition could be fierce. The largest app stores have millions of different apps available, so you need to stand out. One of the best ways to do this is by offering a compelling statement that lets people know why they should choose your app over your competitors’.
A great value proposition will include four elements. These include:
- Clarity
- Uniqueness
- Conciseness
- An explanation of the benefits
A value proposition should not be a catchphrase or slogan. Instead, it should identify a specific pain point and explain how using your app will solve that problem.
Examples of Great Value Propositions
Overall, your value proposition needs to be:
- Unique
- Informative
- Easy to understand
- Straight to the point
Let’s highlight a few examples of companies that do this well.
Slack
Slack’s value proposition is, “All your tools in one place.” This value proposition is short and to the point, stating exactly what value the app can provide in six simple words. Best of all, it focuses on the app’s key benefit — productivity.
Bumble
Bumble is a dating app that allows women to make the first move in the typically male-dominated online dating world. Appropriately, their value proposition reads, “On Bumble, ladies always go first.” This short statement empowers their female target audience by addressing a common pain point in the online dating world — the fact that men always seem to have the first and final say.
Uber Drivers
Uber entices drivers to join as rideshare or delivery drivers through the value proposition, “Make more money. Drive riders or make deliveries. Signing up is easy.”
Although this value proposition is a bit longer than most, it does a great job at identifying a clear target audience, solving a pain point, and establishing benefits. People who are looking for a driving-related job can easily make money by using their app.
Dedicate Website/Page/Landing Page
Having a great website for your app, or a page dedicated to your app on your corporate website, is an excellent way to demonstrate value and increase trust within your user base. Your app’s online presence should reaffirm the message you’re selling with your value proposition.
Including your app’s benefits and a brief explanation of what it does on this web page is absolutely necessary. In addition, you may also want to feature:
- FAQs
- User tips
- Screenshots
- Explanatory videos
- Independent ratings, reviews, or testimonials
Think of this page or website as a more detailed marketplace listing. Whatever questions or concerns users may have about your app, they should be able to turn to this website or web page for an answer.
In addition to your app’s benefits and a brief but thorough introduction, one thing you need on this page is a call to action. As far as apps go, this usually translates to a download button that brings users to the app’s listing on your preferred marketplace.
Marketplace Listing
According to research done by Google, 48% of users find new apps by browsing through marketplaces. For this reason, it’s essential to optimize your marketplace listing to show as much value as possible.
The first thing to focus on is your description. What you write in this section should be compelling, highlight the app’s benefits, and include approximately five relevant keywords. Of course, you also want to incorporate your value proposition into this section.
When deciding which keywords to use, put yourself in the user’s shoes. If you wanted to find an app like yours, what would you type in? Incorporate these potential search terms naturally into your description, and if your marketplace includes a keywords section, list those same terms here.
Overall, your marketplace listing should clearly define your app’s value and what sets you apart from competitors. In addition to a strong description, you may also want to include introductory screenshots or video demonstrations of your app to help users feel comfortable before they even click “Install.”
Visual Comparison With Competitors
Part of demonstrating your app’s value is showing how you rise above the competition. One effective way to do this is through infographics that highlight the ways your app exceeds where others fall short.
You may want to create a table where you list key features of your app, then compare one or two competing apps. Some things to highlight include:
- Pricing
- Unique features
- Customer support capabilities
Creating a visual comparison is an easy way to show why users should download your app instead of your competitors. When you lay everything out in a simple, visually-appealing way, it’s more likely to resonate with your target audience.
Reviews/Ratings
According to a survey conducted by brightlocal, “49% [of survey takers] trust consumer reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family”. Studies about the mobile app market have also shown that reviews are important. Marketplaces on e-commerce platforms (like Shopify), CMS platforms, and other website builders have also shown confirmed this. It’s obvious that the reviews your users leave can have a dramatic effect on your number of downloads.
Encouraging your current user base to leave ratings and reviews on your app listing is a cost-effective way to build social proof that your app has value, as well as increase your number of downloads. While you don’t want to frustrate your users, building gentle reminders into your app that encourage them to leave a review is often an effective method for gathering more ratings and reviews, boosting your search results rankings.
Testimonials
Like reviews and ratings, user testimonials will increase trust and establish value for your app. These testimonials may come in the form of:
- Emails
- Personal messages
- Marketplace reviews
It’s often better to feature testimonials on your website or web page than on your marketplace listing. However, you can still feature one or two on your listing if it seems appropriate.
