App Store Update

What is an App Store Update

An App Store update is the process a developer completes in order to update an app in the App Store using App Store Connect, Apple’s platform for releasing new and updated apps. 

An update is a newer version of the app than the one that’s available to download in the App Store. The developer will submit the new version, wait for approval from Apple before publishing and making it available for download. An app developer must go through an App Store update if there are new features or bug fixes that will improve the experience for the end-user. Alternatively, a developer can intend to update their app only to change the metadata on the app’s product page or the keyword metadata to improve an app’s ranking.

Why an App Store Update Is Important

When an app is updated in the App Store, it signals to users that an app is live and supported and hasn’t been left untouched since launch. This is important reassurance. To put frequency of updates into context, top apps (household name apps) are usually updated every four to six weeks with some updating every three weeks. 

It’s worth outlining the distinction between updating the code of an app (highlighting new features and bug fixes) and updating the metadata. The metadata are elements such as screenshots, the app icon, title etc. The above can only be changed by the submission of a new build. 

App Store Update and ASO

Yes, updating the content of an app with new features, or fixing bugs that have been detrimental to the users’ experience are vital. But for ASO, updating and improving the metadata on an app product page breathes new life to an app which will keep ‘conversion rate decay’ at bay. This decaying is the phenomenon whereby conversion rates drop due to unchanged marketing visuals and messages over time. If an audience is only exposed to ‘old’ unengaging creatives on an app’s product page that if they didn’t appeal to users (for whatever reason) enough to convert them on their first visit, likely won’t convert them if they were to visit again. If we break users into two groups it shows clearly where the focus needs to be:

1. Users who visit the page, engage with the creative / messaging and are successfully converted to download. Great, no problem.
2. Users who visit the page fail to engage with the creatives shown and therefore don’t install the app. Problem. In order to see an increase in conversion rates from this group, creatives / messaging will need to be refreshed. 

Essentially ASO plays a big part in understanding which creatives / messaging work or don’t work for an app’s audience, and only an app update that brings refreshed metadata will prevent conversion rate decay and improve conversions.