On December 7, 2021, Apple fully released two long-awaited features for App Store Optimization (ASO), User Acquisition (UA), and mobile marketing experts around the world.
These are the new Custom Product Pages (CPPs) capability for the App Store and native a/b testing, also called Product Page Optimization (PPO).
Here’s a short guide on starting using the native a/b testing option – Product Page Optimization.
To learn more about Custom Product Pages (CPPs) – click here.
A short reminder about Product Page Optimization (PPO)
One of iOS 15’s newest features is Product Page Optimization (PPO), which lets you measure how well your iOS apps’ product pages resonate with users by comparing different icons, screenshots, and app previews.
With PPO, you can test up to three treatments against your original product page to see which produces the best results. Each treatment will be presented randomly to a percentage of eligible users based on your selection and can be localized into various languages. App Analytics lets you see the top-performing assets, which you can then let all customers see.To determine the best treatment for app engagement, Apple uses the estimated lift in conversion rate and algorithms that provide confidence in the reliability of the test results.
Your app’s status must be ‘Ready for Sale’ for its product page to be tested. Tests will be automatically terminated if you submit a new app version while running. Testing for custom product pages is not available.
How to create a Product Page Optimization test?
App Store Connect allows you to configure product page optimization tests.
- Click Product Page Optimization’ in the left sidebar under Features
2. If you have never created a test before, click Create Test. Otherwise, click the + button beside Product Page Optimization.
3. For easier identification of test results in App Analytics, enter a reference name.
4. Choose the number of treatments you want to create. Each test can have up to three treatments. The more treatments you add to a test, the longer the test may take to reach a conclusive result.
5. Set a traffic proportion – The percentage of users who will be randomly shown a test treatment instead of your original product page. For example, a test with three treatments and a 30% traffic proportion will show 10% of the total traffic for each treatment.
6. Choose the localizations you want to test. By default, all the localizations your app supports are selected. You won’t test users who see a localization you excluded from your test.
7. Choose your desired improvement in conversion rate and click the arrow next to Estimate Your Test Duration to see how long it might take you to reach your goal. For this estimate, Apple uses the existing performance data of your app, such as daily impressions and new downloads. You will see the estimated duration and impressions needed. The estimate is provided as a guide and will not affect the test. Tests run for 90 days or until you manually stop them within that period. Note that you may not reach the goal within 90 days.
8. Click Create Test.
How to configure Product Page Optimization test treatments?
Test treatments are usually copies of the original product page for your app. The app icon, screenshots, and previews of each treatment can be edited. If you choose not to edit one of these items, the metadata from your original product page will appear for that item.
All metadata in your test treatments must be approved before testing. This metadata can be submitted without submitting a new version of your app. However, all app icons you want to use must be included in the app binary for the version of your app currently on the App Store. Your application must use an SDK that supports alternate icons in asset catalogs.
Simply changing screenshots or previews already on the App Store or modifying the app’s icon does not require you to resubmit metadata.
1. Select your app from My Apps.
2. Click Product Page Optimization under Features in the left sidebar.
3. Default treatment names are Treatment A, Treatment B, and Treatment C. Treatment names are only visible in App Store Connect and help you identify treatments in App Analytics. Click Edit next to the treatment name you want to edit.
4. Select a treatment name, then click OK.
5. Select the App Icon tab, which displays if your app binary contains more than one icon. To use app icons, they must be included in the binary for the version that is currently available on the App Store, and the SDK must support alternate icons in asset catalogs. Additionally, icons must have a size of 1024×1024 pixels.
6. Click Change under the icon of the treatment you want to change.
7. Select an icon from the menu. The menu shows all of the app icons included in your app’s binary. When an app is downloaded from a product page with a test treatment, the test treatment icon displays and on the user’s device throughout the download process.
8. Select the device tab and add screenshots and previews. As long as you don’t edit screenshots or previews for when certain device size, the treatment will use those on your original product page.
How to run a Product Page Optimization test?
Before any metadata can be used in a test, it must be approved by App Review. Trying to run a test before the metadata is approved will result in the metadata being added to a submission that you will have to send for review. If you have already sent a submission for that platform, you will need to wait until the first submission has been reviewed before sending the test metadata. Note that submitting a new app version for review stops any existing tests.
Now let’s start a test.
1. Select your app from My Apps.
2. Click Product Page Optimization under Features in the left sidebar.
3. Click the name of the test you want to run.
4. Click Start Test in the top right corner. Test status automatically updates to Running and shows how long the test has been live. If you click Start Test before submitting your metadata for review, the test status will change when App Review has accepted the metadata.
5. Tests run for 90 days or until you manually stop them within that period. App Analytics displays test results.
Manually stop a test.
1. Select your app from My Apps.
2. Click Product Page Optimization under Features in the left sidebar.
3. Click on the name of the test you want to stop.
4. Click Stop Test in the top right corner. You cannot restart a stopped test. You will need to create a new test with the same treatments and run it again.
How to apply a test treatment to your product page?
All treatments can be applied to your original product page on the App Store, as well as to versions in the Ready for Sale or Prepare for Submission states, at any time. A single treatment can be applied per test, and the action cannot be reversed. Note that only the previews and screenshots from the treatment will be used. To apply the app icon, you’ll need to set it as the default icon in your next app version. When you apply a treatment while a test is still running, the test will automatically stop.
1. Select your app from My Apps.
2. Click Product Page Optimization under Features in the left sidebar.
3. Click on the name of the test
4. Select the treatment you’d like to use.
5. To apply the treatment, click the Apply Treatment button.
6. Select the app versions you want to apply the treatment to.
To learn more about Storemaven’s ASO Platform, which will help you pave the way for app mobile growth, click here or book a demo with one of our mobile growth specialists.
