What is an App Description?
The app description is a metadata element that is part of every app’s product page on the App Store or the Google Play Store.
The App Description on iOS
On iOS, the description’s primary purpose is to convince product page visitors to download the app. So it contributes to increasing the conversion rate. As the search algorithm does not index the description, it cannot contribute to increasing the app’s visibility.
The description is a text of up to 4,000 characters. App owners have only limited options to format or design it. Using hyperlinks is not possible.
When users visit the product page, they only see a small snippet of the description. To read it in whole, they need to click the “read more” button.
The Long Description on Android
On Google Play, the description is called long description. It also is up to 4,000 characters long. But in contrast to iOS, app owners have plenty of options to design text to make it a better and more exciting read:
- bold, italic, colored and underlined fonts
- headers with bigger font size
- hyperlinks
- emojis
With these tools, it is possible to make the Google Play description more accessible and engaging.
Users will not see the long description on the product page unless they click the “Read more” button below the short description.
Like on iOS, the Google Play description contributes to increasing the conversion rate. But it also has the potential to create visibility for an app, because the Google Play search algorithm indexes it. That means if users search for a keyword and the description contains this keyword, the app will show up in the SERP. So the app description is a keyword placement and contributes to an app’s visibility in search results.
Learn more: HOW TO WRITE A LONG DESCRIPTION FOR YOUR GOOGLE PLAY APP
Which Information is helpful for Users?
The description should give potential users all the information they need to evaluate whether an app matches their needs or not. For instance, it should state:
- detailed information about the app’s features and the problems it solves
- technical requirements for running the app
- the app owner’s contact details and social media profiles
- social proof that indicates the app’s quality