How App Store A/B Testing Helps to Increase ROI

All mobile publishers are seeking to optimize the conversion rate and increase the return on investment (ROI) from user acquisition campaigns and app store optimization.

Optimizing visual elements of your app store listing can positively affect the decision of users and induce them to download your app, which will bring you more conversions. But how to optimize app store visual assets in order to achieve the desired results?

The easiest way to optimize the conversion rate and improve ROI is app store A/B testing.

This is an evidence-based method to identify creatives, which will generate conversions on the App Store or Google Play.

With the help of A/B testing experiments, you may detect optimal icon, screenshots, app previews for your app store product page that catch user attention and incite them to download your mobile game or app. The more conversions, the more revenue you might be able to get.

App store A/B testing experiments will eliminate guesswork from all your marketing efforts. Instead of blindly changing your app store visuals, your team will be able to make data-backed alterations, which will improve conversion and ROI. But first things first.

Why you should resort to app store A/B testing for your mobile app business

Even a tiny change on your app store product page can have a significant impact on the conversion rate, and consequently, on the return on investment. For example, Rovio was able to increase the conversion rate by 13% and get at least 2.5 million extra downloads for its game Angry Birds 2 thanks to running experiments on SplitMetrics mobile A/B testing platform.

While in-app split testing focuses on improving user experience inside your app and affecting the level of user engagement, app store A/B testing aims to test app store creatives, optimize the conversion rate, decrease CPI and improve ROI.

App store A/B testing is an unbiased way to optimize the conversion rate and boost ROI by testing variations of your app store visuals across different audiences.

If you are seeking to improve conversion and ROI, you need to try app store A/B testing, since:

• Competition in the app stores is becoming tougher day by day, and users are making the decision whether to download your app or not in a split second.
• This time is not enough to show users all your app’s cool features.
• That’s why your competitors are already running app store A/B testing experiments in order to optimize creatives and grab user attention immediately.
• When it comes to paid user acquisition, users might come to your app store product page but never press the download button, while you’ll pay for ads, as they clicked. The problem may lie in your icon and screenshots that could perform much better.
• So, to avoid wasting your ad budget, your team should test app store visuals in order to optimize them.

Benefits of app store A/B testing for mobile publishers

If you are still in doubt, just take a look at solid benefits that app store A/B testing will bring your mobile app business.

1. Analysis of various metrics

App store A/B testing provides you with data on various metrics. For example, SplitMetrics Mobile A/B Testing Platform offers information on click-to-install rate, average time on page, scroll depth, engagement rate and other important indicators for each variation.

2. Data-backed decision making and clear strategies

With such analytics mentioned above, you get firsthand data on what works for your app on the app stores and what doesn’t. You don’t have to guess anymore, and may use this knowledge to drive your ASO and user acquisition strategies. With app store A/B testing, all decisions of your mobile marketing / ASO / user acquisition team are backed up by data.

3. Learning more about target audience and getting insights into user behavior

By running app store A/B testing experiments, you may test not only your app store listing, but also various segments of your target audience. You may monitor how different audiences react to the same elements (like subtitle, description or icon) and get deep insights how users respond to your page on the App Store or Google Play. This will help you develop a strategic approach to each demographic group, country or region.

For example, Zimad managed to achieve an impressive 36% conversion uplift by localizing app store screenshots for the culture of Japan after running A/B testing experiments with SplitMetrics.

4. Finding ideas and identifying room for growth

The information you receive with A/B testing experiments helps get valuable insights on what users like about your app or mobile game: what game characters they like more or what features of your health & fitness app are more attractive to them. You will learn this by testing various screenshots of your app that reflect different features or characters. Furthermore, you will get some really great ideas that will help you with positioning of your app, its promotion in the app stores and beyond.

With the help of app store A/B testing, MSQRD got a lot of evidence-based insights before and after the launch of their world-famous app. For example, they discovered that an app preview was a must for their app store listing, since it positively affected the click-to-install rate.

Read more about valuable insights MSQRD gained through mobile A/B testing

5. Validating before investing

When it comes to the further development of your product, enriching it with new features and so on, app store A/B testing is a treasure trove in terms of business analysis.

Before investing in development of some new features for your app or game, showcase them on your screenshots and watch user reaction. Do variations with potential features show higher performance? Are users interested? Maybe your target audience just doesn’t need those features and you should invest in something else. Luckily, you may validate all feature ideas with mobile A/B tests.

6. Increasing the conversion rate

Based on everything said above, we can see that app store A/B testing enables you to continuously optimize your app store product page and timely adjust your app store optimization, user acquisition and the overall marketing strategy based on data. This inevitably contributes to the improvement of the conversion rate and growing revenue.

7. Lowering CPI and boosting ROI

A/B testing allows you to improve the performance of your app store creatives and reduce ad budget waste during user acquisition campaigns. Now users drawn to your app store page with the help of ads won’t leave it without downloading your app.

Start app store A/B testing today to improve ROI, meet your business objectives and achieve even greater results. We at SplitMetrics are ready to support you in these endeavours.