In this guide
A new listing has no rating, no review text and no history. Visitors notice. You cannot fix that on day one, but you can control a lot of what they see instead.
What you cannot and should not do
Do not buy reviews, trade reviews with other developers, or reward people for ratings. Both big stores prohibit manipulating ratings; see why buying reviews fails. A bought rating also hides the problems that real users would show you. The honest route is slower and more useful.
What you control before ratings exist
1. Make the page self-explanatory. With no social proof, the listing must do all the work. - Name and first line say what the app does and for whom. - The first two screenshots show the core action, with benefit captions. See screenshots that convert. - The description opens with one concrete sentence, not a slogan.
2. Show real substance. Real screens, a short real feature list, a privacy statement that matches what the app does. Vague listings look like abandoned ones.
3. Be specific rather than broad. A narrow phrase ("budget planner for freelancers") is easier to rank for and easier to believe than "best finance app". See keyword research.
4. Launch with fewer, better problems. Early one-star reviews are the hardest to recover from, and most come from bugs a handful of testers would have caught. Run a closed test first and fix what repeats. See Google Play closed testing if you publish on Android.
Build trust honestly
- Ask the right people at the right time. Use the store's rating prompt after a successful moment, once, without rewards. See when to ask for app reviews.
- Send unhappy users to private feedback first. An in-app "something wrong?" link to a feedback form catches issues before they turn into public ratings. Do not hide the store prompt from unhappy users to fake a higher score; just offer the private route as well.
- Answer every early review. A calm reply shows a person is behind the app. See replying to reviews.
- Show proof that is true. A real quote from a tester who agreed to be quoted, a real link to your site, a real changelog. Nothing invented.
Use the quiet period
Without ratings, your first weeks are mostly about learning: - Which screenshot gets taps (once there is traffic; see A/B testing). - Which keywords bring visitors. - Where new users drop off in the first session.
Do not expect the listing to rank on day one. Visibility usually follows from the app being used and kept, which you influence through onboarding more than through wording.
Checklist
- Page explains the app in five seconds.
- First two screenshots show the main benefit.
- Specific keyword phrase, not a broad one.
- Closed test done, repeating bugs fixed.
- Rating prompt planned for after a success.
- Private feedback route in the app.
- Plan to answer the first reviews.
Back to the ASO and launch hub. Related: ASO for mobile games, ASO for subscription apps.
Get private, structured feedback from other developers before your first public reviews. Start free: new accounts start with 0 credits, and each feedback you give earns 1.