Number of Installs
Seeing that a lot of people have already installed your app will encourage even more users to download it. It’s much easier to understand an app’s value and trust that it will solve whatever problems you’re having when you have concrete proof that others have already seen its value. Plus, apps with a higher number of downloads typically come up higher in search results than those with a lower number of downloads.
Most marketplaces will show the number of downloads on an app’s listing page. If you want to add this feature to your website, you may be able to have a developer manually input a counter. However, make sure it’s validated in some way to prove accuracy.
Certificates/Awards
Not every developer can say that they’ve received special recognition in the form of awards or certificates of achievement for their apps. So, if you have, you’ll definitely want to show it off.
You can list any special recognition in your marketplace listing if space allows. If not, you may want to dedicate a section on your website or webpage to these awards or certificates, linking the organizations that award these honors to increase user trust.
There’s nothing more valuable than an award-winning app. Don’t be humble about it — listing these achievements is a surefire way to demonstrate your value to users.
Examples
While reading about ways to show your app’s value is great, nothing beats seeing it in action. Now, we’ll highlight two examples of apps that do an excellent job of proving their value to users.
WordPress Plugins
Yoast
Yoast is considered to be one of the most popular SEO plugins for WordPress, and it contains “everything that you need to manage your SEO.”
On the app’s WordPress listing, you can easily notice its value preposition: “SEO for everyone”, clearly indicating that it’s easy to use and anyone can dive into the often mythical and hard-to-understand subject of SEO. They further strengthen this point by claiming that their plugin’s users “range from the bakery around the corner to some of the most popular sites on the planet.”
Yoast has its own website, with a blog and other helpful information, covering the subject of SEO. You can also notice the installations and the reviews — predominantly 5-star reviews (a whopping 25,800 reviews), with 5+ million installations.
Contact Form by WPForms
WPForms is one of the most popular form plugins on WordPress. The value proposition is shown in the form of just how easy it is to create a form. With taglines like “The most beginner friendly” and “drag and drop” they clearly indicate that it’s super easy to use their plugin.
They have their own website with videos of their products, and a blog, predominantly discussing the forms and other related subjects. You can also notice the installations and the reviews — predominantly 5-star reviews (11,500 reviews), with 5+ million installations.
Shopify
Privy ‑ Pop Ups, Email, & SMS
Privy is a popular e-commerce marketing platform for Shopify stores. It primarily deals with email marketing, SMS lists, and popups — all to help stores grow.
Their value proposition can be clearly understood as “fast growth in sales”. It is indicated in their tagline: “The Fastest Way To Grow Sales With Email & SMS”
They have their own website, with a blog and other aspects discussing growth marketing and how Privy can help accelerate the process.
On the Shopify app listing, they have 25,000 4.5-star reviews, with a large number (18,800) 5-star reviews.
Judge.me
Judge.me enables users to collect and display star ratings and reviews about their products and Shopify store. Its value proposition is shown in its name (judge.me, clearly indicating some sort of review/testimonial theme) which is further reinforced by the tagline: “Boost Sales With Product Reviews!”
It has its own website with a lot of valuable information. On the Shopify app marketplace, it shows an 11,000 5-star rating.
Mobile Apps
Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga has been one of the most popular mobile game apps for years. The reason it has maintained popularity for so long is that the developers do an excellent job of proving its value to users.
On Candy Crush’s Apple App Store listing, you’ll notice that it has a thorough description, in-game screenshots, and a whopping 2.4 million ratings, with an average rating of 4.7 stars. The marketplace listing does a great job of showing the app’s value, but what really takes it over the edge is its dedicated website.
The Candy Crush Saga website includes a blog, Q&A section, and even an online store. Users can learn any information they need here and have all their questions answered in one place. Best of all, the company includes download links that take you directly to the marketplace listings.
Square
Square is a popular POS and payment app, used by online and brick-and-mortar stores nationwide. Their listing on the Apple App Store is incredibly descriptive, giving users all the information they need before they decide to install it.
Square’s listing also features cohesive screenshots from the app, showing all the best features at a glance. This is another example of when ratings and reviews count — Square has gathered over 300,000 ratings, with an average rating of 4.8/5 stars.
Conclusion
All the best app developers know that there’s nothing more important than showing potential users how their apps provide more value than the competitors. The first step in showing your app’s value is to develop a strong value proposition, then use it as a base to improve your app’s marketplace listing and website or web page.
By keeping your value proposition at the front of your mind, as well as using your existing user base to entice more users, you’ll increase your search results rankings and gather as many installs as possible, increasing user trust as well as your bottom line.
