5 Reliable Methods for Building Trust in Your Mobile App Nothing is better for selling the latest app that the oldest advertisement of them all, the glowing praise of a satisfied customer.
By Rahul Varshneya Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Social proof is one of the strongest, most compelling ways to persuade people to download your app, paid or free. More people will download and use an app if their friends or network are talking about it.
To encourage these people to download your app, provide social proof that a larger community already has. The people who have come to your app store page or the micro site don't want to be alone in downloading and experiencing your app. They want to hear from others, like themselves, who have used the app and have good things to say about it. Spray these social proofs all across your customer touch points.
Related: How to Use Customer Recommendations to Grow Your Business
Typically, when people consider buying a product, they look for reassurance that they're making the right choice. To boost your app downloads, tap into this customer psychology. Many have done it, though each in a different way. You can guide your customer through their decision by providing them reassurance.
1. App store reviews. Get your family and friends to download and rate your app. Within the app, prompt users who've accessed your app more than once to rate and review it.
Stay committed to providing value to your customer. Treat every single customer who gives a bad review as the most important customer you could ever have. Resolve those issues and blog about them. The customer will pay attention and eventually give you a better rating. Above all, give your unhappy customers a way to contact you.
2. Testimonials. Good "old testimonials have been used for a gazillion years and still work effectively today. Word from your customer holds greater value that your advertising. Get testimonials from your customers on their experience about using your app. Testimonials are validation that the product works.
Publish these testimonials on your app's landing page and in the app description on your app store page.
3. Use logos. A big social proof comes from the use of logos of popular or known companies or publications on your landing page. There are two ways you can approach the use of logos. You can showcase logos of some of the biggest clients/customers that have bought your app (if you're in the B2B space), or use logos of media publications that have written about your app.
An effective work-around when you're starting out new and don't have many, or any, logos to show on your pages is to display logos of products that your app connects to, such as Facebook, Gmail, etc.
Related: Get the Most From Your Written Testimonials
4. User and usage statistics. If you have a credible number of users who have downloaded your app today (or in the last week or month), show it on your landing page. If you don't have big, regular download numbers, integrate Facebook or Twitter API that showcases the number of fans or followers that you or your product page has.
5. Case studies. A case study is an advanced version of a testimonial. Case studies make it easier for your potential customers to see the benefit of your app by presenting more details on how your app made a difference to the life or business of your existing customers.
A typical case study will have a quote from your customer about the benefit of your app, how it solved a specific problem and how it helped them achieve their goals. Specific numbers from your customer in the case study (such as "increased productivity by 120 percent'') are the icing on the cake.
Implement all of these endorsements across your customer touch points. Never lose an opportunity to convert a customer who is interested in buying your app, but not yet fully convinced.
