Google Play Developer App Marketing Strategy-Why App download decreased after icon change?

Question

I have an app on google play over 5000000 downloads. And 20000+ downloads every day. When the designer changed the app icon to new good one ,the daily download decreased from 20000+ to 5000- . I don't think it's not good icon. I think may be there is a marketing strategy after icon changing google play changed app position on google play. Any idea about this?

Old Icon

New Icon

Answer 1

I think that the main reason is people knew the product. If they start looking for it now, they see something that they don't know as it has changed and will not download it as fast as before.

If everyone is used to the icon, your downloads will increase.

There is no ranking part that depends on the icon, so as I know.

Answer 2

It is hard to pin down an exact reason. Maybe it was too similar to another app icon or simply new users didn't like it as much.

You can run A/B tests in the store listings, it's a hidden menu. Click Store Listing and beneath that, you should see experiments. You can run up to 4 icons (for example) and see which gets more downloads. This also works with the promotional video, screenshots, short app listing and full app listing.

There are a lot of customization choices as well.

I would make a few iterations of the logo, with different elements removed. I think the new one is a little too busy. try removing the phone on the left and right and see how users respond.

Sources:

Run A/B tests on your store listing

Increase installs with Store Listing Experiments

Answer 3

I think there are 3 possible reasons: 1) Google dropped your app in the list because at the time you changed the icon, there where other apps added in this category. This made google to re-place and orden the apps. As your app was there longer and had a minor change, it was ranked as "old & going down", so it lost the confident place in the list.

2)Because of the new icon, people are not finding it as quick or they think the new icon is an actual scam version of your app, so they aren't downloading it anymore.

3)Your app simply got less popular. You got pretty much downloads, the rate was high. Maybe you reached all the people that needed this app and there are minus people wanting it.

Anyways, maybe the download count raises again and you just need to wait a little week. It is very unlikely, but it also could just be a error at Google's side.

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